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Scripture Reading: Rom. 1:1-4, 17; 3:22-24; 5:10
Tonight I will do a new thing that I have never done before. I will cover three messages in one evening. Furthermore, I will cover ten messages in three evenings. The main subject of these ten messages is salvation in life from the book of Romans. My purpose in giving these ten messages is twofold: First, I desire that you would receive help. Then as you return to the gospel outreach localities, you can help the new ones message after message with the help you have received.
These messages contain an unprecedented understanding concerning the book of Romans that has never been found in Christianity. Although the way this understanding is presented is particular, it is not peculiar. These messages contain new light that we have received from the Lord. Because others have not seen these things before, they are new. They are rare and wonderful because no one has ever seen them. Hence, these ten messages are all new, fresh, and wonderful.
I treasure very much the outline and sectional divisions of the book of Romans in the New Testament Recovery Version. I feel that they have been done in an excellent and concise way. However, tonight I will not speak according to them. Rather, I will give you something new. I will show you that Romans is divided into two main sections. Just as a watershed is a mountain with two slopes dividing a river into two sections, in the same way Romans is divided into two sections by a watershed. This watershed is Romans 5:10, which says, “If we, being enemies, were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more we will be saved in His life, having been reconciled.” This verse is too precious! We had passively become enemies of God, and we also were behaving as enemies of God. At that time we did nothing good. All that we did was to act as enemies of God. Even the sisters who look so gentle today were enemies of God before they were saved. But praise God, while we were yet enemies, God has reconciled us to Himself through the death of Christ His Son. This is one slope of the watershed. Having been reconciled, we will be saved in His life. This is the other slope of the watershed.
One slope is the death of Christ. The other slope is the life of Christ. His death is for redeeming us, and His life is for saving us. These two terms are very different. Redemption plus saving is salvation. If we enjoy only redemption without being saved, we have only the first half of salvation. The biblical principle is always that that which comes first is not so good, and that which comes afterward is better. For example, in John 2 with the sign of changing water into wine, the first wine was not the best wine (v. 10). The wine that came later was the best wine. In Numbers 18:17 the firstborn were to be killed, but those born afterward were saved. To be redeemed is only the first half of God’s salvation. This aspect of salvation is not that high. When one enjoys the saving in life, which is the second half of God’s salvation, the experience of salvation is much higher.
Before Romans 5:10 there is the slope of Christ’s death. From 5:10 until the end of the book in chapter 16, there is the slope of Christ’s life. When you go back to your localities, you can tell others that Romans is divided into two sections. The first section is on Christ’s death, and the second section is on Christ’s life. Christ’s death redeems us, justifies us, and reconciles us to God. This is full redemption. At the same time the life of Christ saves us. The content of this saving is very rich. It is not as simple as redemption.
Being saved in the life of Christ can be divided into nine great items. None of these has been covered by others before. For example, the first item is that the law of the Spirit of life has freed us from the law of sin and of death (8:2). The first item in the saving of Christ in life is a law freeing us. This law is the law of the Spirit of life. This law of life is the Triune God. The Spirit of life is the ultimate consummation of the Triune God. Hence, this God is the Spirit of life, and this Spirit of life is a law.
We know that a law comes from life. Life itself is a law. Every living creature is a law. The cat is a law. The dog is a law. The cow, the bird, and the fish are all laws. A human being also is a law. Hence, the cat lives a cat’s life, the dog lives a dog’s life, man lives a man’s life, and God lives God’s life. God is the highest living being. Hence, He is the highest law. Thank the Lord, this highest life is in us today. This highest life has become the highest law in us. This is the first item of the salvation in life in the book of Romans.
Our Lord Jesus Christ came out of David, the descendant of man, according to the flesh, according to His humanity. He was also designated the Son of God in power out of the resurrection of the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, according to His divinity. Apparently, the word designation does not imply birth. Actually, designation means begetting. When Jesus died, He lay in the grave and was ranked with the dead ones. But in less than three days He was resurrected from the dead. This resurrection marked Him out in a particular way. His resurrection from the dead designated Him the Son of God in His humanity. Hence, He was begotten the Son of God in resurrection. This proves that the resurrection of Christ is a birth (Acts 13:33). Originally, He was the only begotten Son of God. After He became flesh, and through resurrection, He was born the firstborn Son of God in His humanity. At the same time we also were begotten as the many sons of God in resurrection.
The Greek word rendered live in Romans 1:17 has a double meaning. It means “to have life” as well as “to live.” This sentence originally came from Habakkuk 2:4. In the New Testament it is quoted three times. First, it is quoted in Romans. Then it is quoted in Galatians 3:11. Last, it is quoted in Hebrews 10:38. In Galatians the emphasis is on having life. In Hebrews the emphasis is on living. But in Romans the emphasis is on both meanings: to have life and live.
You have to circle these three terms: the righteous, faith, life. When you go back, you have to teach the new ones. Tell them that Romans talks about the righteous, faith, and life. If you talk only about the righteous and faith, you are only up to Romans 5:10. After 5:10 it talks about justification unto life (v. 18). Faith gives us justification, and the result is that we enjoy the life of God. Formerly, we were dead. After we believed in the Lord, we were justified. Moreover, we have life and shall live. Hence, after Romans 5:10 we are told how one should live after he has life.
We are not righteous; we are sinners. When we believed in the Lord Jesus, God gave the Lord Jesus to us as His righteousness. The word gave means “to reckon.” It is like the reckoning in accounting. For example, you may owe someone eighty billion dollars and be unable to repay him. So God gives you eighty billion and reckons it to your account. In this way you no longer have any debt. Rather, you are justified.
God reckons His righteousness to man out of faith, taking faith as the principle. It is not by work. Righteousness here is God’s righteousness; it comes from God. Faith here is our faith; it is of us.
God has a righteousness for us. Whether we can have it depends on our faith. Hence, we have to believe and receive right away so that we can have this righteousness. God has righteousness, and we have faith. When these two combine, we receive God’s eternal life and are able to live by this life of God.
Through the death of Christ we are reconciled to God. This includes redemption and justification (3:24). We are saved in the life of Christ. This is the full and rich saving of God in Christ. Redemption plus saving equals the gospel of God, His full and rich salvation.
When you go back to your localities, you have to teach the new believers. You cannot do it the way I am doing it—teaching three lessons in one evening. Perhaps you can teach only half a lesson every evening. You should do it slowly. You have to believe that this will lay a foundation in them. This is not man’s word or man’s teaching. It is the holy Word of God. When you transfuse them this way, the Word will get into them.
