Remember what the Apostle Peter said about the Apostle Paul’s writing, that it is: “HARD TO BE UNDERSTOOD.” The third through fifth chapters of his letter to the Gentile church at Rome is difficult to understand unless one has the Holy Spirit within. The carnal mind simply cannot grasp what the apostle is saying, which makes it ideal for Satan in his quest to implant his version of God’s Word in the minds of salvation seekers. In the previous series I went into some detail about the steps in the believer’s journey from being God’s enemy to being a god (small g–Jn. 10:34,35). Only such gods will live with Him for eternity in the earthly Kingdom of God. Read Christ’s letters to the church eras in Revelation 1:11 to 3:22. Key Word–Eras. Note the final letter which addresses today’s (Laodicean) church and describes her perfectly in 3:14-22.

The general theme of Paul’s letter to the church at Rome is not salvation, as is commonly believed, but rather justification/righteousness which entails God’s gracious forgiveness of all of the truly repentant believer’s PAST SINS ONLY (3:25). Salvation upon the return of Jesus Christ depends solely on the believer’s remaining in that state of righteousness until that time is the subject of Paul’s epistle is JUSTIFICATION AND JUSTIFICATION ONLY. The believer can RETAIN his justification/righteousness ONLY BY OBEYING GOD’S LAW.

In this series we will focus our attention on a chapter in God’s Word that Satan uses with great success to obscure God’s Truth while instilling his (Satan’s) lies relative to the Christian walk which results in the salvation of the soul. As the Apostle Jude wrote in verse 4, certain ungodly men had crept into the church secretly and had deceived the people into believing that God’s grace was in fact a license to sin. In so doing they convinced the people to removed God and Christ–the true LORDS–from their governing positions and had taken over the leadership (lordship) of the church themselves. What they did not know was that they were operating under the lordship of Satan. Nothing has changed. Their religious descendants are in charge of professing Christendom today as she slides ever farther into apostasy (separation from God) that Paul prophesied would take place just before He returns to earth (2 Thes. 2:3).

In this series we will study chapter five of Romans using a verse-by-verse, “fine print” study method which will expose how Satan uses God’s Word to confuse those who READ it instead of STUDY it under the leadership of the Holy Spirit and under God’s study rules found in Isaiah 28:9-13. The devil’s success can be measured by counting the number of so-called “churches,” “denominations,” “faiths,” etc. he (Satan) has established throughout the earth. One researcher claims to have found over 800 different denominations. However, God only has one church that was founded on one faith, having one Head and one set of doctrines–His Holy Bible. We will now see how Satan has used God’s own Words to lure billions of salvation seekers away from the Truth of the Holy Scriptures. Read Bait and Switch. Key word–Bait.

We begin with Romans 4:25 where Paul reminds us of what he spent chapters three and four writing about–JUSTIFICATION–NOT SALVATION. Justification renders one righteous (without sin). The two words “justification” and “righteousness” are used interchangeably because they are one and the same spiritual entity. The combination is used almost three dozen times in chapters 3 through 5 while salvation is mentioned only 9 times, and then only in reference to the future, and then only as the result of one maintaining his/her justification/righteousness until death or the return of Jesus Christ, whichever comes first. NO ONE IS SAVED/BORN AGAIN IN THIS LIFE. Read Born Again and Hope and Salvation. Key words–Born and Hope respectively. Let us begin this very important series which Satan has used extensively to deceive billions of people over the past 2000 years of church history.

In 4:25 Paul tells us that Jesus died and was resurrected for our JUSTIFICATION. Salvation is the END RESULT of a life (“walk”) during which righteousness and holiness are manifested in the true saint. Read Romans 5:21 and 6:21 where God, through Paul, tells us loud and clear that SALVATION IS THE END RESULT OF A LIFE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HOLINESS—THE RESULT OF OBEYING GOD’S LAW. Beginning with chapter five he drives this message home time and again, just as he did in chapters three and four.

Paul, who received his Gospel directly from Jesus Himself through revelation (Gal. 1:12), tells us in 5:1,2 that justification is received solely by our FAITH (in God’s Word) and His GRACE (unearned favor). Notice that He refers to Jesus as our LORD–MASTER, not our Savior. Notice also that now we have the HOPE of salvation (vss 9,10; 8:24,25). Read Hope and Salvation. Key word–Hope.

In verses three through five Paul reminds us that trials, tests and tribulations WILL be part of the life of a true believer. “ALL who will live GODLY IN CHRIST JESUS will suffer PERSECUTION” (2 Tim. 3:12). Note God, through Paul, said that ALL GODLY (CONVERTED) PEOPLE WILL BE PERSECUTED. Persecution will come from the Institutional Church and the godly one’s family (Mat.10:21,22,36-38). Why? Because darkness hates light. Those who live in Satan’s darkness hate those who live in God’s light.

In verses six through eleven we are told that before receiving JUSTIFICATION (being made righteous) WE WERE UNGODLY SINNERS. Question: what does this say about the church’s belief that, due to Adam’s sin dna transferal miracle, sin is part of our nature and cannot be eliminated from our lives? Read Original Sin. Key word–Original. Note in verses nine and ten that the truly justified who walk in righteousness SHALL BE (later) SAVED, IF AND ONLY IF they maintain their righteousness and holiness until the end (Rom. 5:21; 6:22). Note that SALVATION IS THE END RESULT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HOLINESS. Notice that before justification WE WERE GOD’S ENEMIES. CHURCH SINNERS ARE GOD’S ENEMIES WHO EITHER HAVE NOT BEEN JUSTIFIED (MADE RIGHTEOUS), OR HAVE LOST THEIR JUSTIFICATION/RIGHTEOUSNESS THROUGH SIN. Either way, THEY ARE GOD’S ENEMIES. Simply stated: ALL SINNERS ARE GOD’S ENEMIES.

WHEN WE WERE UNGODLY SINNERS WE WERE ENEMIES OF GOD. Those who have been truly justified (made righteous) have been RECONCILED TO GOD–MADE ONE WITH HIM AND ARE WALKING IN AGREEMENT WITH HIM (Amos 3:3). GOD DOES NOT AGREE WITH SIN. “They who are led by the Spirit of God are the true sons of God” (Rom. 8:14). The Holy Spirit does not lead us to sin. THERE IS NO ROOM FOR SIN IN THE LIFE OF A TRUE SAINT OF GOD. Church sinners will not rise to meet Christ upon His return, descend to the Mount of Olives, enter Jerusalem and help Jesus establish the Kingdom of God.

In verse 11 we are told that the truly justified are “in God,” meaning also “in Christ.” Having had all of their past sins removed (through justification) and having been made righteous, they have received ATONEMENT–AT-ONE-MENT with God by being reconciled to Him. The justified one is IN BOTH GOD AND CHRIST AND THEY ARE IN HIM IN THE FORM OF THEIR HOLY SPIRIT WHICH LEADS THEM, MAKING THEM TRUE SONS OF GOD (Rom. 8:14). The Holy Spirit neither leads the believer to sin or excuses his/her sins. Notice that, having all sin removed through justification, we have “JOY IN GOD.” Church “sinners saved by grace” have joy. How can one sin (“Adam made me do it”) and have joy? Satan gives joy to church people who obey him. Some of the happiest people I know call themselves “sinning saints.” One ordained preacher told me he sinned thousands of times each day. He was one happy man. A former missionary told me it was “… too much trouble” to obey God. She was a happy lady. Satan’s joy is counterfeit, as is his salvation, as is his church. Satan can duplicate many of God’s actions, both physical and spiritual. For this reason church people are deceived about most of the Truths found in God’s Holy Bible. My commission is to point this out to them. Few listen to God’s Word; fewer believe it, and even fewer walk it (Mat. 7:13,14; 22:14). And Satan smiles. L.J.