 In Progress |
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The crux of most theistic religions is to reveal how one is
able to return to God's presence after
death; this is true specifically of both the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-Day Saints (LDS) and Biblical Christianity. This page will
focus on demonstrating the difference and significance of same between these two faiths
in this regard. Included in our study
here will be audio clips expanding upon the Biblical view of
salvation. In addition, there are many scriptures
referenced throughout this study that we believe illustrate/prove
what we believe to be Biblical. If you are unsure if some of
them are relevant, study them
carefully in context; please let us know if you have
any questions!
A Clear Explanation
However,
before we get started with our examination of salvation (as well as the
comparison of the Bible's and LDS' teachings), we would like to recommend a
well-written, short
book (122 pages) called The
Passion of Jesus Christ by John Piper.
This book was not written to those in the LDS church
specifically (and we do not profit from its sale!), but it is an excellent
resource for getting a wonderfully vivid, accurate (Scripture-based) and concise
explanation of the Biblical gospel. Once you truly understand what the
Bible teaches concerning why the Lord Jesus Christ came to die and what His
death, burial and resurrection effected for His people, it will be much easier
to grasp the difference between it and LDS doctrine (and ultimately the things
on this page). Of course we are going to try to provide a clear, Biblical
representation as well (!), but we found John's book particularly helpful.
What Is at Stake? (I.E. Why Should I Read this Page?)
According to the Bible, everything.
You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace (Galatians 5:4, NASBŪ).
This is why salvation is the centerpiece of our website though the explanation is long difficult; the stakes are high: eternal life!
This verse from Galatians should cause one
to ask the following questions: What had the Galatians done to
cause themselves to be 'severed from Christ' and to 'fall from
grace' so that Christ was of 'no benefit to them' (Gal 5:2)?
Paul says they were
attempting to justify themselves through obeying
the law.
In short, our thesis is this: The doctrine of salvation as taught by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ultimately leaves the Church's members depending in part on his or her own good works/merit for their justification, which separates them from the One through whom they mistakenly believe they have eternal life. Why we believe this is detailed below...
Definition of Terms
It is actually a bit difficult to find clear addressing of the salvation issue from either the Biblical or the LDS perspective. Why? First, there is a rather serious communication/language barrier wherein those who hold to either perspective use the same or similar words or phrases but intend very different meanings. For this reason, we will define some terms according to the Bible before proceeding with our discussion.
There are four terms must be clearly defined and correctly related to one another before we can proceed: justification, sanctification, works and salvation. These are not defined by the personal beliefs of this writer, but are a reflection of Biblical teaching. (Their accuracy will be demonstrated by Scripture as our study progresses.) Read them carefully, as they are extremely important for understanding the Biblical gospel.
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Law - |
The Law of God is His eternal standard of good/moral/ |
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| righteous conduct; it separates good from evil, right from wrong. In the Old Testament, God revealed His standard in the form of the 10 Commandments, upon which He expounded throughout the rest of the Pentateuch (Genesis - Deuteronomy). As Jesus later pointed out, however, all of the Law is summed up in the two 'greatest commandments': Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might and love your neighbor as yourself (Deut 6:5; Lev 19:18; Mark 12:28-31 KJV NASB). True righteousness flows out from a true love of God and of our fellow man. In addition, Jesus revealed that obedience to the Law comes from true love that originates in the heart rather than merely external obedience: If you hate someone and yet do nothing, you've already murdered; if you've lusted but do not act upon your lust, you've still committed adultery/fornication in your heart, etc. (Deut 20:17; Matt 5:21-32 KJV NASB). In sum, the Law then is God's standard of righteousness and and the violation thereof is the definition of evil. The Law, summarized by the two 'great commandments', is the measurement by which man will be judged according to his heart intentions and actions. According to the Bible, no one except Christ has kept this standard (Heb 4:15; Rom 3:9-18 KJV NASB), and therefore all of mankind is under its curse (Deut 27:26; Rom 3:19-20; Gal 3:10-13 KJV NASB). | |||
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Works - | In a general sense, works are deeds that people do that | |
| either conform to God's Law or violate it. The goodness or badness of one's works is determined by how well they conform to God's Law [as clarified by the Lord Jesus on in the Sermon on the Mount and the New Testament]. However, 'works' in terms of salvation is defined as the deeds one is doing so as to please God, gain His favor and gain entrance into His presence after death. Therefore, our study will assume the definition of good deeds, including 'righteous' actions (such as giving money to the poor or loving your neighbor by helping them move), fulfilling religious requirements (such as being circumcised or going to church) and abstaining from transgression (such as not hating your brother or sister). | |||
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Justification - |
Justification is a one-time event that happens when |
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people truly believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross on their behalf as a payment for their sins. Justification can be broken down into two gifts given by God - the the removal of the recipients' guilt for their sins and the imputation (or 'bestowing') upon them of the perfect righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. The result is two-fold: those who believe are no longer condemned (because the debt of their sins was paid by Jesus) and they merit all of the blessings of Heaven (because they are endowed with Jesus' merit/righteousness). In short, those who believe in Christ are declared righteous by and through Him before God. The result is that, free of guilt and full of merit, the Christian can boldly enter into the presence of God the Eternal Father based solely upon Christ's righteousness rather than their own. Another result of justification is the spiritual transformation that takes place - those who believe are forgiven and cleansed of all unrighteous deeds they have done, they become a suitable, holy dwelling place for the Holy Ghost. Now indwelt by the Holy Spirit, they become a 'new creation' -- freed from the slavery to desire and do sin, they are filled with the desire to love and please God with righteous deeds. Their old, sinful and sin-condemned spiritual self passes away with Christ on the cross, and their new, spiritually-reborn self rises with Jesus from the dead unto newness of life. In sum, because the Lord's spirit lives in them and because of their love and gratitude for what He has already done for them (e.g. in the paragraph above), they now desire to do that which is holy and loving instead of running after sin and away from God. |
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Sanctification - | Sanctification is a life-long process, which is the inevitable | |
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result of being indwelt by the Holy Spirit. Logically,
it could be said like this: because we are justified,
we are filled with the Holy Spirit and because we
are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, we will/must increase
in God-like righteousness. Through God working in
us by His power (the Holy Ghost), Christians increase in
holiness throughout their lives so that they are progressively more
conformed to His righteous
character and do good works. It is important to note, however, the Christians' obedience is not because they are bound by the Law as a standard to be fulfilled so as to make them acceptable to God. On the contrary, their acceptance before/by God comes solely from their justification, while their obedience is simply the 'fruit' (Gal 5:22-23, Eph 5:8-9 KJV NASB) of the indwelling Holy Ghost. This fruit, or what is produced as a result of justification, is true love [the two great commandments...], which fulfills the standard of God's Law. In short, the believer's righteous deeds are inspired by the love that their Lord has shed abroad in their hearts and empowered by the Spirit He has put within them. Before the sinner is justified, he is spiritually dead in, and enslaved to, his trespasses and sins. When he is made alive in, and enslaved to, God, he then lives in righteousness as an acceptable ['sacrificial'] offering of love unto Him. |
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Salvation - | Salvation is a compound process that will inevitably be | |
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completed once one is justified.
It can be represented graphically as follows:
Biblical salvation can be simply stated like this:
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'Straw Man' Arguments
Another difficulty in addressing the differences between the LDS and Biblical views on salvation is that often both sides are mis-portrayed. Part of the confusion is due to the various definitions of, and inter-relationships between, of the words justification, sanctification and salvation (as noted above) used by both sides.
Another factor is just a general ignorance of the other side's (and even one's own!) actual, authoritative stance on the matter. Most writings will inaccurately portray one or even both sides! Frequently, one might see the Biblical position incorrectly portrayed as 'salvation is by faith alone' by both Christians and LDS. In other cases, one may hear or see the LDS position described by Christians as 'salvation by works' and the Christian stance by LDS as being 'saved by grace'. None of these positions are fully complete/accurate in and of themselves to their respective faiths and therefore refuting them amounts to so much 'boxing the air'. Refuting a false version either side does not prove the truth about anything.
Here's and example of miscommunication from the March 1988 Ensign article, Comparing LDS Beliefs with First-Century Christianity. (This article and others will be more carefully and thoroughly handled in the future in the Blogisphere...) One of the biggest problems with this article is that the writers state that many Christians hold to the teaching of 'solafidianism' - salvation by faith alone. Although the they are correct that this phrase -- originating with one of the catalysts for the Protestant reformation, Martin Luther -- is held and taught by many of those who embrace Biblical Christianity, the writers are incorrect in their understanding of what is intended by Christians when using it. As we will see below, the bible does not teach that salvation is by faith alone, but rather that justification is by faith alone! In addition, what Catholics mean by the term synergism is not that salvation is faith + works (otherwise the salvation issue would not have come up in the reformation!), but rather that justification is attained by faith + works. However, when the writers of this article agree with the Catholic Church's statement that salvation must be faith combined with works, they are also really meaning (or at least the LDS doctrine really teaches) that justification, rather than salvation, is faith + works.
It is this formulation of salvation that directly violates the writings of Paul and puts the gospel on its head, that puts the cart before the horse. To hold that our good works are in any way, shape or form meritorious toward our standing with God, that they contribute toward our being able to return to Heavenly Father's presence, is to attempt to justify ourselves rather than accepting the justification fully purchased for us in Christ by his sacrificial, atoning death. Ultimately, according to Galatians, this sort of belief, if held, severs us from the Lord Jesus and his atoning work and leaves us standing condemned before God in our own unrighteous imperfection. Continue reading below to see how...
Where Do We Go from Here?
The above definitions were given without any scriptural proof so that you might just focus on what was being said. However, it is now time to see what is really taught by the Bible and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. We suggest that you read the following text straight through, as it will follow a logical progression. However, if you would like an overview or to address a specific question, please use the drop-down list below to navigate to the appropriate section.
What Separates Us from God?
The key to understanding salvation is understanding from what we need to be saved in the first place! One of the most important and well-known verses in the Bible is often read because Paul the apostle most clearly explains just that:
...for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;... (
Rom 3:22b-23 KJV)...for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
(Rom 3:22b-23 NASBŪ)All of mankind has sinned and fallen short of Heavenly Father's standard of perfect righteousness (Rom 3:9-28), which benchmark stems from His perfection. It is because of this 'falling short' of His standard, because of our sin, that we are now condemned and under God's wrath:
...For the wrath of God is revealed from
heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who
hold the truth in unrighteousness;... But after thy hardness
and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the
day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;...
But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but
obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,... (Rom 1:18,
2:5, 8
KJV)
...For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,... But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God,... but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation. (Rom 1:18, 2:5, 8 NASBŪ)
In sum, all of mankind is under the Lord's wrath and condemnation because of their sin (See also Rom 1:18, 1:28-32, 2:5, 2:8, 3:5; Eph 2:1-3, 5:6; Col 3:8, etc. KJV NASB); this is why they cannot enter into His presence. This was made clear when the Lord introduced the Law and the tabernacle (the portable version of the temple) through Moses:
And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the vail before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat. Thus shall Aaron come into the holy place:...He shall...make an atonement for himself, and for his house... ...and offer him for a sin offering... And he shall put the incense upon the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is upon the testimony, that he die not:... Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people,... And he shall make an atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins: and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation, that remaineth among them in the midst of their uncleanness... And there shall be no man in the tabernacle of the congregation when he goeth in to make an atonement in the holy place, until he come out, and have made an atonement for himself, and for his household, and for all the congregation of Israel... And this shall be an everlasting statute unto you, to make an atonement for the children of Israel for all their sins once a year. And he did as the LORD commanded Moses.
(Leviticus 16:2-34, KJV)
The LORD said to Moses: "Tell your brother Aaron that he shall not enter at any time into the holy place inside the veil, before the mercy seat which is on the ark, or he will die; for I will appear in the cloud over the mercy seat. "Aaron shall enter the holy place with this: He shall...make atonement for himself and for his household... "He shall make it [the goat] a sin offering... He shall put the incense on the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of incense may cover the mercy seat that is on the ark of the testimony, otherwise he will die. Then he shall slaughter the goat of the sin offering which is for the people,... and... He shall make atonement for the holy place, because of the impurities of the sons of Israel and because of their transgressions in regard to all their sins; and thus he shall do for the tent of meeting which abides with them in the midst of their impurities. When he goes in to make atonement in the holy place, no one shall be in the tent of meeting until he comes out, that he may make atonement for himself and for his household and for all the assembly of Israel. ...for it is on this day that atonement shall be made for you to cleanse you; you will be clean from all your sins before the LORD. ...Now you shall have this as a permanent statute, to make atonement for the sons of Israel for all their sins once every year." And just as the LORD had commanded Moses, so he did. (Leviticus 16:2-34, NASBŪ).
Here, we can see a vivid picture of the spiritual separation man has from God due to his sin. Though the tabernacle/temple was merely a blue print picture of heavenly reality (Heb 8:1-5, 9:1-12, 24), it was nevertheless made to exact standards so as to accurately reflect that reality (Heb 8:5). As such, we see that the Holy of Holies, the place wherein God dwelt above the mercy seat, was off-limits to all but Aaron the high priest (and only to him once a year after he'd been ritually purified) because of sin. In short, they were separated from God's very presence because they'd sinned; if they tried to enter inappropriately, they would be immediately judged and die (Lev 15:31, 16:2, 13 KJV NASB). This represented the state of all mankind, who is separated from God (and under His wrath) because of their sin.
This is also represented in the giving of the Law to the Israelites by Moses. In one of his final, instructional speeches concerning their obeying God's Law and their crossing into the promised land (Deut 27:9-26), Moses reminds the people of Israel of the curses that are associated with the disobedience of God's commands. He sums this up by saying, "Cursed is he who does not confirm the words of this law by doing them." (Deut 27:26) In other words, if they failed in one point of the Law, then they were under the Law's curse and God's wrath (James 2:10). Paul confirms this in his letter to the Galatians:
For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
(Gal
3:10-11
KJV)
For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written, "CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO DOES NOT ABIDE BY ALL THINGS WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF THE LAW, TO PERFORM THEM." Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, "THE RIGHTEOUS MAN SHALL LIVE BY FAITH." (Gal 3:10-11 NASBŪ)
Here, Paul is clearly referring to Deut 27:26 and is basically laying out the logical results of what we have learned using a construct called a 'syllogism': A => B, B => C, so therefore A => C where A, B & C represent a single point of truth and '=>' means 'yields'. For example, if I say I have an apple in my hand (This is 'A => B') and all apples are fruit (This is 'B => C'), then one can logically conclude that I am holding a piece of fruit in my hand ('A => C'). In the Scriptures, Paul said previously that "all have sinned an fall short of God's glory (A - Rom 3:23). He also recognizes that Deuteronomy is indicating that all who do not keep God's law perfectly are under its curse (B - James 2:10). Therefore, he appropriately concludes (via syllogistic logic) that anyone attempting to justify themselves (by obeying or keeping the Law [i.e. by being righteous]) before God will fail and are therefore under its curse (A => C).
In summary, all of mankind is separated from God because of His justice: man's sin (i.e. imperfection) puts him under the curse of the Law and the Lord's wrath.
What does it mean to be under God's wrath and the curse of the Law?
Now that we know the situation of mankind (that they are all condemned), we need to know the consequences of this state: what does it ultimately mean to be condemned by God and under His wrath? It is only when we clearly understand the reality of our circumstances and its implications that we can begin to understand God's solution.
We can begin to understand what it means to be 'under God's wrath and the Law's curse' by examining the consequences of the first sin that occurred in the Garden of Eden. The first element, physical death, can be seen in the judgment that the Lord handed down to Adam and his seed (context):
In
the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto
the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and
unto dust shalt thou return. (Gen
3:19
KJV)
By the sweat of your face you will eat bread, till you return to the ground, because from it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return (Gal 3:19 NASBŪ)
(Well see in another part of our study that they also 'died' spiritually that day as well [Eph 2:1-2].)
Another result of Adam and Eve's sin was that they were cast out of God's presence and prevented (by the sword-wielding cherubim) from gaining eternal life (Gen 3:22-24). Whereas they once shared intimate fellowship with the Lord in His garden (Gen 2:19; 3:8-9 KJV NASB), they were now cast out of His presence (Gen 3:24) to face a cursed world (Gen 3:17).
This separation from God was later symbolized and further emphasized throughout the Old Testament in the structure of worship and the means by which His people were to approach the Him. One evidence was the necessity/institution of a mediator. Whereas Adam and Eve enjoyed face-to-face fellowship with God in the Garden, most of their descendants were required to have an intercessor between them and God. Some notable mediators were Noah (Gen 6:9-13; Hebrews 11:7 KJV NASB), Abraham (Gen 15:12-21; Luke 1:73 KJV NASB), and Moses (Ex 3:4-7, 10) and Aaron.
We can also see this separation from God depicted in the structure of Old Testament worship by looking 'backwards' from the New Testament - we can look at what was lost because of sin by seeing what was restored in Christ. Why? Because Jesus came specifically to repair the damage resulting from sin and remove its effects (John 1:29; 2 Cor 5:20-21; Rom 3:21-26; Eph 2:1-9, etc. KJV NASB). Therefore, what we gain in Christ is what we lost because of sin. Let's look at a very powerful, rich passage in the book of Hebrews to see this. In the context of describing how Old Testament worship, priests and tabernacles/temples were temporary, insufficient and only a picture of/shadow/blueprint of things to come, these verses demonstrate that, though once separated because of sin resulting in a guilty conscience, we are reunited to ('unseparated' from, so to speak) God through the Lord Jesus Christ: (Read in both versions; it will help!)
Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God. But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people: the Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing: which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience; which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation...
...Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, this is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; and
their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.
Now where remission of these is, there is
no more offering for sin. Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of
Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his
flesh; and having an high priest over the house of God;
let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure
water. (Heb
9:6-10; 10:15-22
KJV)
Now when these things [the temple structure and elements of worship] have been so prepared, the priests are continually entering the outer tabernacle performing the divine worship, but into the second [the 'Holy of Holies'], which signified being in heaven in God's presence], only the high priest enters once a year, not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the sins of the people committed in ignorance. The Holy Spirit is signifying this, that the way into the holy place has not yet been disclosed while the outer tabernacle is still standing, which is a symbol for the present time. Accordingly both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make the worshiper perfect in conscience, since they relate only to food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until a time of reformation...
...And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us; for after saying,
"THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THEM
AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD:
I WILL PUT MY LAWS UPON THEIR HEART,
AND ON THEIR MIND I WILL WRITE THEM,"
He then says,
"AND THEIR SINS AND THEIR LAWLESS DEEDS
I WILL REMEMBER NO MORE."
Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for
sin. Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of
Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God,
let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure
water.
(Heb
9:6-10; 10:15-22
NASBŪ)
There is a lot of truth in this passage (and just as many implications!) and therefore we urge you to read it (and the entire book of Hebrews!) with prayer several times. However, our narrow focus at this point is to demonstrate the separation (as a result of sin) from God that was experienced first by Adam and Eve and then subsequently by all of the human race.
As we look at these passages, you need to understand what that the Old Testament tabernacle/temple system of worship signified: it was the symbolic 'blueprint' that depicted heavenly reality (Heb 8:5, 9:8, 9:24 KJV NASB), specifically how man was to enter God's presence. The inner-most room, the 'Holy of Holies' or 'Most Holy Place', represented being in the presence of the Lord in heaven (Heb 9:6-7, 11-12, 24 KJV NASB).
With this in mind, we can juxtapose these two passages: the first depicts God's prescription for worship in the Old Testament and the second how those who are in Christ may worship since His sacrificial death. The first section shows that only one high priest could actually enter the 'Holy of Holies', where God's Spirit dwelt, and then only once per year with a blood-sacrifice for his sins and the sins of all the people rather than for intimate fellowship like that which was had by Adam and Eve before their sin.
In summary, to have sinned is to have separated yourself from God, to have barred yourself from entrance into His holy presence. This spiritual reality is only felt here on earth in the form of a guilty, burdened conscience, but it will be manifested as a physically and spiritually once you have died and have faced the judgment throne of the Lord. In this next section, we will see how the second part of the above Hebrews passage points a very different relationship we can have now through Jesus Christ.
What does it mean to be free from the curse of the Law?
The second part of the above passage from Hebrews says that, through trusting Christ's self-sacrificial payment for our sins, we can now 'draw near' to God and 'enter the holy place' (i.e. Heaven) into His presence. If we can now draw near, it must follow that we could not do so before, as was illustrated by the Old Testament worship of God in the first passage. However, It is only when we are united to Christ by faith in His death, burial and resurrection, which cleanses our conscience from sin and takes away our condemnation before God, that we can once again boldly come into the presence of the Lord Almighty and have the fellowship with Him that Adam and Eve once had.
In summary, all the Old Testament mediators and system of worship pointed to, or were a 'type' of, the Lord Jesus Christ, who was THE ultimate Prophet/Mediator (Deut 18:15-19; Acts 3:20-23; Heb 9:11-15 KJV NASB), and His new way provides full access to God through his once-and-for-all sacrificial atonement, which finally, ultimately united His people (by faith) back with God (Heb 10:9-10, 9:11-12, 10:19-20, 9:26-28 KJV NASB).
More to come...
Does Justification, Sanctification or Salvation allow us to go back into our Heavenly Father's Presence?
Now that we have established what separates us from God and prevents us from returning to Him, we need to begin to understand the means by which the Lord
Audio Clips Explaining Biblical Salvation
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Watch the Romans series on television, Cox Cable on Friday
Nights at 9pm! |
Channel 18 - North County Channel 24 - San Diego |
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| Romans 3:9-20: Who is under God's condemnation? Who is righteous and able to stand before Him? | Real; MP3 | Outline | ||
| Romans 3:21-26: What is justification and how do we get it? What does it mean in relation to sanctification and salvation? | Real; MP3 | Outline | ||
| Romans 3:27-31: How can a righteous and just God allow anyone go unpunished if we all sin? | Real; MP3 | Outline | ||
| Romans 4:1-8: How were people justified in the Old Testament? | Real; MP3 | Outline | ||
| Romans 4:9-17a: What works must accompany justification? | Real; MP3 | Outline | ||
| Romans 4:17-25: What does 'saving faith' look like? | Real; MP3 | Outline | ||
| Romans 5:1-5: What are the resulting great blessings that come from justification? | Real; MP3 | Outline | ||
| Romans 5:6-11: What does the love of God look like? | Real; MP3 | Outline | ||
| Romans 5:12-14: What role does Adam's fall have in our condemnation? | Real; MP3 | Outline | ||
| Romans 5:15-21: If the first Adam brought condemnation, what did the second Adam, Christ, bring? | Real; MP3 | Outline | ||
| Romans 6:1-4: Does justification by faith alone cause/allow you to sin all the more? What does it mean to be united to Christ? | Real; MP3 | Outline | ||
| Romans 6:5-14: Do your union with the Lord result from your good works, or do they themselves spring forth from your union with Christ? Your good works result from love, gratitude and the fruit of the Holy Ghost (Gal 5:16-24). | Real; MP3 | Outline | ||
| Romans 6:15-22: Are we all enslaved? Yes! Either we are enslaved to sin and Satan resulting in death, or we are the slave of righteousness and God resulting in life. True freedom is enslavement to God and righteousness, which can only come by embracing and loving the truth (John 8:31-47). | Real; MP3 | Outline | ||
| Romans 6:23: The Gospel of Christ in summary. | Real; MP3 | Outline | ||
| Romans 7:1-6: Are we released from the condemnation and requirements of the Law? | Real; MP3 | Outline | ||
| Romans 7:7-13: Is the Law evil because it condemns us to death? | Real; MP3 | Outline | ||
| Romans 7:14-25: What is the spiritual reality of one united to Christ? What characterizes the life of a Christian? | Real; MP3 | Outline | ||
| Romans 8:1-4: Why are Christians, once they have truly believed in the Lord, no longer under God's condemnation? Will future sin put them back under Heavenly Father's wrath? | Real; MP3 | Outline | ||
| Romans 8:5-11: What does it really mean to live and walk as a Christian? | Real; MP3 | Outline | ||
| Romans 8:12-13: How does a Christian walk in the holiness that the L ord desires? | Real; MP3 | Outline | ||
| Romans 8:14: What does it mean to 'walk by the Spirit'? | Real; MP3 | Outline | ||
Page last updated on April 30, 2004.
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