Romans (7) Abraham

In Romans 4, Paul uses the example of Abraham to demonstrate that he was rescued by this faith. Jews and Gentiles who trust in Jesus are descendants of Abraham, according to the promise.

The last verse of the chapter has an interesting comment about Jesus.

He was handed over because of our deviations and was raised to life to make us right (Rom 4:25).

We deviated and lost our way, but his resurrection “makes us right” because if we are in Jesus by faith, then we share in his new life, which allows us to live correctly, by walking in the Spirit.

Demonstrated Love
In the early chapters of Romans, Paul says several times that the gospel demonstrates the rightness of God. In Romans 5:8, he explains that the gospel also demonstrates his love.

God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Jesus death demonstrates God’s love. This contrasts with the Romans 1:18-32 tirade, which claims that God’s anger is being revealed in Jesus’ death.

Death and Wrath
Paul explains in this chapter that the source of our problem changes. Prior to the giving of the law, the world was dominated by a powerful cosmosdominator called Death (Rom 5:12-14). Together with a spirit called Destruction, he wrought terrible troubles on earth. The giving of the law with penalties for crimes increased the power of the Satan the accuser, and he was able to regain top spot.

Paul explains that the spirit called Death even reigned over people who had not broken a command (because they did have the law). The spiritual powers of evil were able to control them, even when they did not realise that they had sinned (Rom 5:14). This contrasts with the ranting of the Jewish Judger in Romans 1:18-32, who said that everyone knew that they had disobeyed God and therefore deserved to be punished.

In Romans 4:15, Paul had explained that the giving of the law also stirs up an evil spirit called Wrath.

The law brings wrath, because where there is no law there is no transgression.

The law empowered Satan, because it gave him a basis for accusing people of transgression. When Satan was able to accuse someone, Wrath was able to have a go at them. The law provided spiritual protection for the children of Israel, but those who wandered away left themselves vulnerable to attack by Satan and Wrath.

The same point is made in Romans 5:9.

Much more then, having now been made right by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.

Once Jesus had come and died on the cross for our failure, Satan could no longer accuse us of breaking the law. This mean that Wrath has right to attack us.