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Jeremiah 31: New Covenant in Christ

Below is a verse-by-verse explanation of Jeremiah 31 (ESV), where the New Covenant was foretold.

Jeremiah 31:1 – “At that time, declares the LORD, I will be the God of all the clans of Israel, and they shall be my people.”

God reaffirms His covenant relationship with His people. In Reformed theology, this anticipates the New Covenant, where God’s people are not just ethnic Israel, but all in Christ (Rom. 9:6-8; Gal. 3:29). The phrase “I will be their God, and they shall be my people” is the heart of covenant promise, ultimately fulfilled in Christ and the Church.

Jeremiah 31:2 – “Thus says the LORD: The people who survived the sword found grace in the wilderness; when Israel sought for rest,”

God’s grace is extended to the remnant. Reformed theology sees the “remnant” as those preserved by God’s sovereign election (Rom. 11:5), and the “wilderness” as a place of dependence on God, pointing forward to the spiritual rest found in Christ (Heb. 4:9-10).

Jeremiah 31:3 – “the LORD appeared to him from far away. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.”

God’s everlasting love and faithfulness are the foundation of the covenant. In New Covenant theology, this love is supremely demonstrated in Christ’s redemptive work (Eph. 1:4-5).

Jeremiah 31:4 – “Again I will build you, and you shall be built, O virgin Israel! Again you shall adorn yourself with tambourines and shall go forth in the dance of the merrymakers.”

Restoration is promised. The “virgin Israel” language points to renewal and purity, fulfilled in the Church, the bride of Christ, made pure by His sacrifice (Eph. 5:25-27).

Jeremiah 31:5 – “Again you shall plant vineyards on the mountains of Samaria; the planters shall plant and shall enjoy the fruit.”

Blessing and fruitfulness are restored. In Reformed thought, this is typological of the spiritual fruitfulness of the New Covenant community (John 15:5).

Jeremiah 31:6 – “For there shall be a day when watchmen will call in the hill country of Ephraim: ‘Arise, and let us go up to Zion, to the LORD our God.’”

Unity in worship is anticipated. In the New Covenant, Gentiles and Jews are called together to worship God in Christ (Eph. 2:14-18).

Jeremiah 31:7 – “For thus says the LORD: ‘Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob, and raise shouts for the chief of the nations; proclaim, give praise, and say, “O LORD, save your people, the remnant of Israel.”’”

Salvation and praise are central. The “remnant” is the elect, and the call to praise is fulfilled in the worship of the Church (1 Peter 2:9-10).

Jeremiah 31:8 – “Behold, I will bring them from the north country and gather them from the farthest parts of the earth, among them the blind and the lame, the pregnant woman and she who is in labour, together; a great company, they shall return here.”

God’s gathering is inclusive and gracious. In New Covenant theology, this foreshadows the ingathering of all nations into the people of God (Rev. 7:9).

Jeremiah 31:9 – “With weeping they shall come, and with pleas for mercy I will lead them back, I will make them walk by brooks of water, in a straight path in which they shall not stumble, for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.”

Repentance and restoration are God’s work. The “brooks of water” symbolize spiritual refreshment in Christ (John 7:37-39). God as Father is realized in the New Covenant (Gal. 4:6).

Jeremiah 31:10 – “Hear the word of the LORD, O nations, and declare it in the coastlands far away; say, ‘He who scattered Israel will gather him, and will keep him as a shepherd keeps his flock.’”

God’s faithfulness extends to the nations. The shepherd imagery is fulfilled in Christ, the Good Shepherd (John 10:11), and the Church’s global mission.

Jeremiah 31:11 – “For the LORD has ransomed Jacob and has redeemed him from hands too strong for him.”

Redemption is by God’s initiative. In Reformed theology, this points to Christ’s atoning work (Mark 10:45; Eph. 1:7).

Jeremiah 31:12 – “They shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion, and they shall be radiant over the goodness of the LORD, over the grain, the wine, and the oil, and over the young of the flock and the herd; their life shall be like a watered garden, and they shall languish no more.”

Abundant blessing and joy are promised. In the New Covenant, the Church enjoys spiritual abundance in Christ (John 10:10).

Jeremiah 31:13 – “Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old shall be merry. I will turn their mourning into joy; I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow.”

Transformation from sorrow to joy is a New Covenant reality (John 16:20-22; Rev. 21:4).

Jeremiah 31:14 – “I will feast the soul of the priests with abundance, and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, declares the LORD.”

Spiritual satisfaction is found in God. In Christ, all believers are priests (1 Peter 2:5, 9) and are satisfied in Him.

Jeremiah 31:15 – “Thus says the LORD: ‘A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more.’”

This verse is cited in Matthew 2:17-18, fulfilled in the slaughter of the innocents, showing that even in sorrow, God’s redemptive plan is unfolding.

Jeremiah 31:16 – “Thus says the LORD: ‘Keep your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears, for there is a reward for your work, declares the LORD, and they shall come back from the land of the enemy.’”

Hope is promised beyond sorrow. In Christ, resurrection and restoration are assured (1 Thess. 4:13-18).

Jeremiah 31:17 – “There is hope for your future, declares the LORD, and your children shall come back to their own country.”

God’s promises are future-oriented. The ultimate return is to God Himself, fulfilled in Christ (Heb. 11:16).

Jeremiah 31:18 – “I have heard Ephraim grieving, ‘You have disciplined me, and I was disciplined, like an untrained calf; bring me back that I may be restored, for you are the LORD my God.’”

Repentance is God’s gracious work in the heart (Phil. 2:13). Restoration is by God’s initiative.

Jeremiah 31:19 – “For after I had turned away, I relented, and after I was instructed, I struck my thigh; I was ashamed, and I was confounded, because I bore the disgrace of my youth.”

True repentance involves shame over sin and a return to God, a fruit of the Spirit’s work (2 Cor. 7:10).

Jeremiah 31:20 – “Is Ephraim my dear son? Is he my darling child? For as often as I speak against him, I do remember him still. Therefore my heart yearns for him; I will surely have mercy on him, declares the LORD.”

God’s fatherly compassion is central in the New Covenant (Luke 15:20; 1 John 3:1).

Jeremiah 31:21 – “Set up road markers for yourself; make yourself guideposts; consider well the highway, the road by which you went. Return, O virgin Israel, return to these your cities.”

God calls for intentional repentance and return. In Christ, the way back to God is open (John 14:6).

Jeremiah 31:22 – “How long will you waver, O faithless daughter? For the LORD has created a new thing on the earth: a woman encircles a man.”

This enigmatic phrase points to something radically new—interpreted by some as a prophecy of the virgin birth (see Calvin, Matthew Henry), or the reversal of roles in redemption.

Jeremiah 31:23 – “Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Once more they shall use these words in the land of Judah and in its cities, when I restore their fortunes: “The LORD bless you, O habitation of righteousness, O holy hill!”’”

Restoration brings renewed blessing and holiness. In the New Covenant, Christ is our righteousness (1 Cor. 1:30).

Jeremiah 31:24 – “And Judah and all its cities shall dwell there together, and the farmers and those who wander with their flocks.”

All God’s people are included in the restoration, pointing to the unity of the Church (Eph. 2:19-22).

Jeremiah 31:25 – “For I will satisfy the weary soul, and every languishing soul I will replenish.”

Christ fulfills this as the One who gives rest to the weary (Matt. 11:28).

Jeremiah 31:26 – “At this I awoke and looked, and my sleep was pleasant to me.”

Jeremiah’s vision brings hope and comfort, a foretaste of the peace found in Christ (Phil. 4:7).

Jeremiah 31:27 – “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and the seed of beast.”

God promises new life and growth. In the New Covenant, the Church multiplies and flourishes (Acts 2:47).

Jeremiah 31:28 – “And it shall come to pass that as I have watched over them to pluck up and break down, to overthrow, destroy, and bring harm, so I will watch over them to build and to plant, declares the LORD.”

God’s sovereignty in both judgment and restoration is emphasized. He builds His Church (Matt. 16:18).

Jeremiah 31:29 – “In those days they shall no longer say: ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.’”

Personal responsibility is highlighted. In the New Covenant, each is accountable for their own response to God (Ezek. 18:20).

Jeremiah 31:30 – “But everyone shall die for his own iniquity. Each man who eats sour grapes, his teeth shall be set on edge.”

Individual sin and accountability are underscored, fulfilled in the New Covenant’s emphasis on personal faith and repentance.

The forthcoming New Covenant prophesied by Jeremiah

Jeremiah 31:31 – “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah.

This is the great promise of the New Covenant, fulfilled in Christ (Luke 22:20; Heb. 8:8-12). The New Covenant is not a mere renewal, but a fundamentally new arrangement.

Jeremiah 31:32 – “not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD.”

The Mosaic covenant was broken; the New Covenant is unbreakable because Christ’s obedience and sacrifice establish it.

Jeremiah 31:33 – “But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”

The heart of New Covenant theology: inward transformation by the Spirit (2 Cor. 3:3), intimate relationship with God, and the law written on the heart.

Jeremiah 31:34  – “And no longer shall each one teach his neighbour and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

Universal knowledge of God and full forgiveness are New Covenant blessings, realized in Christ (Heb. 8:10-12).

Jeremiah 31:35-40 – Hover over these verses, which declare the certainty and permanence of God’s covenant promises, using the stability of creation as a guarantee. God’s promises are as unbreakable as the created order. The New Covenant is eternally secure in Christ (John 10:28-29).

Sources

  • Enduring Word Bible Commentary Jeremiah 31
  • Precept Austin Jeremiah 31 Commentary
  • Ligonier Ministries: The New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31–34)
  • Theology of Work: Jeremiah 30–33
  • Matthew Henry’s Commentary on Jeremiah 31
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Hebrews 9: Christ the Mediator of the New Covenant

We approach the Epistle to the Hebrews, especially chapter 9, its Christ-centred message, the fulfillment of Old Testament (OC) prophecy, and the superiority of Christ’s priesthood and sacrifice. Below is a verse-by-verse summary and definition of the book of Hebrews, specifically chapter 9.

Hebrews 9:1–2; 3-4; 5 These verses describe the earthly tabernacle and its contents, which were central to the Old Covenant. The tabernacle’s structure and furnishings (the lampstand, the table, the bread, the Holy of Holies, the ark, etc.) symbolized the separation between God and man due to sin. The OC tabernacle was a constant reminder of God’s holiness and humanity’s unholiness, and access to God was strictly limited under the old covenant.

Hebrews 9:6-7; 8; 9; 10: These verses focus on the rituals and ceremonies of the Old Covenant. The priests entered the outer room regularly, but only the high priest could enter the Holy of Holies—and only once a year, with a blood offering for his own sins and the sins of the people. This system was intentionally limited and could not cleanse the conscience or provide true access to God. It was “imposed until the time of reformation,” pointing forward to a better way that would be revealed in Christ.

Hebrews 9:11–12; 13; 14: Christ is the “high priest of good things to come,” who entered a greater and more perfect tabernacle—not made with hands—and offered His own blood, securing eternal redemption. Unlike the repeated animal sacrifices, Christ’s sacrifice was once for all, cleansing the conscience from dead works to serve the living God. The superiority and finality of Christ’s sacrifice, which truly accomplished what the old system could not.

Hebrews 9:15;16; 17-18; 19; 20; 21-22: Jesus is the mediator of a new covenant. Through His death, He redeems those under the first covenant and enables believers to receive the promised eternal inheritance. The shedding of blood was necessary for the forgiveness of sins, as even the old covenant was inaugurated with blood. This underscores the necessity and cost of true redemption, fulfilled in Christ’s sacrificial death.

Hebrews 9:23; 24; 25; 26; 27-28: The earthly tabernacle and its rituals were mere Old Testament (OT) copies designed by God as foreshadowings of the heavenly realities. Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary but heaven itself, to appear before God on our behalf. His sacrifice was not repeated, but once for all, “to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.” Just as people die once and face judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many and will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await Him.

Theological Emphases in Hebrews 9

Fulfillment of Old Testament Prophecy: Hebrews 9 is linked to three key Old Testament passages:

Psalm 110: 1-2; 3-4; 5-6; 7  (a new, eternal priesthood)

Jeremiah 31:33  (the new covenant, God writes his laws on our hearts)

Psalm 40:6; 7; 8 (a new, sufficient sacrifice)

Superiority of Christ: Christ’s priesthood and sacrifice are superior to the old system in every way, providing true access to God, cleansing the conscience, and securing eternal redemption1.

Finality of Christ’s Sacrifice: Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice fulfills and replaces all the types and shadows of the old covenant.

Summary Table: Hebrews 9 

Verses Old Covenant Focus Christ’s Fulfillment
1–5 Earthly tabernacle and its contents Separation from God due to sin
6–10 Rituals, limited access Inadequacy of the Old Testament system points to the need for Christ
11–14 Animal sacrifices Christ’s superior, once-for-all sacrifice
15–22 Blood of animals, the Old Covenant Christ mediates the new covenant with His own blood
23–28 Copies, repeated sacrifices Christ’s final, heavenly, effectual sacrifice

 

Hebrews 9 consistently pointed to Jesus as the fulfillment of all Old Testament types, the only true High Priest, and the mediator of a new and better covenant, whose sacrifice alone brings eternal redemption and access to God.

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Romans 3: Law, Grace, and the New Covenant

Here is a detailed, verse-by-verse exposition of Romans 3, providing insights into the themes of law versus grace and the new covenant, with a special focus on Romans 3:21-31, where the righteousness of God, apart from the law, is revealed.

Note: As you read, you can view the Bible text by hovering over the scriptures or clicking them. In the primary texts of our study, I have them after the colon.

Romans 3:1-2: “Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God.”

Paul begins by affirming the special privileges of the Jews, chiefly that they were entrusted with God’s revealed Word (the oracles). This establishes that the Jews had a unique role in redemptive history, but this privilege does not guarantee righteousness or salvation by itself.

The law and prophetic revelation were given to Israel, but this does not mean they are justified by the law (the old covenant). The oracles point forward to the righteousness revealed in Christ, which is the true remedy for sin.

Romans 3:3-4: “What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? By no means! Let God be true though everyone were a liar, as it is written, “That you may be justified in your words, and prevail when you are judged.”

Paul anticipates an objection: if some Jews are unfaithful, does that nullify God’s faithfulness? He emphatically denies this, affirming God’s unchanging truth and justice. God’s righteousness and faithfulness stand regardless of human failure. The law reveals human sinfulness, but God’s covenant faithfulness is the basis for justification, not human merit.

Romans 3:5-8: “But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.) 6 By no means! For then how could God judge the world? 7 But if through my lie God’s truth abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner? 8 And why not do evil that good may come?—as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just.”

Paul rejects the idea that sin could somehow glorify God or that grace encourages sinning. God’s justice and judgment remain intact. Grace is not a license to sin but a remedy for sin. The new covenant righteousness is a gift, not a reward for wrongdoing. This underscores God’s holiness and justice even as He offers grace.

Romans 3:9-18: “What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, as it is written: None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one. Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive. The venom of asps is under their lips. Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

This passage catalogues universal human sinfulness, both Jew and Gentile alike, emphasizing total depravity and the law’s inability to produce righteousness. The law exposes sin but cannot justify it. The vivid imagery of sin in every part of man’s being shows the depth of human corruption and the need for God’s remedy in grace.

Below is a table summarizing  Man’s Fallen Nature.

Romans
3:9 All humanity is guilty and will be condemned.
3:11a Man is not understanding; he lacks a proper view of God.
3:11b Man does not seek God on God’s terms.
3:12a Man does not move right; all have turned aside.
3:12b Man becomes useless in his efforts to please God.

The Law’s Purpose: Revealing Sin, Not Providing Righteousness

Romans 3:19-20: “Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.”

The law’s role is to bring conviction and reveal sin, not to justify. It silences all boasting and makes all guilty before God. The law is a tutor to bring us to Christ by showing our inability to meet God’s standards. (Galatians 3:23-26). Justification cannot come through law-keeping but only through faith apart from works.

Romans 3:21-26: “But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.”

This is the heart of the gospel: God’s righteousness is now revealed apart from the law through faith in Jesus Christ, who is the propitiation (atoning sacrifice) for sin.

The divine provision for man’s unrighteousness. The righteousness of God is His own perfect standard, which He must demand, but now it is provided freely by grace through Christ’s redemption. This righteousness is not earned but imputed by faith, making the believer justified before God.

This righteousness is “apart from the law” in the sense that it is not based on human works or law-keeping but on the new covenant of grace established by Christ’s sacrifice. The law attests to this righteousness but does not produce it.

Romans 3:27-31: “Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.”

Paul concludes that boasting is excluded because justification is by faith, not works. God is the God of both Jews and Gentiles, justifying all who believe.

Faith does not nullify the law but fulfills and establishes it because its true purpose is realized in the righteousness that comes from faith. The new covenant does not abolish God’s standards but provides the means to meet them through grace. This underscores the unity of God’s plan and the universal availability of salvation through faith, not ethnic privilege or law-keeping.

Summary of Law vs. Grace and the New Covenant in Romans 3

The law reveals sin and condemns, but cannot justify or save. It functions to stop boasting and show humanity’s need for a Saviour.

The righteousness of God is His own perfect standard, which He demands but also freely provides through Jesus Christ.

Justification is by faith, apart from the works of the law, highlighting the new covenant of grace that supersedes the old covenant of law.

Though our sovereign head—our forefather Adam sinned, passing condemnation to us all, we have an escape: Grace is God’s remedy for sin.

: “I deserved Hell; Jesus took my Hell on the cross; there is nothing left for me but His Heaven.”

This gospel is not a human invention but God’s eternal plan revealed in Christ, exclusive and final.

Faith in Christ is the means by which both Jew and Gentile are justified, fulfilling rather than nullifying the law.

This detailed verse-by-verse approach to theological exposition on the contrast between law and grace and the establishment of the new covenant righteousness through faith in Christ. It highlights the profound shift from law-based righteousness to grace-based justification that Paul proclaims as God’s Saving Grace through Christ.

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The Fellowship of Christ’s Suffering

That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death. —Philippians 3:10

Paul desires not only to know “the power” of Christ’s “resurrection,” but “the fellowship of His sufferings.” What are the sufferings of Christ?

They include not only the sufferings which He endured in His person, but those which are endured by His members. When Saul persecuted the church, it is said that he persecuted Christ (Acts 9:4). This is why Paul writes, “I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church” (Col. 1:24).

Peter tells us, “But rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.

Our sufferings are accounted to be the sufferings of Christ when they are experienced for a good cause and for the name of Christ. What does it mean to have fellowship with Christ in His suffering? It is twofold. First, it is internal. It is the mortification of the flesh or the crucifying of the affections and their lusts.

Second, it is external. It is the mortification of the outward man by various afflictions. Paul speaks of this in our text. Fellowship with Christ in His death is our conformity to His suffering and death. It is worth recognizing what this conformity is not. God poured out the whole curse of the law, due to our sins, upon Christ. By this means He showed Christ justice without mercy. But in our afflictions God moderates His anger, and in justice He remembers mercy (Hab. 3:2). He lays no more on us than we can bear (1 Cor. 10:13).

Furthermore, Christ’s sufferings are a satisfaction to God’s justice for our sins. Our sufferings are not so. We stand before God as private persons, and for this cause the sufferings of one man cannot satisfy for another, and there is no proportion between our sufferings and the glory which will be revealed (Rom. 8:17). As Christ says, “I have trodden the winepress alone” (Isa. 63:3).

And so, how are we conformed to Christ’s suffering? It stands in four things. First, Christ suffered for a just cause, for He suffered as our Redeemer, the righteous for the unrighteous (1 Peter 3:18). We must likewise suffer for the sake of righteousness (Matt. 5:10).

Second, in His sufferings Christ was a mirror of all patience and meekness. “For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: ‘Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth’” (1 Peter 2:21–22).

We must show the same patience in our sufferings. For this to happen, our patience must possess three properties. (1) It must be voluntary. We must willingly and quietly renounce our own wills, and subject ourselves in our sufferings to God’s will. Forced patience is not patience. (2) It must be singular. We must suffer not for praise or profit, but for the glory of God. We suffer to show our obedience to Him. (3) It must be constant. If we endure afflictions for a season, but later begin to complain and cast away Christ’s yoke, we fail in our patience.

The affections of grief and sorrow are compatible with patience, for Christian religion does not abolish these affections, but moderates them by bringing them into subjection to God’s will when we lie under the cross. Third, we are conformed to Christ’s suffering when we learn obedience. “Though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him” (Heb. 5:8–9).

Christ was not a sinner who had to learn to obey. Rather, He experienced obedience as a righteous man. Likewise, we must be careful to seek the fruit of our sufferings rather than their removal. This fruit is to learn obedience, especially to obey God’s commands to believe and repent. God afflicted Job, not on account of his sins, but to test his faith and patience. In the end Job renewed his repentance: “Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes” (Job 42:6).

Paul says that he received in his own flesh “the sentence of death” that he might learn to trust in God alone (2 Cor. 1:9). Fourth, we are conformed to Christ in His suffering when it is even to death itself. We must resist sin, fighting against it to the shedding of our blood (Heb. 12:4).

Faith and a good conscience are precious… Therefore, if necessary, we must conform ourselves to Christ, even in the pains of death. This is the conformity of which Paul speaks. He magnifies it as a special gain. Why? First, it is a mark of God’s children. “If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten?” (Heb. 12:7).

Second, it is a sign that the Holy Spirit dwells in us. “If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you” (1 Peter 4:14).

Third, the grace of God is manifested most in afflictions: “My strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9). “Tribulation produces perseverance” (Rom. 5:3), because then “the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (v. 5).

Hope of eternal life shows itself most in the patient bearing of afflictions (Rom. 15:4–5). In times of ease and peace, natural life reigns. But in seasons of suffering natural life quickly decays, and the spiritual life of Christ shows itself. Fourth, conformity to Christ in His death is the right and certain way to eternal life. “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22). “This is a faithful saying: For if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him. If we endure, we shall also reign with Him” (2 Tim. 2:11–12).

The estate of humiliation is the way to the estate of exaltation, first in Christ and then in us. What do we learn from this? First, we learn that after believers are made partakers of Christ and His benefits by the power of His resurrection, they must be made conformable to His death. Christ’s commandment to those who would be His disciples is this: “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it” (Luke 9:23–24).

There are three weighty reasons why God will have it so: (1) that He may correct past sins; (2) that He may prevent future sins; (3) that He may test what is in our hearts. Second, we learn that there is comfort in our sufferings. We are partners with Christ in our sufferings, and He promises to make us His fellows. It follows that all our afflictions are well-known to Christ, and that they are laid on us with His consent. For this cause, we should frame ourselves to bear them with all meekness. As our partner, Christ will help us to bear them by moderating their weight or by governing them for our good (Rom. 8:28). Third, we learn that our afflictions are blessings and benefits.

We can discern them to be such, not by the light of reason, but by the eye of faith, because they are means to make us conformable to our Head, Christ Jesus. God’s benefits are positive and privative. Positive benefits are those which God bestows on us. Privative benefits occur when God takes away a blessing and gives another. This kind of benefit is an affliction. The first is more prevalent in the life to come, while the second is more prevalent in this life. Therefore, while we live in this world, our duty is to labour to attain this conformity to the sufferings of Christ.

Highly Recommended Source via Amazon: Perkins, William. A Perfect Redeemer (Puritan Treasures for Today) (pp. 79-83). (Function). Kindle Edition.

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Romans 5: The Heart of the Gospel and Peace with God

Note: You can see the Bible text as you read by hovering over the scriptures or clicking them.

Faith brings joy to the believer. In Romans 5:1-11, Paul presents the gospel’s truth in ways that stretch our thinking — and bring joy into our lives as one of God’s elect. On the one hand, we are complete in Christ (our acceptance with him is secure); on the other, we are growing in Christ (becoming more and more transformed–like him).

Before we begin, I present eight brief points to help you get a Coles Notes snapshot. I encourage you to review the remaining study and increase your faith in Christ as your Redeemer.

Eight benefits of Justification by Faith in Christ as your Saviour:

  1. Peace: Romans 5:1
  2. Access: Romans 5:2
  3. Hope: Romans 5:2
  4. Patience—fruit of tribulations: Romans 5:3
  5. Love: Romans 5:5
  6. Holy Spirit: Romans 5:5
  7. Deliverance from the Great Tribulation: Romans 5:9
  8. Joy: Romans 5:11

God’s Reconciliation is toward man: Forgiveness is the key to redemption in Christ, offering us a change from enmity to friendship. Justification by faith is an act of God which is permanent. Let’s dive a bit deeper:

Romans 5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Chapter 5 begins with an affirmation of the Christian’s standing before God—that the Christian, through believing faith in Christ, has been justified and declared righteous by God, once for all. The result of this is that the Christian no longer lives under the fear of judgment and the wrath of God but has peace with God, which is not merely a subjective feeling but an objective reality. (See John 14:27)

How does being made right in God’s sight by our faith in Christ affect our relationship with God? First, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Having peace with God means no more hostility between us and God, and no sin is blocking our relationship with Him, because Christ’s atonement on the cross offers God’s forgiveness as we acknowledge that Jesus took our sins upon Himself as a propitiation for the believer’s sin. Thereby, a new relationship has been established, so we no longer dread the outcome of judgment but live under the protection established by God. 1 

Romans 5:2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Not only has Christ made us right with God, but He has also given us personal access to God. His grace brings us into a place of the highest privilege, where we now stand, a blessing of God’s justification because of our faith. We have been brought into a place of favour with God. Instead of being his enemies, we are now his friends—in fact — his very own children (John 15:15; Galatians 4:5). Mankind was created for glory, but because of sin, had fallen “short of God’s glorious standard” (Romans 3:23). It is God’s purpose to recreate his image, his glory, entirely in us so that we can confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. Anticipating our future with God ought to bring great joy. We stand in God’s grace, and the outcome of our lives is secure in his hands. We no longer need to be haunted by thoughts of judgment; now we can reflect upon and respond to his grace. 3 

Romans 5:3-5 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

These verses describe the transformative process of sanctification, in which persecution and suffering lead to perseverance and hope. (see 1 Peter 1:6–7; 2 Corinthians 12:9) This process is by grace through the Spirit, evidencing the internal work of the new covenant, where God writes His law on the hearts of believers– a step-by-step transformation that makes believers more like Christ. (Jeremiah 31.33; Hebrews 8:10, 10:16,)

Followers of Christ have no reason to fear the final judgement at death or if yet alive when Christ returns on the judgment day, for they now belong to God. Indeed, they know that they have received God’s love because the Holy Spirit poured His love into their hearts at conversion—the time when they believed and accepted the salvation offered by Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.

Romans 5:6-8 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

The death of Christ for the ungodly is the ultimate demonstration of grace. This is the expiatory sacrifice that pays the penalty Adam’s disobedience incurred, restoring what Adam robbed from God and man-obedience and life.

God’s plan, from the beginning, was to send his Son to die for us, at just the right time, referring to both the timing in history and the timing in God’s plan (see Galatians 4:4). In the face of our helplessness, God was entirely in control. The events in human history did not determine the plan of salvation; God designed the plan of salvation to happen at just the right time. We are saved only because God took the initiative and demonstrated his incredible grace and love by sending his Son to take the punishment we deserved. God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. Christ’s death is the highest manifestation of God’s love for us. While we were rebellious and despicable, Christ died for us so that we could come to God, find peace with him, and become heirs of his promises. Christ did not die so that we could be made lovable; Christ died because God already loved us and wanted to bring us close to himself. 5

Romans 5:9-11 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Justification by Christ’s blood secures salvation from God’s wrath. Through Christ’s atonement, believers are reconciled to God, a key feature of the new covenant where peace and restored relationship replace condemnation.

God made us right in his sight through the blood of Christ shed on the cross (see Romans 3:25). Because God is holy, he could not accept us by simply disregarding or ignoring our sins. Instead, those sins had to be dealt with. And God did this through the sacrificial death of his Son. Again, this justification is God’s approval, given to us only based on what Christ did. God’s acquittal sets free all of us who were otherwise hopeless prisoners of sin. If Christ’s blood was shed on our behalf, then his blood will certainly save us from God’s judgment. 6 

We were enemies because we were rebels against God. Because of Christ’s death, we were restored to friendship with God by the death of his Son. Because Christ’s death accomplished this, his life—his present resurrection life—delivers us from eternal punishment and ensures our salvation. Knowing all that God has accomplished should cause us to rejoice. Paul has already told his readers that they should rejoice in sharing God’s glory (Romans 5:2) and in their problems (Romans 5:3). Now he exclaims that they should rejoice in God. We rejoice in God because Christ took our sins upon himself and paid the price for them with his death, instead of punishing us with the death we deserve. Through faith in his work, we become his friends and are no longer enemies and outcasts. 7 

Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.

Adam’s one offence brought sin and death to all humanity. Adam was the representative head of humanity at creation, breaking God’s law and causing the imputation of guilt to all. This sets the stage for Christ as the second Adam, who rectifies this.

Sin came into the world through one man. Adam sinned against God, causing a domino effect: sin entered the entire human race, then sin brought death. Because everyone sinned, everyone also died (Genesis 2–3). Death is the consequence of being under the power of sin. It was not in God’s original plan for human beings to die, but it was the result when sin entered the world. Inevitably, the gift of life we bequeath to our children includes the ancestral sting of death. All human beings share two common characteristics: they are sinners, and they will die. 8 

Romans 5:13-14 …for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.

Sin existed before the Mosaic law, but the law made sin’s nature clearer and increased its recognition. The law’s role was to multiply sin’s awareness, but it could not save — this is where grace superabounds.

God’s law was not given until the time of Moses, so the people who lived between Adam and Moses did not have any specific laws to obey or break. But sin in the world was the power or force that caused people to act independently of God. All people are under the power of sin, and all people act in rebellion against God. Sin was in the world from the beginning, but it came into sharp focus when the law was given. Adam disobeyed an explicit commandment of God (Romans 5:12). His descendants who lived prior to the time of Moses could not break any specific laws because there were none. But they still sinned, as witnessed by the fact that they all died. Adam’s descendants had sinned with Adam (Romans 5:12). Death is the result of Adam’s sin and ours, even if our sins don’t resemble Adam’s. For thousands of years, the law had not been explicitly given, and yet people died. The law was added (Romans 5:20) to help people see their sinfulness, to show them the seriousness of their offences, and to drive them to God for mercy and pardon. This was true in Moses’ and Paul’s days, and it is still true today. Sin is a fracture between us and who we were created to be. The law points out our sin and places the responsibility for it squarely on our shoulders, but it offers no remedy. The contrast between Adam and Christ is that Adam’s one act determined the character of the world; Christ’s one act determined the character of eternity. In modern terminology, we could say that Adam was a flawed prototype, but Christ was the perfect original. Just as Adam was a representative of created humanity, so is Christ the representative of the new, spiritual humanity. 9 

Romans 5:15 But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many.

The free gift of grace through Christ far outweighs Adam’s offence.  Christ’s sacrifice is an expiatory offering that restores and superabounds in grace, bringing righteousness and life to many. God’s generous gift of forgiveness through Christ (justification) has a greater but opposite effect than the trespass of Adam and its consequences. Yet in each case, the act of one affected the lives of many. Because of Adam’s sin, death entered the human race, and since then, all people have died (with the Bible’s exceptions of Enoch and Elijah). All people will die until the end of this age. Because of Jesus Christ, however, we can trade judgment for forgiveness. We can trade our sin for Jesus’ goodness. Jesus offers us the opportunity to be born into his spiritual family—the family line that begins with forgiveness and leads to eternal life. If we do nothing, we have death through Adam; but if we come to God by faith, we have life through Christ. 10 

Romans 5:16 And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification.

Unlike Adam’s sin, which brought condemnation, Christ’s gift brings justification (when we accept Him by faith) despite many sins. This reveals the superiority of grace over the law–where the law condemns, grace justifies. God passed judgment on Adam’s one sin of disobedience, and as a result, Adam and the entire human race received condemnation and death. Everyone since Adam has sinned, and yet Christ overcame those many trespasses and brought righteousness to those who accept him, even though they are guilty of many sins. The result of sin is death; the gift of God, His justifying sinners, results in eternal life after we physically die, and our future reigning forever with Christ. 11 

Romans 5:17 For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.

Death reigned through Adam’s offence, but believers reign in life through Christ’s abundant grace and righteousness. This righteousness is the divine property of Christ imputed to believers, fulfilling the law’s demands perfectly.

By capitulating to sin, Adam caused death to rule over the whole human race. Death is inescapable; it comes to every living thing. We all live close to the valley of the shadow of death. And the reign of death over creation began because of Adam’s sin. However, there is a remedy. Those who receive God’s wonderful, gracious gift of righteousness will live in triumph over sin and death. What a promise this is to those who love Christ! We can reign in Christ over sin’s power, over death’s threats, and Satan’s attacks. Eternal life is ours now and forever. Though this promise will have its greatest fulfillment in the future, it will also have a significant immediate impact. In Christ, death loses its sting (see 1 Corinthians 15:50–57). We are still subject to the physical suffering and death brought by sin in the world, but we are free from the eternal spiritual separation that we would experience outside of Christ. Also, in the power and protection of Jesus Christ, we can overcome temptation (see Romans 8:17 for more on our privileged position in Christ). 12 

Romans 5:18-19 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.

The parallel between Adam and Christ is explicit: Adam’s disobedience brought condemnation; Christ’s obedience brings justification and life. This underscores the heart of the new covenant, restoration, and righteousness through Christ’s obedience.

In Romans 5:18, the one trespass of Adam, as the covenantal head of the human race, brought condemnation and guilt to all people. In a similar way, Christ’s one act of righteousness (either his death as such or his whole life of perfect obedience, including his death) grants righteousness and life to all who belong to Him.

The same statement is made in different words in these two verses. Paul emphasizes the contrasting roles of two single agents, Adam and Christ. Adam’s one sin brought condemnation on the human race; this one person disobeyed God, causing all people to become sinners. But Christ’s one act of righteousness, done because he obeyed God, opened the way for all people to be made right in God’s sight and given eternal life. 13 

Romans 5:20 Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more…

The law increased the awareness and multiplication of sin, but grace superabounded beyond sin’s increase. The law acts like a mirror revealing sin but cannot save, whereas grace delivers and restores through Christ and the Spirit.

The law was given so that all people could see their sinfulness. The purpose of the law for his own people, the Jews, had been to make them aware of their need for salvation. Sin was present from Adam, but the giving of the law was like having a huge spotlight turned on—people’s sinfulness became all the more defined. The solution to sin was not law, but grace. No matter how much people sin, God’s incredible kindness is greater. When our awareness of sin increases, we need to ask God to help us see that his grace is always greater in its capacity to forgive than our capacity to sin. 14

Romans 5:21 …so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Sin’s reign leads to death; grace reigns through righteousness to eternal life. This righteousness is Christ’s, imputed and applied by the Spirit under the new covenant, guaranteeing eternal life and victory over sin’s dominion.

Our age is characterized by sin and inevitable death; but the age to come will be characterized by grace, righteousness, and eternal life. It is common to call the ultimate struggle that is going on in the universe “the conflict between good and evil.” Paul was picturing here the outcome of the war between the Kingdom of grace and the kingdom of sin. Until Christ, the war appeared to be decided, because sin ruled over all people. But Christ’s death and resurrection provided the decisive victory by which God’s wonderful kindness rules. Under the reign of grace, a right standing is declared that will bring eternal life. This ends the first section of Paul’s letter to the Romans and his explanation of the law and its relation to salvation. But the law is not set aside as old and worthless. Paul will explain, in the coming chapters, the role of the law for believers. 15

Summary of the exegesis on Law vs. Grace and the New Covenant in Romans 5

Adam’s sin represents the breaking of God’s law, bringing condemnation and death to all humanity by imputation.

Christ as the last Adam provides an expiatory sacrifice that pays the debt Adam owed, restoring what was lost and superabounding in grace.

The Mosaic law reveals and multiplies sin but cannot save or empower obedience; it acts as a mirror exposing human failure.

Grace through Christ is a free gift that justifies many despite their offences, providing righteousness that perfectly meets the law’s demands.

The new covenant internalizes God’s law by writing it on believers’ hearts, enabling obedience by the Spirit rather than external legalism.

Believers stand in grace, justified by faith, reconciled to God, and empowered by the Spirit to live righteously, reigning in life rather than death.

Where sin multiplied, grace superabounded, showing the overwhelming power of God’s redemptive work in Christ beyond the law’s condemnation.

This exposition aligns with the broader Pauline theology in Romans, the contrast between law and grace, the representative roles of Adam and Christ, and the transformative reality of the new covenant. It underscores that grace does not abolish the law but fulfills and surpasses it by enabling true righteousness and eternal life through Jesus Christ.

1 Bruce Barton et al. Life Application New Testament Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 2001), 596.

2 Douglas J. Moo, Romans, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 2000), 170.

3 Bruce Barton, Philip Comfort, et al., Life Application New Testament Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 2001), 596–597.

4-15 Ibid

Uncategorized

Key Doctrinal Heresies of the SDA Church

As we seek to follow only the wisdom and enlightenment of our Lord, I want to note that we love Seventh-day Adventists (SDAs), and hereby ponder the Word of Christ by whom Truth alone is known: In John 17:19, Jesus states, “For their sakes I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.” Generally, SDAs individually love the Lord, worship Christ joyfully, and the majority do not understand the concept of Truth versus heresy because they are not trained in theology nor study their doctrines comparatively with the bible only. Many are influenced by the early pioneers of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, primarily Ellen G. White, and the General Conference leadership that continues to rely on her interpretations rather than reform. After reading this, check out how Groupthink influences our paradigm.

Seventh-day Adventism (SDA) holds several doctrines that are considered heretical by both Reformed and Orthodox Christian traditions. Truth made known by Christ’s Spirit offers us purification — Sanctification by His Truth – Scripture without compromise. All true doctrine is delineated and cross-referenced only by The Sharper and most Active Word of God. Praise be to Jesus Christ our Lord! Glory alone be to Him as we weigh the Truth.

Doctrinal Heresies of Seventh-day Adventism Rejected by Reformed and Orthodox Christianity

Seventh-day Adventism (SDA) holds several doctrines that are considered heretical by both Reformed and Orthodox Christian traditions. Many of these teachings are rooted in, or were confirmed by, the prophetic claims and writings of Ellen G. White, who is regarded within Adventism as having divinely inspired authority. 1 

Key Doctrinal Heresies

  1. Justification by Faith Plus Works (Denial of Sola Fide)
  • SDA teaches that salvation is not by faith alone but requires obedience to the law, particularly the Ten Commandments, for final justification. This is a hybrid system where one’s works play a role in determining ultimate salvation, which contradicts the Reformation doctrine of justification by faith alone (sola fide). 2 
  • Ellen G. White’s writings, especially in The Great Controversy, reinforce the necessity of perfect obedience and suggest that only those who demonstrate this will be saved. She also falsely stated that we must be able to perfectly obey God, in a sinless condition, able to stand in the Final Judgment without our Mediator 3 — Christ the Lord — who is our High Priest– continually intercedes on our behalf! (Romans 8:34, 27; Hebrews 7:25)
  1. Investigative Judgment
  • SDA uniquely teaches that since 1844, Christ has been conducting an “investigative judgment” in heaven, reviewing the lives of believers to determine their worthiness for salvation. This doctrine is absent from historic Christianity and is rejected as unbiblical by both Reformed and Orthodox traditions. 4 
  • Ellen G. White was instrumental in confirming and promoting this doctrine through her visions, which were used to settle doctrinal disputes among early Adventists. 5 
  1. The Nature and Person of Christ
  • Adventist theology has historically taught that Jesus is Michael the Archangel, a created being exalted to equality with God, and that Christ took on a fallen, sinful human nature and could have sinned (peccability). These views deviate from orthodox Christology, which affirms the eternal deity and impeccability of Christ. 6 
  • Ellen G. White’s writings have contributed to these views, especially the identification of Jesus with Michael the Archangel. 7 
  1. The Trinity
  • While contemporary SDA statements use the term “Trinity,” their understanding often diverges from the orthodox doctrine. Adventist teaching sometimes presents the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as three separate beings united in purpose rather than being one in essence, which is closer to Tritheism or Monarchianism than orthodox Trinitarianism. 8 
  • The Adventist view of the Holy Spirit as a conscious person developed only decades after the movement’s founding, partly under the influence of Ellen G. White. 9 
  1. Soul Sleep and Conditional Immortality
  • SDA teaches “soul sleep” (the dead are unconscious until the resurrection) and “conditional immortality” (the wicked are annihilated rather than eternally punished). Both views are rejected by Reformed and Orthodox Christianity, which affirm the conscious existence of the soul after death and the eternal punishment of the wicked. 10  
  1. Satan as the Scapegoat
  • Adventism teaches that Satan, not Christ, will ultimately bear the sins of the redeemed as the “scapegoat” (Azazel) in the final judgment. This contradicts the biblical teaching that Christ alone bore our sins. 11  
  1. Sabbath Observance as a Test of Salvation
  • SDA elevates Saturday Sabbath observance to a test of faith and a sign of the true church, implying that Sunday worship is a mark of apostasy. This is contrary to the New Testament teaching that regards Sabbath observance as a matter of Christian liberty. 12 

The Influence of Ellen G. White

Ellen G. White was the principal founder and prophetic authority of the Seventh-day Adventist movement. Her visions and writings were considered the final arbiter in doctrinal disputes and were used to confirm or correct the movement’s teachings when consensus could not be reached. And from this perspective, Ellen G. White, though long-deceased, has stood in the way of SDA reform through her perpetuating delusional influence; moreover her insistence that her views were advancing Scriptual understanding, like no other denomination was privy to. 13 Her book, The Great Controversy, is central to Adventist theology, shaping its unique doctrines, such as the investigative judgment, perfectionism, and the cosmic conflict between Christ and Satan. 14 

White’s influence is evident in the following ways:

  • She provided prophetic validation for doctrines not found in Scripture or historic Christianity, such as the investigative judgment and the role of Satan as scapegoat. 15
  • Her teachings on perfectionism and obedience to the law as necessary for salvation underpin the SDA rejection of justification by faith alone. 16 
  • Her identification of Jesus as Michael the Archangel and her evolving views on the Trinity influenced Adventist Christology and theology of God.17 

Summary Table

Doctrinal Issue SDA Teaching (with Ellen G. White’s Influence) Orthodox/Reformed Position
Justification Faith + works (perfectionism) Faith alone (sola fide)
Investigative Judgment Christ reviews believers since 1844 No such doctrine
Christology Jesus is Michael the Archangel, could have sinned Jesus is eternal God, impeccable
Trinity “Heavenly Trio,” sometimes tritheistic One God in three coequal persons
Soul Sleep/Annihilation Dead are unconscious; wicked are annihilated Conscious afterlife; eternal hell
Satan as Scapegoat Satan bears sins of the redeemed Christ alone bears our sins
Sabbath Observance Saturday is a test of faith Sabbath observance not salvific

Ellen G. White’s prophetic authority was the linchpin for these doctrinal developments, and her influence remains central to Adventist identity and theology. 18 These teachings are why Reformed and Orthodox Christianity reject Seventh-day Adventism as outside the bounds of historic Christian orthodoxy.

1 Answering Adventism

2 Ibid

3 Life Assurance Ministries

4 GotQuestions.org

5 Answering Adventism

6 Ibid

7 GotQuestions.org

8 Answering Adventism

9 Ibid

10  Grace Church (John MacArthur)

11  Ibid

12 GotQuestions.org

3 Answering Adventism

14 Life Assurance Ministries

15 Answering Adventism

16 Life Assurance Ministries

17 Answering Adventism

18 Ibid

Uncategorized

How False Doctrine Influences Groupthink

The real problem with embracing false doctrine is that once it has influenced you, through your association with a group that promotes it, a spiritual paradigm becomes so ingrained that your awareness is always limited.

However much an individual may try to eliminate their unbiblical distortions and dissolve their conflict with the conscience, some element of subjective distortion and blindness must inevitably remain — at least until God cleanses you from it through the power of His Word, applied by the Spirit of the Lord.

Just as demonic influence affects an individual’s spiritual conscience, it also affects the collective conscience that develops in any human group or society. Any group of human beings—even within a church—can establish a single, undifferentiated consciousness through which each member views the world in precisely the same way. How does this work? Brainwashing begins imperceptibly when others have taught one without serious personal biblical study to affirm a biblical consensus. (Acts 17:11)

However, in any group or society that claims to hold to biblical doctrine, it is possible to assert prevailing views, even if the opinions of a minority of group members may conflict with them. Groups of human beings develop a sense of common identity, shared values, and shared assumptions of what they believe to be accurate. In this respect, they can fall prey to a collective spiritual deception and potential heresy.

The more you hear a lie, the more you’re likely to believe it. This is known as the illusory truth effect. A 1977 study discovered that when you hear something often enough, your brain starts to accept it as true, simply because it sounds familiar.

Apostle Paul warned Timothy and Titus to stand against false doctrine in his pastoral letters.

“…stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer nor devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies.  These promote controversies rather than God’s work, which is by faith.  The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.  Some have wandered away from these and turned to meaningless talk.  They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.” (1 Tim. 1:3-7)

“Some have rejected these [faith and good conscience] and so have shipwrecked their faith. Among them are Hymanaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme” (1 Tim. 1:19b-20).

Deacons “must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience” (1 Tim. 3:9).

“The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron” (1 Tim. 4:1-2).

“Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely.  Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers” (1 Tim. 4:15-16).

“If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, he is conceited and understands nothing.  He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain” (1 Tim. 6:3-5).

“Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs” (1 Tim. 6:10b).

“What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus.  Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you–guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us” (2 Tim. 1:13-14).

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. Their teaching will spread like gangrene.  Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have wandered away from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some” (2 Tim. 2:16-18).

“Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will” (2 Tim. 2:23-26).

“They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres oppose the truth–men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected” (2 Tim. 3:1-8).

“In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it…” (2 Tim. 3:12-14).

“Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage–with great patience and careful instruction.  For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry” (2 Tim. 4:2-5).

Elders “must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it. For there are many rebellious people, mere talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision group. They must be silenced, because they are ruining whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach–and that for the sake of dishonest gain” (Titus 1:11).

“Rebuke them sharply, so that they may be sound in the faith and will pay no attention to Jewish myths or to the commands of those who reject the truth” (Titus 1:13-14).

“You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine” (Titus 2:1a).

Example of the integration of false doctrine

Transcript of Phil Johnson’s YouTube on Ellen G. White’s Hypocrisies

 

Uncategorized

Romans 6: Finding Freedom from Sin

Romans 6 addresses the believer’s freedom from sin’s dominion through union with Christ, contrasting life under the Law with life under grace. The New Covenant offers every believer the power of grace in Christ’s work on the cross. It liberates believers from sin’s dominion and empowers holiness. Grace effectively breaks sin’s power.

The gift of amazing grace is central to Romans 6 through 7. It is especially important to remember that Jesus’ death revealed God the Father’s love for us. Central to this love is the power of the Holy Spirit, which brings us to and regenerates our will to gratefully and trustingly abandon our lives unto God’s grace. Believers must fully surrender to the Holy Spirit’s ongoing direction, rejecting legalistic efforts to overcome sin through the Law.

The Law’s purpose is to reveal sin’s power (Romans 7:7–13), but it cannot liberate from sin’s dominion. True freedom comes through identification with Christ’s death and resurrection, which render believers “dead to sin” and “alive to God” (Romans 6:11). Believers must fully surrender to the Holy Spirit’s direction and enter an abiding relationship with Christ. This union with Christ enables a transformative reliance on grace rather than self-effort, avoiding the fatal “error” of legalism.

The New Covenant vs. The Old Covenant

The superiority of the new covenant over the old, contrasting their outcomes:

Life vs. Death: The old covenant (Law) is a “ministry of death” (2 Corinthians 3:7), condemning sinners, while the new covenant imparts spiritual life through the Spirit, emphasizing its superiority over the old (Romans 6:4, 6:13).

Righteousness vs. Condemnation: The Law exposes sin but cannot produce righteousness; grace empowers believers to live righteously (Romans 6:14–18).

Slavery to God vs. Sin: Under grace, believers are liberated from sin’s mastery and become “slaves to righteousness” (Romans 6:18–22). Sanctification unto holiness is entirely the effect of Justification by faith in Christ, not its cause. “Because of the weakness of your human nature, I am using the illustration of slavery to help you understand all this. Previously, you let yourselves be slaves to impurity and lawlessness, which led ever deeper into sin. Now you must give yourselves to be slaves to righteous living so that you will become holy.” (Romans 6:19 NLT)

Salvation rejoices with moral law: Christians are not released by grace from the obligation of observing the moral law. Salvation results in a “miracle of transformation” and inevitably produces practical righteousness. Grace is not a license for sin but a motivation for obedience, as allegorized in Paul’s definition of being married to another spouse once the first is dead — meaning consider yourself dead to the law’s jurisdiction over your soul, now that you are in Christ, you are his cherished bride in a new moral order — the new covenant foundation. I like the way that the New Living Translation puts this truth:

Now, dear brothers and sisters—you who are familiar with the law—don’t you know that the law applies only while a person is living? For example, when a woman marries, the law binds her to her husband as long as he is alive. But if he dies, the laws of marriage no longer apply to her. So, while her husband is alive, she would be committing adultery if she married another man. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law and does not commit adultery when she remarries. So, my dear brothers and sisters, this is the point: You died to the power of the law when you died with Christ. And now you are united with the one who was raised from the dead. As a result, we can produce a harvest of good deeds for God. When our old nature controlled us, sinful desires were at work within us, and the law aroused these evil desires that produced a harvest of sinful deeds, resulting in death. But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit. (Romans 7:1-6 NLT)

To carry the allegory further: You are now protected under Christ’s loving watch-care as your Great “I am” Bridegroom.

Key Comparisons

Law’s Role Reveals sin’s power but cannot save. It brings condemnation, contrasting with grace: the forgiveness of sin.
Grace’s Function Enables surrender to the Spirit, leading to a rejection of legalism for Spirit-led living. Where sin abounded, grace “super abounded.” As per Romans 7, Christ provides for the inevitability of practical righteousness and obedience to His Word as a result of true salvation.
Union with Christ Emphasizes experiential death to sin and the unified life in Christ’s Spirit. Romans 6 focuses on the union in Christ’s resurrection power, the objective doctrinal truth and its practical outworking.
Practical Outcome  God’s grace is comprehensive, abundant, and capable of covering even the greatest sins. Replaces old covenant rituals with new life. Grace breaks sin’s power, and true salvation results in a changed life.

The Transformative Power of the Holy Spirit

Decisive Break with Sin: Romans 6:2 notes, “How shall we who died to sin still live in it?” as a declaration that believers have experienced a definitive break with sin through their union with Christ’s death and resurrection. This is not a process but a completed event with ongoing effects. Believers are no longer under sin’s dominion because their “old man” was crucified with Christ (Romans 6:6).1

Freedom from Sin’s Authority: Sin no longer has authority over believers. Using the analogy of emancipation,  compare this freedom to slaves being declared free from their masters. Although believers may still feel the pull of sin due to old habits, they are no longer obligated to obey it because they have been set free through Christ.

Grace Empowers Transformation: Grace does not merely forgive sins, but he also transforms lives (Romans 12:2, 2 Corinthians 3:18. ). God’s grace gives believers both the desire and the ability to live righteously, making it unthinkable for them to continue living in habitual sin as they did before salvation.

Sin’s Incompatibility with New Life: Continuing in sin is incompatible with the new life in Christ (Romans 6:4). We must reject any notion that grace permits ongoing sinful behaviour, emphasizing that genuine conversion results in a changed relationship with sin and a new identity in Christ.

Grace is the motivation for holiness: Rather than seeing grace as a license to sin, it is the very reason believers should not continue in sin. Believers have “died to sin” and “now live in Christ”; therefore, they cannot continue living in it. (Galatians 2:20, 2 Corinthians 5:14–15)

Responsible Co-operative Sanctification: Justification by Faith in Jesus Christ is intended to progressively produce Sanctification by Faith, making these two concepts inseparable. Justification and sanctification are two essential, interconnected aspects of salvation, with justification as the necessary precursor and ongoing foundation for the sanctification process. (1 Peter 1:2, Romans 12:2. Hebrews 12:14, 1 Corinthians 1:30)

Believers cannot conscionably continue in sin because their union with a Holy Spirit-led life in Christ has decisively broken sin’s power over them, and grace enables them to live transformed lives characterized by righteousness rather than habitual sin.

The Holy Spirit confirms righteous living or convicts when we err and commit sin insofar as we have a healthy operative conscience informed ongoingly by the Word of God. (1 Corinthians 10:13)

We mustn’t compromise with false teachers of doctrine: “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared…” (1 Timothy 4:1-2 ESV)

Despising the riches of God’s grace is “the blackest of all sins” (Hebrews 6:6), emphasizing the seriousness of rejecting or misusing God’s gracious offer of salvation and transformation. Grace in Romans 6 is not permission for sin but the powerful means by which believers are freed from sin’s dominion and enabled to live in righteousness.

Relationship between Justification and Sanctification 

Distinct but Inseparable: Justification and sanctification are distinct graces but inseparable in the believer’s experience. Faith is the foundation. Sanctification is by faith alone. Sanctification is not a subjective activity we progress into but an objective declaration we receive by faith. Both justification and sanctification are graces of union with Christ through faith. Sanctification, like justification, is received by faith rather than achieved through works. Faith is not something we do but a gift from God created within us as we hear the promise of Christ.

Sanctification, like justification, is received by faith rather than achieved through works. Sanctification is not a subjective activity we progress into but an objective declaration we receive by faith.  Mixing any legalism with sanctification is a denial of the whole truth. Believers must never hold to any code of law that turns their acts of Christian living into efforts of character instead of fruits of grace. 2

Sanctification is separate from justification, though both are rooted in the believer’s union with Christ. It is progressive in nature—sanctification is an ongoing process throughout the believer’s life, often called “progressive sanctification.” Walking with Christ is a lifelong journey. Sanctification continues until death, when believers receive their glorified bodies and become fully transformed into the likeness of Christ. The process of sanctification is never fully complete before death due to the ongoing presence of sin in the believer’s life. The gradual nature of sanctification is the continuing work of the Holy Spirit in revealing and removing sin in the believer’s life until death. This remains a faith-based process, and while recognizing sanctification as gradual — it is received by faith rather than achieved through works or human effort. Transformation through union with Christ proceeds as that sanctification flows from the believer’s union with Christ, established by faith rather than self-effort or law-keeping.

Dependence on God’s grace conjoins with the believer’s faith rather than on human works or effort.

Order of Salvation: It is essential to maintain the proper order, with justification preceding sanctification. “Never put the cart before the horse,” — justification must come before sanctification. Faith initiates justification. Faith connects us to Christ: Sanctification flows from our union with Christ, which is established by faith. Our faith in Christ is passive as we receive his finished justification. Moreover, that same faith actively embraces the call to holiness that Christ energizes through the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

Justification is Foundational: Justification is the foundation upon which sanctification is built. Sanctification is impossible without first being justified when you are gifted with the Spirit to lead you into all truth.

Grace-Driven Process: Both justification and sanctification are seen as works of God’s grace. Justification is an instantaneous declaration of righteousness, while sanctification is an ongoing process of growth in holiness. Faith opposes works-based sanctification. Guard against turning sanctification into a work—it remains in the realm of faith, just like justification. Reject the notion of sanctification as a partnership between God and man. Insist emphatically that transformative holiness is Christ’s work alone received by faith via His Spirit. Our good works without such preceding faith are dead, with the danger of living yet under the theological bondage error of remaining in the old covenant law.

Faith looks to Christ, not self. Faith in sanctification means resting in the finished work of Christ rather than focusing on our own efforts or progress. This faith-based approach allows believers to “rest in its already finished work” rather than striving to earn or work their way into sanctification. Faith is the essential means by which believers receive and experience sanctification, emphasizing its dependence on Christ’s work rather than human effort. 3

Motivation for Holiness: The assurance of justification provides the psychological and spiritual motivation for sanctification. Knowing one is accepted by God through Christ’s righteousness frees the believer to pursue holiness out of love and gratitude rather than fear or obligation.

Simultaneous Graces: While maintaining their distinctiveness, justification and sanctification co-occur at the moment of salvation, with sanctification continuing as a lifelong process.

Transformative Power: Justification changes one’s legal status before God and initiates a transformative process (sanctification) in the believer’s life.

1 John MacArthur

2 Dr. Donald Grey Barnhouse

3 Ibid

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Three Romans Chapters: 6, 7, and 8

St. Paul’s three chapters in Romans 6–8 emphasize the believer’s union with Christ, the tension between justification and ongoing sanctification, and the transformative power of grace. His analysis integrates forensic justification with the practical reality of spiritual warfare, culminating in the assurance of victory through the Spirit. Below is a verse-by-verse breakdown of his theological framework:

Romans 6: Death to Sin, Life in Christ

This chapter establishes believers’ definitive break with sin through their union with Christ’s death and resurrection. Key elements include:

  • Freedom from sin’s legal dominion: Justification frees believers from sin’s penalty and power. The text “he who has died has been freed from sin” (Rom 6:7) signifies that Christ’s death legally dissolves sin’s claim over the believer, rendering them no longer bound to its consequences.

  • Baptism as a symbolic union: Baptism represents the believer’s identification with Christ’s death (Rom 6:3–4), marking a transfer from Adam’s lineage to Christ’s new creation..

  • Ethical imperative: Freedom from sin is not license for indulgence but a call to “walk in newness of life” (Rom 6:4). Grace empowers obedience, rejecting the notion that justification permits licentiousness (Rom 6:15).

Romans 7: The Struggle with Indwelling Sin

This chapter as a spiritual autobiography of the believer’s tension between their justified status and the lingering presence of sin. Key insights:

  • The law’s role: While the law is holy (Rom 7:12), it exposes humanity’s incapacity to achieve righteousness through works. The “wretched man” (Rom 7:24) embodies the Christian’s struggle against the flesh, even after regeneration.

  • Dual service: Believers serve God’s law with their minds but battle the “law of sin” in their flesh (Rom 7:25). This paradox reflects the “simultaneously righteous and sinful” reality.

  • No condemnation in Christ: The chapter’s despair resolves in the doxology of Romans 7:25a—“Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ!”—pointing ahead to the assurance of Romans 8:17.

Romans 8: Victory Through the Spirit

This chapter is the climactic resolution of the preceding struggles, centered on the Spirit’s work:

  • No condemnation: The declaration “there is now no condemnation” (Romans 8:1) reaffirms justification’s security, grounding believers in Christ’s finished work rather than their fluctuating spiritual performance.

  • Spirit-led transformation: The Spirit empowers believers to fulfill the law’s righteous requirements (Romans 8:4), replacing the “mindset of the flesh” with life and peace (Romans 8:6).

  • Eschatological hope: The “groaning” of creation (Rom 8:22–23) and the Spirit’s intercession (Rom 8:26–27) assure believers of their future glorification and eternal security in God’s love (Rom 8:38–39).

Theological Synthesis

  • Justification and sanctification: Forensic justification (legal freedom from sin’s penalty) harmonizes with transformative sanctification (ongoing renewal by the Spirit). The believer’s identity in Christ (Rom 6:11) fuels ethical living.

  • Law and grace: The law’s condemnation (Rom 7:7–12) is answered by grace’s dominion (Rom 6:14), which enables obedience without legalism.

  • Union with Christ: The entire passage hinges on the believer’s incorporation into Christ’s death and resurrection, making sanctification a participation in His victory..

Romans chapters 6 to 8 reflect St. Paul’s broader emphasis on grace-driven reformation, where doctrinal truth fuels personal holiness and societal transformation.

Transformation in Romans 6, 7, and 8

Sanctification in Romans 6–8 centers on the inseparable link between justification and sanctification, the believer’s union with Christ, and the transformative work of the Holy Spirit. The author Paul emphasizes that sanctification is a definitive reality and an ongoing process, rooted in grace rather than human effort. Below is a synthesis of his approach:

1. Sanctification as a Definitive Break with Sin (Romans 6)

Sanctification begins with the believer’s union with Christ’s death and resurrection (Rom 6:3–5). This union severs the power of sin’s dominion:

  • Freedom from slavery to sin: Justification liberates believers from sin’s penalty, while sanctification breaks its ruling power. The declaration “we died to sin” (Rom 6:2) is not merely positional but establishes a new identity, enabling believers to “walk in newness of life” (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:14–15)

  • Ethical imperative: Sanctification is not optional; grace compels holiness. Paul refutes antinomianism by showing that salvation by grace necessitates a life of obedience (Rom 6:15–16). 1

  • Fourfold responsibility: Most commentators stress the believer’s role in sanctification: knowing their union with Christ, reckoning themselves dead to sin, yielding to God, and obeying His Word (Rom 6:11–19).

2. The Tension of Indwelling Sin (Romans 7)

Romans 7 is a portrayal of the Christian’s ongoing struggle with sin, even after justification:

  • The law’s role: The law exposes sin’s persistence in the flesh (Rom 7:7–12), highlighting the inadequacy of human effort. The “wretched man” (Rom 7:24) exemplifies the tension between the redeemed spirit and the lingering sinful nature as noted by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones’ book “God the Holy Spirit,” published as Second Edition in 2002 with the first Edition in 1997. 2

  • Dependence on grace: Sanctification cannot be achieved through legalistic striving but through reliance on Christ’s finished work. The cry of despair in Rom 7:24 resolves in gratitude for deliverance through Jesus (Rom 7:25a), pointing to the Spirit’s victory in Romans 8. 3

3. Spirit-Empowered Transformation (Romans 8)

Romans 8 resolves the tension by emphasizing the Holy Spirit’s role in sanctification:

  • No condemnation: The believer’s standing in Christ (Rom 8:1) assures that sanctification flows from justification. The Spirit empowers obedience, fulfilling the law’s requirements (Rom 8:4). 4

  • Progressive renewal: The Spirit renews the mind (Rom 8:5–6), replacing a “fleshly mindset” with life and peace. This transformation is both individual and cosmic, as creation awaits final redemption (Rom 8:19–23).

  • Eschatological hope: The Spirit’s intercession (Rom 8:26–27) and God’s sovereign love (Rom 8:38–39) guarantee the believer’s perseverance, ensuring the completion of sanctification in glorification.

Key Themes in Romans Chapters 6-8

  • Union with Christ: Sanctification is grounded in participation in Christ’s death and resurrection, making holiness inseparable from gospel truth. This reveals the importance of studying true biblical doctrine and avoiding heresy.

  • Grace-driven effort: While sanctification requires active obedience, it is sustained by grace, not self-reliance. The imperative (“do not let sin reign”) flows from the indicative (“you are dead to sin”).

  • Integration of justification and sanctification: To separate them is to distort the gospel. Justification declares righteousness; Sanctification manifests it.

    1. When we believe in Christ, we do not give that glory to another, which is due only to God (Ps. 146:3-5). The confidence we place in the Redeemer is not alienated from God. Our justification is through faith in Christ, as Paul shows at great length in Romans. Yet, in the same epistle he sometimes speaks of that faith by which we are justified as if it were placed in God the Father: “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Rom. 10:9; 4:24). To believe in Christ as an exalted Saviour is to believe in God, who raised Him from the dead.
      • One thing is sure: our faith, if genuine, must be in exact accordance with the Word of the truth of the gospel. Hence, in Scripture, it is called obedience to the gospel or the “obedience of faith.”  As our study has indicated, faith in the Gospel of God means the Father calls us to His Son Jesus Christ to receive an inheritance of eternal salvation by the work of the Holy Spirit.
      • This exposition aligns with Reformed emphases on monergism and the Spirit’s transformative power, rejecting legalism and license. Monergerism underscores that sanctification is God’s work from start to finish, accomplished through the Word and Spirit and anchored in the believer’s union with Christ.

The Purpose of the Law in a Christian’s life

The perspective on the role of the Law in the believer’s life, as reflected in Romans 6–8, emphasizes its diagnostic purpose, its limitations in sanctification, and its fulfillment through union with Christ and the Spirit’s empowerment. Pauline theology, given to Paul by the revelation of the risen Jesus, integrates Reformed emphases on the Law’s holiness, its inability to justify or sanctify, and its enduring value in exposing sin and directing believers to grace.

1. The Law’s Diagnostic Role: Exposing Sin (Romans 7:7–12)

Paul’s assertion that the Law is “holy, righteous, and good” (Rom 7:12) reveals sin’s nature and human inability to meet God’s standards. Key points:

  • Mirror of sin: The Law acts as a spiritual mirror, exposing the “utter sinfulness of sin” (cf. Rom 7:7; 3:20). For example, the commandment against coveting (Exod 20:17) unveils the heart’s corruption, showing that sin is not merely external but rooted in desires.

  • Conviction without remedy: While the Law diagnoses sin’s presence, it offers no power to overcome it. It leaves humanity “shut up” under its condemnation until faith in Christ arrives (Gal 3:23–24).

2. The Law’s Limitations: Inability to Sanctify (Romans 7:14–25)

The Law, though good, cannot produce holiness in believers:

  • Stimulates rebellion: The Law’s prohibitions paradoxically incite sinful desires (Rom 7:5, 8), highlighting the flesh’s resistance to divine commands.

  • No power to transform: The Law commands righteousness but provides no enablement. Paul’s cry of despair—“Wretched man that I am!” (Rom 7:24)—illustrates the futility of legalistic striving. This aligns this with the believer’s need to rely on grace, not self-effort, for sanctification. 5

The Law’s Fulfillment: Life in the Spirit (Romans 8:1–4)

Romans 8 resolves the tension by showing how the Spirit fulfills the Law’s righteous requirements:

  • Freedom from condemnation: Justification secures believers’ standing (“no condemnation,” Rom 8:1), liberating them from the Law’s curse.

  • Spirit-empowered obedience: The Spirit enables believers to live out the Law’s moral essence (e.g., love, holiness) through inward renewal (Rom 8:4–6).6 This transcends external compliance, fulfilling the Law’s intent (cf. Matt 5:17).

  • Eschatological hope: The Spirit’s work guarantees final victory over sin, assuring believers of their ultimate conformity to Christ (Rom 8:29–30).

Synthesis: The Law’s Role in the Believer’s Life

Three key principles:

  1. Pedagogical function: The Law serves as a “tutor” (Gal 3:24) to drive sinners to Christ by exposing their need for grace.

  2. Moral guide: While believers are not “under the Law” (Rom 6:14), its moral principles reflect God’s character and inform ethical living. The Spirit empowers obedience, fulfilling the Law’s demands.

  3. Anti-legalism: Sanctification flows from union with Christ, not Law-keeping—the believer’s focus shifts from rule-based striving to Spirit-led transformation.

The Law remains strong in its aim of presenting a “holy” standard (Rom 7:12) but finds its telos in Christ, who liberates believers from their condemnation and empowers them to live in the “newness of the Spirit” (Rom 7:6). Thus, the Law’s role is diagnostic, not prescriptive, in progressive sanctification.

Other studies in Romans:

Romans 6: Finding Freedom from Sin

Romans 7: Defines law versus grace.

Romans 8: Defines law versus New Covenant grace.

1. Antinominalism: the view that Christians are released by grace from the obligation of observing the moral law.

2 D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones’ book “God the Holy Spirit,” published as Second Edition in 2002 with the first Edition in 1997.

3 Bible.org

4 D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

5 Dr. George Grant

6 Desiring God, Dr. John Piper

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Romans 8: Defines law versus New Covenant grace.

Romans 8 addresses the relationship between the Spirit-led life, the law, and grace, emphasizing that believers are freed from condemnation and empowered to fulfill God’s will through the Holy Spirit. Below is an analysis of key themes and their connection to the law-grace dynamic and the new covenant, which gives the believer the power of the indwelling Spirit to overcome temptation:

Romans 8: The Spirit vs. the Flesh

Paul contrasts life “in the Spirit” with life “in the flesh” (Romans 8:1–8). Those led by the Spirit are no longer under the law’s condemnation (Romans 8:1) because Christ’s sacrifice fulfilled the law’s demands (Romans 8:3–4). The Spirit enables believers to live in obedience to God’s will, revealed in God’s Word—predominantly as expressed in the New Testament, not through legalistic adherence to the law but through a transformed heart. Jesus was instrumental in expanding the Old Covenant law’s viewpoints relating to even our thought life. (Matthew 5:28) 1

Law vs. Grace in Romans 8

The Law’s Purpose: The law reveals sin but cannot provide righteousness (Romans 8:3; cf. Romans 7:5–11). It demands obedience but cannot empower it, leading to frustration (Romans 7:18–24).

Grace Through the Spirit: Believers are freed from the law’s bondage (Romans 7:6) and empowered by the Spirit to fulfill the law’s intent (Romans 8:4). Love becomes the fulfillment of the law (Romans 13:10; Galatians 5:14), as the Spirit produces fruit like love, joy, and peace (Galatians 5:22–23).

No Condemnation: Justification by faith (Romans 3:24–25) removes guilt, and the Spirit’s indwelling ensures believers are no longer slaves to sin (Romans 8:1–2).

The New Covenant in Romans 8

The new covenant, foreshadowed in Jeremiah 31:31–34 and fulfilled in Christ, replaces the old covenant’s external law with an internal transformation:

Internal Transformation: God writes His laws on believers’ hearts (Jeremiah 31:33; Hebrews 8:10), enabling obedience through the Spirit (Romans 8:5–6) and progressive sanctification (Philippians 3:12-14 ). This aligns with Romans 8:4, where the Spirit empowers believers to fulfill the law’s requirements.

Security and Assurance: The new covenant guarantees forgiveness and a permanent relationship with God (Jeremiah 31:34; Romans 8:31–39). Believers are heirs of God, assured of eternal glory despite present suffering (Romans 8:17–18). Romans 8 resolves the tension between law and grace by showing that the Spirit’s work in believers fulfills the law’s intent. This aligns with the broader theme that grace does not negate the law but transforms it into heart-driven obedience. The new covenant’s promises (Jeremiah 31:31–34) are realized in Christ, who fulfills the law and secures believers’ eternal standing.

Key Takeaways

Law vs. Grace: The law exposes sin; grace provides righteousness through Christ and empowers obedience via the Spirit.

New Covenant: Internalizes God’s law through the Spirit, ensuring forgiveness and an eternal relationship with God.

Romans 8: Affirms believers’ freedom from condemnation and their Spirit-enabled ability to live righteously. This framework underscores that the law is not abolished but fulfilled in Christ, and believers participate in this fulfillment through the Spirit’s transformative work.

Caveat Warning to Carnal vs. Spiritual Believers:

Some theologians add a saved/unsaved dichotomy, arguing that Romans 8:5–8 describes two types of believers:

Carnal Christians: Those who complacently live “in the flesh” (Romans 8:5), experiencing spiritual “death” (Romans 8:6) due to unrepentant ongoing sin or lack of Spirit-led obedience, or not adhering to sound doctrine.

Spiritual Christians: Those who walk “in the Spirit” (Romans 8:4), experiencing life and peace through active reliance on the Spirit as they live in obedience.

I believe the above caveat is very important from this perspective—to urge believers to pursue holiness through the Spirit (1 Peter 1:16). I think we need to hearken to this caution, to study the reform position on spiritual regeneration as it can save us from backsliding, and focus on the study of the biblical doctrines (scripture alone defines them) relating to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

While affirming justification (Romans 5–6), we must stress having a union with Christ (Romans 8:1) as the basis for overcoming carnality. Our union is tied to the believer’s positional identity in Christ, urging a renewed commitment to Spirit-led obedience, though, as Paul taught, was progressive sanctification (Philippians 3:12-14 ).

Theological Implications

Practical holiness defines Spirit-filled living, urging believers to pursue transformative obedience rather than resting solely in positional righteousness (of being once justified by believing in Jesus). This aligns with an emphasis on progressive sanctification and the believer’s responsibility to “walk in the Spirit.”  While acknowledging sanctification, specific interpretations often prioritize justification’s irrevocable nature (Romans 8:31–39).

A balanced view corrects complacency by urging believers to actively engage with the Spirit’s work—a theme echoed in the apostles’ writings. This exegesis of Romans 8 diverges from traditional interpretations in its focus on sanctification rather than soteriology (as in the view that Justification in Christ equates positionally to once saved, always saved), particularly in how we frame the contrast between living “in the flesh” and “in the Spirit.”

Here’s a breakdown of the theological Traditional Reform difference:

Traditional Reform Interpretation of Romans 8

Saved vs. Unsaved Contrast: Romans 8:1–8 is often viewed as a contrast between believers (in the Spirit) and unbelievers (unregenerate/unbelievers in the flesh). The Spirit’s indwelling distinguishes the regenerate, freed from condemnation and empowered to obey God’s will.

The law’s inability to save (Romans 8:3) is tied to humanity’s sinful nature, while Christ’s substitutionary atonement and His imputed righteousness fulfill the law’s demands.

Over-emphasis on Justification:

Emphasis is often placed on no condemnation (Romans 8:1) as a result of justification by faith, with the Spirit’s role in sanctification often a secondary process. Justification is the critical first step in believing in Jesus. This is true, but our further sanctification towards holiness means walking in the Spirit and obeying God’s Word — which is sanctification by the Spirit. If we over-emphasize Justification, we may miss the need to obey the Word by the indwelling Spirit of Christ as we abide in Him.

I believe that once we are justified by faith, sanctification by faith continues in lock-step if we obey scripture. If we err, we confess our sin in repentance and continue on our journey in Christ.

1 Dr Donald Barnhouse