The Grace Message

Why did Paul tell us to do “what is acceptable” to God? Does God want everyone to be healed? How do we reconcile the love of God with the idea that He chose some to believe and left others with no opportunity? Is that idea true or false?

The Law only speaks to one group – unbelievers. And it shuts everyone up! But thankfully, apart from the Law we can enjoy being 100% right with God for free. And God’s need for justice has been fully satisfied: The wages of sin is death. Jesus died. Do the math and celebrate! Does this mean we bash the Law or hate the Law? No, it means the opposite: Those who opt for God’s grace are the only ones who truly respect the Law as both perfect and impossible! So, I hope this message on the second half of Romans 3 causes you to brag on Jesus like never before! Discussion Questions for Romans 3:19-31 1. Read verses 19-20. In review, who does the Law speak to and what does it say? 2. Read verses 21-22. What significance does “apart from the Law” hold? And in your own words, what is "righteousness"? 3. Read verse 24. How is "justification" more than just being forgiven? 4. Read verse 25. What is "propitiation"? What is God trying to tell us in using this word? 5. Read verse 26. How is God both “just” and “the justifier? (Hint: Consider the wages of sin.) 6. Read verses 27-28. Why doesn’t the Gospel lead us into arrogance? 7. Read verses 29-30. How does this speak to those who claim there’s one message for Jews and a different message for Gentiles today? 8. Read verse 31. What does “establish the Law” mean here? (Hint: It’s only those who opt for God’s grace instead that truly respect the perfect and impossible standard of the Law.)

How should we celebrate the Lord’s Supper? Is it okay for nonbelievers to participate in the Lord’s Supper? With a faith-based definition of sin, is avoiding sin now harder? Why does Romans 3:31 say by faith we “establish” the Law? How can I encourage someone else to attend church? What does it mean to avoid the appearance of evil? Is Matthew 7:21 about a Christian losing their salvation?

What is “binding and loosing” in Matthew 16? Did I blaspheme the Holy Spirit by using profanity related to God? Does God send natural disasters to punish people today or to get their attention?

How do we balance discipline and legalism? I went through a 12-step program but then seemed to only fail afterward. Why am I convicted about drinking but not overeating? I think I fell from grace and now I’m trying to get back with God. How do I put God first and not myself?

Why does Paul say that deacons should be the husband of only one wife? What was the purpose of fasting? Are Christians required to fast today? How does being under grace help our struggle against sin? What does it mean that we’re saved from the wrath of God? Is that about the final judgment or something else?

What is worldly sorrow and how is it different from godly sorrow? Is Calvinism a totally different gospel?

Who were the people who “sin apart from the law” in Romans 2? Why does Ephesians 6 say that we have an undying love for Jesus? How should we understand “perseverance of the saints” within Calvinism? I’m frustrated, because I want to stop sinning, but I can’t seem to stop. Can you help?

We humans are quick to put God on trial. We weigh His decisions and seek to determine if He is good and fair. Of course, this is a result of us eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. And in Romans 3, Paul was calling humanity out and responding to some of the crazy conclusions the Romans had come to about God’s grace. Furthermore, Paul goes on to clarify that the Law only speaks to one group- those under the Law (not Christians!). And the Law is designed to point out spiritual death and addiction to sin. Romans 3 has so much to offer us as we seek to understand the difference between Law and Grace. So check out this important message and be encouraged in the great news of the Gospel! Discussion Questions on Romans 3:1-20: 1. Read verse 4. Why do you think we humans are so quick to “put God on trial”? 2. Read verses 5-8. What three crazy conclusions does Paul have to refute? Can you imagine a person today drawing those same conclusions? Why or why not? 3. React to this statement: “Both Jews and Greeks are all under sin.” How does this speak to a worldwide problem and the one and only solution? 4. Read verses 11-18. Calvinists look to this passage to claim an unbeliever can’t call out to Jesus for salvation unless God chooses (causes) them to do so. Is that what the passage is saying? What are your thoughts? 5. Read verse 19. Who specifically is the Law speaking to? And what does it say? 6. Read verse 20. What is the purpose of the Law? In whose life? Does the Law define sin for a believer? Why or why not?

*Previously aired* How is the heart different from the soul? Does either one need improvement over time to be acceptable to God? How do I talk to people about law and grace? What do Catholics believe about the Eucharist? Will there be another opportunity to believe after death or after “the rapture”?