Questions that Demand Answers
Bold Questions that Demand Solid Answers
Questions that Lead to Life
Text: Romans 6-11
We are in a section of Romans that the Holy Spirit inspired as an important part of fulfilling His promise to give us everything we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3).
These chapters (6-11) show us how to live righteously in God’s eyes and before others by developing righteous character that we demonstrate through righteous conduct! And Paul does this through questions that he uses to change how we think and what we believe so that we live the Christian life in ways that please God and fulfill His purposes for our lives!
Note: We can identify each question because Paul introduces them with the phrase, “What shall we say?” which is Paul’s way of asking, “Are we to conclude that…”
This morning, before we move on with the rest of chapter seven, I want us to examine the questions the Holy Spirit guided Paul to use to reshape how we think and what we believe. Here are the six main questions.
I. Shall we ______________ to live under Sin’s ______________? (6:1)
Answer: No, you have been delivered from the dominion of sin and removed from the realm over which it rules – and this occurred when you were united with Christ (baptized into Christ, 6:3) in such a way that you participated in His death to sin and in His resurrection to a completely new kind of life, which you are now to live in radically new ways toward God. And you publicly declared this through your baptism!
II. Can we __________ to ____________certain sins that still enslave us? (6:15)
Answer: No, being freed from the condemnation of the Law does not mean that you are no longer required to keep its righteous commands. You are not free to worship other gods, bow down to idols of your choosing and making, or to disobey or dishonor your parents, or to commit murder, adultery, theft, lying, bearing false witness, etc.
God didn’t deliver you from Moses and the Law’s condemnation so you could do whatever you want. God freed you so He could unite you with a better Lord and betroth you to someone far greater than Moses—Jesus, the Crown Prince of the Universe!
This is why Paul is so adamant in Romans 6:15-23 that we don’t make a quiet peace with ongoing sin; but instead, wage persistent, relentless war against it!
But if you look to Moses for help in your fight against sin, you’ll see that the Law is not only unable to sanctify you, but it actually stirs up sinful passions within you and provokes your flesh to use your body to satisfy those sinful desires! (Romans 7:5)
III. Is there something ______________ ______________ with the Law? (7:7)
Paul’s answer is stunning – NO! There is nothing wrong with the Law God gave you! It is His holy voice and righteous representative to everyone living in the old realm under Adam! It is holy, righteous, and good (7:12).
And it served at least three important functions:
- To define sin for you! (7:7-11)
- To make that sin exceedingly sinful in your eyes! (7:13)
- To make you look to someone other than Moses for deliverance! (7:24-25) Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God, through Jesus Christ our Lord!
IV. How should we respond to God’s gracious ______________ and loving ______________ toward us? (8:31)
“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God, in Christ Jesus our Lord!” (8:38-39)
- I am thankful for God’s grace to me, but – “Didn’t God make these kinds of promises and give these same assurances to another group of people He chose for Himself?”
- What happened to Israel that they have fallen so far short, and more importantly, what does this say about the grace of God?
- Paul addresses this question (and another that arises from it) in chapters 9-11 by demonstrating that God’s grace is greater than all of our sins – even sins as numerous and horrific as Israel’s!
- Paul states that ultimately, “All Israel will be saved, as it is written, ‘The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob’; and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins.” (11:26-27).
- Ultimately, grace prevails, and mercy reigns—even over a nation as rebellious and hardened as Israel! His future mercy to them will triumph over His current judgment of them.
V. Wait, now that you’ve mentioned Israel, isn’t God unjust to withhold ______________ and ______________ from His covenant people in the Old Testament, whom He said He loved and made promises to? (9:14)
Answer: No. God’s mercy is never based on His justice. It flows from His love. It is never earned through works; it is given according to His sovereign will. And it is available to anyone who chooses to seek the One God sent to offer His mercy – Jesus Christ! (9:24-33)
VI. How and why did God grant Gentiles the ______________ He promised to give to Israel but hasn’t yet?? (9:30)
What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith; 31 but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law. 32 Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone, 33 as it is written, “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” (9:30-33)
- God granted the Gentiles the same righteousness He offered to His own chosen nation on the same basis – faith!
- Gentiles (including you and me) obtained that righteousness because they believed the Word God sent them and repented!
- The Nation of Israel did not obtain that righteousness because they refused to believe the Word God sent, and rebelled – ultimately killing the Living Word to whom the written Word pointed!
Paul follows these six questions with four follow-up questions of his own, all marked in this way: “I ask”.
- If faith comes by hearing the word of God, why didn’t this chosen nation hear the word of God repeatedly? (10:18)
Answer: They did, I sent my voice throughout the earth and my words to the ends of the world! (Psalm 19:4). - If they heard and understood, why didn’t this nation respond like the Gentiles often responded? (10:19)
Answer: Both Moses and Isaiah told you why they didn’t respond: All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people (nation). (10:31) - Has God fully rejected everyone in this nation to whom He made eternal covenants and everlasting promises? (11:1)
Answer: No, God has always and continues to save individual Israelites, starting with Abraham, going on to David, and including me! - Why would a sovereign, loving God do something like this to His chosen nation? Why didn’t He open their national eyes then, and why doesn’t He open their national eyes now? (11:11)
Answer: Their stumbling was due to their rebellion against God and His righteous Law – but it actually led to God sending salvation to the Gentiles, just like it has come to you! And He did this to provoke them to righteousness – if our salvation is going to Gentiles, we want it too!
NOW, if their sinning caused God to bring salvation and its immense blessings to you as a means of provoking them to jealousy, think of the unimaginable blessing to all of creation when that jealousy works, and this nation is fully and nationally restored to God by the gospel of the very One they crucified and continue to reject!!
Conclusion: These questions lead to more than faith – they lead to joyful worship and exuberant life-transforming praise!
When we get the answer to these questions, there is a response that wells up in our souls and pours out of our mouths!
Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments (decisions) and how inscrutable his ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor? Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid? For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever! Amen. (8:33-36)