Assurance of Salvation - Part 2

The Romans Road

Eternal Security Doctrine, Once Saved Always Saved (OSAS)

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     This is our second audio teaching on the "Assurance of Salvation" going through the book of Romans. Our first audio on the "Assurance of Salvation" was in the gospel of John and the Epistle of First John.  If you have not checked that one out, check it out.  This audio will be examining the doctrine of eternal security (also known as Once Saved Always Saved) through what the apostle taught to those in Rome.  The main Scriptures from Romans examined will be:  Romans 1:16-17; Romans 3:21-4:5; Romans 5:1-10; Romans 8:1 & 35-39; Romans 10:9-13. 

     Below will be notes that were used in the audio and much more that was not used but is here for your benefit to examine.

Assurance of Salvation AFC Audio – The Romans Road

• Why Romans?
• What does Romans teach about Salvation
• Going through Romans as a whole (Romans 1:16-17 key points)
  1. Paul not ashamed of the gospel
  2. Gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes
  3. Gospel is for all to hear
  4. Those who receive Jesus are declared righteous and are saved
  5. The righteous will live by faith
  6. Those in Christ have the Assurance of Salvation

• Study Helps (W. E. Vines & Warren Wiersbe)

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.   17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH." (Romans 1:16-17 NASB)

• Paul was not ashamed of the gospel (Romans 1:14-15)

The gospel of God (1–17). God has good news! It is promised in the Old Testament and centered in Jesus Christ. He came to earth a Jew, died, and arose again; and He saves all who will trust in Him. He alone purchased salvation, and this message must be preached to the whole world. Why? Because the gospel alone is “the power of God to salvation” (v. 16, italics added).  Paul was gripped by the gospel; his whole life was controlled by it. Called to be an apostle (v. 1), he felt himself a debtor to the whole world (v. 14). Through His church, God is calling people to Jesus Christ (vv. 5–7). Has the gospel gripped you?   (With The Word Bible Commentary, Warren Wiersbe, Romans 1:1-17 notes)

Are you ever embarrassed to be identified as a follower of Christ? Would coworkers or other associates ever assume that you are ashamed of your faith by the way you avoid talking about it or revealing your true thoughts and feelings?  Paul felt no shame in the message of Christ, for he saw it as powerful—powerful enough to transform lives (Rom. 1:16).

How powerful is the gospel you believe in? Are you a channel or a barrier for the power of Christ in your workplace? (Warren Wiersbe, Romans 1:16 Word In Life Study Bible Notes)

to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek—It was necessary that the word of God should first be preached to the Jews (Acts 13:46). This had been the command of the Lord to His disciples just before He ascended. He had told them that repentance and remission of sins were to be preached in His Name unto all the nations, “beginning from Jerusalem” (Luke 24:47). They were to be His witnesses first in all Judaea and Samaria, and then unto the uttermost parts of the earth (Acts 1:8). Inasmuch as the Jews were the heirs of the promises of God to Abraham, and these promises included the blessings of the gospel, the good tidings must first be proclaimed to them. On the other hand, the Jew must, at the same time, find his place in the scheme of God’s grace through the gospel on the same ground as the Gentiles. The privilege of the Jew in this respect was merely that of priority of time and not of superiority of condition. That the gospel was to be preached “to the Jew first” shows both the faithfulness of God in fulfilling His promise to the chosen seed and His grace toward those who had despised the privileges granted them, and had rejected their Messiah. (W. E. Vines Commentary, Romans 1:16)

• The gospel “is the power of God for salvation” (Romans 5:6-9)

5:6–11  Salvation—Past, Present, and Future

Salvation is a central theme of the Bible, because God desires that every one of us be saved from sin (Luke 19:10; Rom. 5:8; 1 Tim. 2:4). What is your understanding of this important doctrine? The Book of Romans indicates that we can think about salvation in terms of:

1.  A finished work in the past. If you have placed faith in Christ’s finished work on the Cross for your sin, then you have been saved (past tense). From that moment on, your eternal destiny was secure, because Christ’s atonement has made you righteous, or free to stand before God without guilt or penalty for your sins. To use Paul’s word, you have been “justified” (Rom. 5:1, 8–9). That is, a complete, one-time work of God’s grace has transformed you from condemned sinner to a righteous child of God. That’s why Paul could tell the Philippian jailer to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and he would be saved (Acts 16:31).

2.  An ongoing process in the present. Have you ever wondered how you can be saved from sin, yet still sin? The Christians at Rome struggled with this problem (Rom. 6:1–2), and so did Paul (7:15–20). Like him, you may cry out to be set free from ongoing sin (7:24). Again, Christ’s atonement provides the answer (8:1–3). Furthermore, the Holy Spirit provides grace and power to overcome temptation and deal with what comes your way (Rom. 5:3–5; 6:12–14; 8:2, 9–17). Thus, as you trust Christ on a daily basis, you are being saved (present tense) in the midst of trials and temptations. This life-long process, called “sanctification,” involves the development of a holy lifestyle (Titus 2:11–14). Whereas justification saves you from the penalty of sin (eternal death), sanctification saves you from the power of sin, so that you become more and more like Christ.

3.  A hope to hold onto in the future. In describing salvation, the Book of Romans looks ahead to an ultimate outcome. Paul says that you will be “glorified” with Christ (Rom. 8:17). That is, you will be saved (future tense) in the sense that you will be completely perfected when you finally stand before God. You will be fully delivered from judgment, removed from sin’s presence, restored to the image and likeness of God in which you were created, and enter into eternal life with God. This is the eternal dimension of salvation called the believer’s hope of glory (5:2; 8:18; Eph. 1:18; Col. 1:27).

Following Christ involves all three dimensions of salvation. By faith we have been saved from God’s wrath, are being set free from sin, and look forward to being made complete in Christ when we go to be with Him. Are you celebrating these ways in which you are the beneficiary of the salvation that God has provided? (Warren Wiersbe, Word In Life Study Bible notes, Romans 5:6-11)

• The gospel is for all to hear (Romans 10:9-13)

10:9   because if thou shalt confess with thy mouth Jesus as Lord,—The stress in the divine titles is upon “Lord.” The confession is the acknowledgment, as a testimony to others, of the supreme and absolute authority of Jesus Christ; that is, the One who, having been despised and rejected of men, was afterward glorified as the exalted One to whom all authority is given, who has been invested with all His mediatorial prerogatives and power.

and shalt believe in thine heart that God raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved:—This exercise of faith is more than the acceptance of the historic fact of the resurrection of Christ. It is a matter of the heart, not simply of the mind. It therefore involves the appreciation of the promises of God as fulfilled in the death and resurrection of Christ and an appropriation of His person. The confession and faith are, then, the response to “the word of faith” (v. 8). Confession is put first for the following reasons: (1) as being appropriate to the order, mouth and heart, as in verse 8; (2) because the order of the Lordship of Christ and His resurrection from the dead are in agreement with the order in verses 6 and 7, verse 6 speaking of His present position in heaven, verse 7 of His resurrection from the dead; (3) because confession of the Christ as Lord is the evidence of faith; (4) because this confession provides the distinctive difference between those who have been justified by faith and those who are seeking righteousness by their own works (cp. 1 Cor. 12:3).

10:10   for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.—The actual order of experience is now given: faith first, then confession. In order to be saved righteousness must be reckoned, and this depends upon faith, but faith necessarily leads to confession. Absence of confession betokens lack of faith.

10:11   For the Scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on Him shall not be put to shame.—This repeats the quotation in 9:33. There the object was to show that Israel’s failure was due to unbelief; here the point is that faith is open to Jew and Gentile, and this is stressed by an alteration in the quotation. Isaiah says “he that believeth.” Paul says “everyone that believeth,” showing that even Isaiah’s words were not confined to the Jewish nation. The subject of confession is dropped, for the argument has to do especially with faith, and faith alone is here dealt with.

10:12   For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek:—Compare and contrast 3:22. There the apostle said “There is no exception, for all have sinned”; here he says, “there is no distinction, all may be saved.”

for the same Lord is Lord of all,—In 3:29 the apostle showed that God was the same God for both Jew and Gentile; here he states that the same Lord is Lord of both.

and is rich unto all that call upon Him:—The argument passes from the universal provision of salvation to the bounty of the provider, stressing at the same time the fact that He has absolute authority. The reference here is to Christ…

10:13   for, Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.—This confirms verses 11 and 12 by a quotation from the LXX of Joel 2:32. The prophet foretold that salvation would be granted, not on the ground of nationality, but on that of calling upon the Name of the Lord. In the words “all flesh,” in Joel 2:28, there was an intimation of the obliteration of national distinctions. In the passage in Joel “the Lord” is Jehovah. This quotation, applied to Christ as Lord in the matter of man’s salvation, gives a clear testimony to the deity of Christ. (W. E. Vines Commentary, Romans 10:9-13)

• Those who receive Christ are declared righteous through their faith in the message of the gospel (receiving Jesus as Lord, Savior, Messiah) and not by works (Romans 3:21-4:5)

Justification through Faith, 3:21–26

3:21   But now apart from the law—Literally “apart from law,” i.e., apart from the works of law.

a righteousness of God hath been manifested,—Compare 1:17. The reference is to the character of God. His righteousness was revealed in the Law, the decrees of which were an expression of His own character. Now through the gospel His righteousness is revealed in another way, and is expressed in the means by which He has provided a ground upon which righteousness can be reckoned to a sinner. “Is manifested” is, literally, “has been manifested”; that is, at the Cross.

being witnessed by the law and the prophets;—“The Law” here signifies the Pentateuch, and “the Prophets” includes the Psalms; the expression therefore includes the whole of the Old Testament. An example of each case of this witness is given in chapter four, first in regard to Abraham and then from one of the Psalms of David. The statement shows that the gospel, so far from being incompatible with the Old Testament and the position of Israel under the Law, receives confirmation from it.

3:22   even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ—More closely to the original we might read “and (or but) a righteousness of God.” Whatever connecting word is used, it is explanatory of verse 21, marking at the same time a contrast to the manifestation of God’s righteousness under the Law. Here the phrase “the righteousness of God” still points to His character as the Just One, calling for faith, instead of for obedience to a law, which could not be rendered. “Faith in Jesus Christ” is the correct rendering and not as in the a.v.

unto all them that believe;—Manuscript evidence supports the single preposition “unto,” as in the r.v., rather than “unto and upon,” as in the a.v. The ministry of divine grace is fully comprehended in the single preposition. Faith is the means by which God’s righteousness is brought to bear on men in their favor whether Jew or Gentile.

for there is no distinction;—That is, between Jew and Gentile, whether in the matter of sin, or in the display of God’s holy character in the gospel and the terms upon which righteousness is reckoned by God to the sinner.

The following contrasts in this passage should be noted—(a) “the Law,” verse 19, and “grace,” verse 24; (b) “through the Law,” verse 20, and “through redemption,” verse 24; (c) “under judgment,” verse 19, and “justified freely,” verse 24; (d) “the works of the Law,” verse 20, and “faith in Jesus Christ,” verse 22; (e) “all the world,” verse 19, and “them that believe,” verse 22.

3:23   for all have sinned,—This provides a proof that there is no distinction. The original has the aorist, or point, tense, which simply adds precision and definiteness to the fact. The English perfect, “have sinned,” gives an adequate rendering.

and fall short—Present continuous tense; “fall” is a preferable rendering to “come,” as the latter presents an ambiguity in the matter of past or present time.

of the glory of God;—Doxa stands for the moral glory, the perfections of His character, which present a standard, with its requirements, for man, who has been made in the image of God (cp. and contrast 1:23, and see 6:4).

3:24   being justified—This brings before us the subjective side of justification. God has been shown to be just, and now the apostle shows how we can be just with God. Justification is here the legal and formal acquittal from guilt by God as judge, and the pronouncement of the believing sinner as righteous in His sight. The verb is in the present continuous tense and thus indicates a constant process of justification in the succession of those who believe and are justified.

freely—Doµrean is, literally, “as gift,” “gratis.” It indicates the absence of any cause in the person who is the object of the action.

by His Grace—Grace is God’s free, unmerited favor toward man. This is the character of His justification of the believing sinner.

through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus;—Apolutroµsis is a strengthened form of lutroµsis, which signifies “deliverance,” here deliverance from the guilt of sin. The corresponding verb is lutrooµ, “to deliver,” “to redeem” (lit., “to buy up”). A person may be purchased without actually being set free. Exagorazoµ, to redeem, lays stress upon the price paid. Apolutroµsis lays stress upon the actual deliverance. The two sides of redemption should be kept distinct. The purchase price was the blood of Christ. The full redemption is the deliverance accomplished. Here both price and redemption are in view.

3:25   whom God set forth—Protitheµmi may mean either “to determine,” to “purpose” or “to set forth,” so as to be manifest. Either sense would convey a scriptural view here, but the context bears out the latter meaning. The verb is in the middle voice, which lays stress upon the personal interest which God had in doing what is said, as predetermined in His eternal purpose. The aorist tense indicates the definiteness of the act in the past.

to be a propitiation,—Hilasteµrion here signifies an expiatory sacrifice. The word is used elsewhere in the New Testament only in Hebrews 9:5, where it denotes the mercy seat. The lid of the ark in the Holy of Holies was sprinkled with the blood of the expiatory victim on the Day of Atonement, the significance being that the life of the victim, not chargeable with the sin of the offerer, was presented to God, and that on the ground of this offering God provided a means of the acceptance of the people in His sight and on that account passed over their sins.

The corresponding Hebrew word primarily signifies “a covering” (cp. Ps. 32:1). Here the word is not simply antitypical, but stands directly for Christ as Himself the propitiatory sacrifice, Christ being, in His sacrifice on the cross, the means divinely appointed for the gratuitous justification of the sinner consistently with God’s justice.

through faith, by His blood,—These words are to be taken with “propitiation.” The commas which precede and follow “through faith” are important. The rendering “faith in His blood” is incorrect. Faith is never said to be in the blood. Faith is imposed in a living person. Faith is the means of making the pardon ours; the blood is the means of its effect. The preposition en of the original is instrumental. The phrase “by His blood” expresses the means of propitiation. The blood of Christ stands not simply for the physical element, nor merely for a life surrendered, but for His sacrificial death under the judgment of God by means of the shedding of His blood. Since blood is essential to life (Lev. 17:11), the shedding of blood involves the taking, or in His case the giving up, of life in sacrifice. It is not merely that death takes place, but it is the giving up of a life as a victim or sacrifice in expiation of sin. This was the significance of the sacrifice of victims under the old covenant.

“The fundamental principle on which God deals with sinners is expressed in the words ‘apart from shedding of blood,’ i.e., unless a death takes place, ‘there is no remission’ of sins (Heb. 9:22). But whereas the essential of the type lay in the fact that blood was shed, the essential of the antitype lies in this, that the blood shed was the blood of Christ. Hence, in connection with the Jewish sacrifices, ‘the blood’ is mentioned without reference to the victim from which it flowed, but in connection with the great antitypical sacrifice of the New Testament the words ‘the blood’ never stand alone; the One who shed the blood is invariably specified, for it is the person that gives value to the work; the saving efficacy of the death depends entirely upon the fact that He who died was the Son of God” (Notes on Thessalonians, by Hogg and Vine, Vol. 3).

to shew His righteousness,—This is explained in verse 26. Now He makes known to all that He was righteous in doing what He did in view of the work of Christ. This was not clearly manifested before.

because of the passing over of the sins done aforetime,—The word paresis, “passing over,” is used here only in the New Testament. It signifies, not the remission of sins, but the withholding of punishment. It is somewhat distinct from aphesis, “remission.” Those who sinned in the period from the Fall to the Cross could receive mercy from God only prospectively, in view of the sacrifice of Christ. Through the Cross it is seen that God was righteous in His forbearance, but until the Cross this was not demonstrated.

in the forbearance of God;—i.e., a temporary suspension of God’s retributive dealings (see 2:4).

3:26   for the shewing, I say, of His righteousness at this present season;—The original has a change of preposition from eis in verse 25 to pros here. In the former case we might render “for an exhibition,” and here “with a view to an exhibition.” We should probably take this phrase at the beginning of verse 26 in immediate connection with the end of verse 25. Thus the phrase “for the shewing of His righteousness” is not a mere repetition of what is said in the first part of verse 25, for the phrase “at this present season” stands in contrast to “aforetime” in the preceding verse.

that He might Himself be just, and the justifier—This explains what has just been said about the exhibition of God’s righteousness as the design for which He set forth Christ Jesus to be a propitiation, and as the reason of His forbearance. The two words “just” and “Justifier” express, first, the character of God as judge, and then the pronouncement of His sentence consistently with His character as judge. Stress is laid upon His character by the word “Himself.” The word “and” should not be taken to mean “and yet,” as if the two thoughts of the righteousness of God and His act in justifying were set in contrast. Instead, what is set forth is that His act is consistent with His character. No act more fully displays His righteousness than His justification of the believing sinner. Again, we cannot take the word to mean “and therefore.” There is no reason to insert any other word. God’s righteousness in providing a propitiation, and His justification of the believing sinner, are shown to be perfectly harmonious. Without the death of Christ justification would have been unjust and impossible; for to justify sinners is forbidden in the Law (Deut. 25:1). On the basis of His death, that is both possible and consistent with the attributes of God.

of him that hath faith in Jesus.—Literally, “of the one [who is] of faith in Jesus,” that is to say, every one who is characterized by faith, whose character is formed by faith in Him. (W. E. Vines Commentary, Romans 3:21-26)

• The righteous will live by faith (Hab. 2:4; Romans 1:17)

In the New Testament, Paul picked up on the idea of the just living by faith (Rom. 1:17; Gal. 3:10–12). Because of the coming of Christ, he was able to deepen the understanding of this phrase. “Living by faith” does not mean outward observance of the Law, as many of the Jewish leaders of his day had come to assume. Rather, it involves a heart commitment to the Lord and a recognition that Christ alone is able to make one righteous before God. This does not take away the need for “faithful,” godly living; if anything, it establishes a proper basis for it. (Warren Wiersebe, Word In Life Study Bible Notes, Habakkuk 2:4)

• Those who are in Christ have the Assurance of Salvation                          (Romans 8:1 & 35-39)

8:35   Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?—That would be the work of the executioner (see v. 33). To be separated from the love of Christ is death. Death involves separation. The body apart from the spirit is dead. The believer, separated from the love of Christ would be spiritually dead. But this is impossible, according to His own statement in John 10:28, 29. There is stress on the word “us.”

Earlier in the Epistle the apostle mentions the love of God (5:5, 8), as he does here again in verse 39, a proof that the love of God is the love of Christ and an intimation of the essential oneness of the Father and the Son and so of the deity of Christ. So believers are said to be beloved of God (1 Thess. 1:4) and beloved of the Lord (2 Thess. 2:13). See also 2 Corinthians 5:14 and Ephesians 3:19.

shall tribulation,—See 2:9; 5:3.

or anguish,—See 2:9.

or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?—These complete a sevenfold series of adversaries, all of which were experienced by the apostle, and which in one respect or another have been the common lot of believers. They are in various ways the instruments of devilish and human hatred, but cannot interrupt the love of Christ toward us.

8:36   Even as it is written, For Thy sake we are killed all the day long; we were accounted as sheep for the slaughter.—The quotation is from the Septuagint of Psalm 44:22. Here the note is one of triumph. Hence we have a striking example of the increased force and new character of many of the New Testament quotations from the Old. The difference is due to the death and resurrection of Christ. A new significance attaches to the words “for Thy sake.” There is no discrepancy between the Old and the New, but what the apostle is about to say shows by what means the opposition of adversaries is turned to a means of triumph. To suffer for Christ’s sake and so to enter into the fellowship of His sufferings, transmutes the affliction into joy and victory, enabling the suffering saint to glory in tribulation.

8:37   Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors—The word hupernikaoµ, literally, to be supervictorious, has no adequate English equivalent. It is used here only in the New Testament. Not only are our adversaries deprived of power to snap the tie of the love of Christ, but their opposition is turned to our account, enhancing the power of our victory through Christ. As Chrysostom says, “This is a new order of victory, to conquer by means of our adversary.”

through Him that loved us.—The aorist tense, while referring specially to the great expression of His love in that He died for us (see v. 34), also conveys the fact of His love as timeless and immutable.

8:38   For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life,—Death was the last item in the list in verse 35. The word is to be taken in its most comprehensive sense. Life is more dangerous for the believer than death.

nor angels, nor principalities,—This is the only place where principalities are mentioned in this Epistle. The two terms are used in a general sense, though the context obviously points to beings of a hostile character. Principalities are first in the lists in Ephesians 6:12, there indicating their superior order as spirit beings.

nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,—The word dunamis may here refer not merely to angelic powers but to human potentates, as in the case of its associated word exousia (see 13:1), though the latter also is used of angels. The difference between dunamis and exousia is that dunamis signifies power in general and exousia the ability to use it.

8:39   nor height, nor depth,—This refers to dimensions of space, just as “things present,” “things to come,” referred to matters of time. The words “height” and “depth” may here indicate heaven and earth (see also Is. 7:11).

nor any other creature,—The order in the r.v., which is undoubtedly correct, places the various objects in alternating groups, according as they are personal and impersonal, the word “creature” at the end comprehending all besides those mentioned. The arrangement accordingly is: (a) neither death nor life (impersonal); (b) nor angels nor principalities (personal); (a) nor things present nor things to come (impersonal); (b) nor powers (personal); (a) nor height nor depth (impersonal); (b) nor any other creature (personal).

shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.—This forms the crowning arch of the whole Epistle. The love of God has been brought before us, first in 5:5; and in its essential connection with Christ in 5:8; in 8:35 it was spoken of as the love of Christ. Here it is definitely stated to be resident in Him, with the suggestion that it operates through Him.

The whole of chapter eight contains the mention of particular details in chapters five and eight. They are as follows:

Peace with God (5:1 and 8:6); the hope of the glory of God (5:2 and 8:20, 21); patience (5:4 and 8:25); the love of God (5:5 and 8:28, 29); the death of Christ (5:6, 8, 10 and 8:32); righteousness in life in contrast to sin and death (5:12–21 and 8:24); walking in newness of life and walking after the Spirit (6:4 and 8:4); life unto God (6:6, 11, 13, 22 and 8:13); eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord and the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord (5:21 and 8:39). (W. E. Vines Commentary, Romans 8:35-39)