--- Dr. Mike Bagwell

LESSON 5:

Several years ago the Holy Spirit "branded" part of this verse into my heart! One verb, in particular.

"And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost Which is given unto us!" Romans 5:5

Truly this verse is a sermon in itself!

It's likely that most men of God, at least those who faithfully labor in the Word, could preach it an hour or more without hesitation.

If you remember "hope" is "elpis" in Greek and is associated with "expectation." Paul once, in Hebrews 10:23, makes "elpis" say "faith!"  That is how very close the two words live!

This Bible "hope" is not a "cross your fingers" type of thing either, or a "rabbit's foot in the pocket" situation! It has nothing to do with a "four leaf clover" or "fate" or "luck" or any other worldly term. This hope is confidence and anticipation based on the sure Word of God!

God said it! He never fails! It's on the way! Get ready!

Now there's hope in action!

The verb "maketh ashamed," with the "not" in the middle of it, translates "kataischuno" and means "to dishonor or to disgrace" someone! It also can carry the idea of blushing! Being confounded!

And the "not" is "ou" in Greek and means a strong "no," more than likely when a "yes" might have been expected!

The world today, for example the educators and lawmakers and broadcasters and writers and most everybody else are just "sure" that Christianity is going to wither and die, ending in shame and embarrassment for us Believers!

They're wrong!

We shall NOT be ashamed!

Our hope, our faith, our expectation, our trust is in God, Almighty God; Creator and Redeemer!

He never fails!

Now watch what Paul says next!

He presents something the Holy Spirit does. This is the Holy Spirit Who has been "given" to us who are saved, who are in Christ Jesus. "Didomai" means "to grant or to deliver or to bestow," all of one's own accord! Without coercion! This term here is an aorist participle in the passive voice! The "giving" portrayed here, that very act ... holy as it is, was a benefit completed in the past! And it was done to us by Another!

The preposition "unto" is supplied by the case of its object, "us." Yes, a dative noun or pronoun usually answers one of these questions; to whom or for whom? I mean in reference to the nearby verb.

The Holy Spirit is given "to" us and "for" us, praise the Lord!

But what does the Holy Spirit specifically do? That makes us not ashamed? That emboldens our hope?

He supplies a generous dose of "the love of God" to each Christian He indwells! "Agape Theos" is used here. Not what is generally considered generic or lower forms of love, certainly not "eros," but also not "philos" or even "storge" either! Agape, unselfish love and giving love and dying-for-its-object love, is the divinely chosen noun! No other would have done. For a description of this agape love, read carefully 1 Corinthians 13:1-8.

Now, does this "love of God" mean our love to God or God's love to us? In other words is it objective or Subjective?

Because "Theos" is genitive, it is referring to God's Love to us! God "possesses," the genitive case tells us, that love in the first place! He, by Grace, bestows it upon us!

The Holy Spirit sensitizes us to the fact that God loves us so!

Also "the love of God" defines the type, the character of the love being discussed. This IS love that never quits! That is mellow and kind! That is not hot-headed! That does not "show off!" That never gets overloaded! That never believes a lie! That is perfect and complete and so unselfish it will die for its object, its lover!

Amazing love!

Unconditional love!

God's love!

That love is "shed abroad" in our hearts!

The Holy Spirit does so!

This verb, "ekcheo," picturesquely means "to pour out" or "to distribute magnanimously" or even once "to gush out" all over the Believer. Well, better yet, filling our hearts to the brim! Maybe even overflowing some!

In Acts 10:45, using this same verb in this same form, the Holy Spirit Himself is "poured out" on us Gentiles! "Epi" being the preposition of God's choice in this case!

In Matthew 9:17, "ekcheo" is what happened when a wine bottle is broken and the juice spills everywhere!

In Matthew 26:28 it is what Jesus did with His Blood on the Cross! He poured it out for sinners!

It's what Jesus did to the moneychangers' currency and coins as He cleansed the Temple in John 2:15!

It's what happened to the traitor Judas' intestines when he committed suicide according to Acts 1:18 also, "gushed out!"

In Titus 3:5-6 a new adverb is used to depict the Holy Spirit's being so "poured out" on the people of God, Who is "shed" abundantly upon us! "Plusios" means richly! Amazing!

Then lastly, in Revelation 16, the King of all the "pouring out" chapters of Scripture, nine times "ekcheo" is used! Seven vials or bowls or saucers of Wrath are unleashed on earth! Tribulation! Great Tribulation!

What power rests within this one verse of Scripture!

Even more so than in any nuclear reactor on earth! Enough power to make the man of God "perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works!" Power that is "profitable" for sure, spiritually so!

Amen!

How very loving we Christians should be!

In fact, how potentially loving we already are ... via this single Action of the Holy Spirit!

God's love is stored in our hearts!

A veritable reservoir!

"And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost Which is given unto us!" Romans 5:5 

                                                                                  --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

LESSON 6:

Some Bible Verses are just classics!

They just are not easily forgotten!

Today's Text is such a one.

"For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly." Romans 5:6

The sentence, inspired of God word for word, nearly stands alone! It's basic "linkage" to the context in which it is found is this. Paul is arguing from the greater to the lesser point concerning God's great Plan of Salvation.

If Jesus died for us ... will He not also live for us? He is alive you know, resurrected from the grave!

As great as the Truths that Jesus went "to the Cross" and lay "in the Grave" then, being raised bodily, came "out of the Tomb" ... equally great is the Fact that our Lord now is High Priest, interceding "at the Right Hand" of our Father in Heaven, on our behalf!

The foregoing conclusion is Paul's goal in these first eleven verses of Romans chapter five. He is sharing with us the benefits of justification!

Now, back to verse six.

Paul, using the personal pronoun "we" ... in Greek "ego" when nominative, includes himself in this crowd! Paul as a sinner! In fact we all were sinners before being saved by God's marvelous Grace!

The state-of-being verb here is "were," to Paul "eimi," and means "to be, to exist, to happen or to live." It is a present participle, indicating on-going durative action. We kept on being weak and sinful ... until Jesus saved us.

"Without strength" is a single expression and is spelled "asthenes." Probably the root of our word here is taken from "histemi," meaning "to stand." The prefix "a" negates that definition. So weak I could not even stand! Spiritually impotent. In another place Paul goes further and declares us not only strength-less but dead!

"Due time" suggests that God operates according to a Schedule, His Schedule!

Jesus was born "in the fulness of time" according to Galatians 4:4.

Now He has died "in due time!"

And I'll guarantee you He is coming again at "the appointed time!"

"Kairos," the word for "due time," means not simply minutes or hours ... but time as a window of opportunity! At the right season. Not too early, not a second late ... right on schedule Jesus died for us sinners! The Book of Daniel actually prophesies the time of Jesus' Death! See Daniel 9:24 and its surrounding context.

Paul here calls Jesus the "Christ." In what is one of thousands of Bible "transliterations," not merely "translations" mind you, the Bible takes the Greek Title "Christos" and imports it into English. It means the Anointed One! The Messiah, according to its Hebrew equivalent. Jesus is God's Son, upon Whom The Holy Spirit, God's "Oil," has been poured without measure!

This Messiahship qualifies Jesus to be a Prophet, a Priest and a King! All three of which He is!

Here in Romans 5:6 Jesus "died!" The verb "apothnesko" means literally "to die off." We must say that due to the prefix attached, "apo." Often the precise word for dying here implies a violent death, one with much suffering and agony included. Jesus indeed endured such, both physically and spiritually! But, wonderfully so, "apothnesko" is in the aorist "tense" here! It depicts action that is completed, punctiliar, not to be repeated!

But of all deaths having ever occurred in history, Jesus' Death is different!

He died vicariously, in the place of others!

"For the ungodly" says Paul.

The preposition is "huper" and means "on behalf of!" Or "in the stead of!" Since its object is a Genitive case noun, it can also bear these meanings: "concerning" or "about." Here is substitutionary Atonement!

The "ungodly," which included each of us from birth to the point of our salvation, means those who are lacking reverence toward God. Those not willing to adore or worship the Lord! This word addresses not necessarily our former deeds and actions and habits, but our attitudes! Our rebellion, our failure to submit to Almighty God! "Asebes" wrote Paul, a Greek word occurring as an adjective only nine times in the whole New Testament.

Jesus loved me when I was so unlovely!

And at God's appointed Time, the greatest Day of all history, our Lord died to save our souls!

Praise His Good Name!

Worship Him today!

                                                                                    --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

LESSON 7:

It is amazing to follow the mind of Paul, his thinking!

Of course when Scripture is involved, the miracle of Inspiration is in effect and really God is the Thinker!

Still Romans 5:7-8 ranks among the greatest pieces of prose ever written. Even consisting of only two verses, four brief sentences!

“For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commended His Love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

Let’s examine this beautiful sequence of thoughts.

The adverb “scarcely” translates “molis” in Greek and means “with much work!” Or “with difficulty, not easily.” Then it came to mean something like “very rarely.” In Greek “mogos” means “toil.” It is believed these two words are related. The term appears only six times in the New Testament.

The “righteous” man (“dikaios”) is the “justified” man (“dikaioo”), using the vocabulary of Romans chapter five, of the whole New Testament in fact. Yet the truth remains. It is both difficult and unusual for anyone to literally die for another, even another good person!

“Peradventure” is another adverb. “Tacha” initially means quickly, hastily or even shortly. It could here have the idea of “spur of the moment” also.

“Good,” the adjective describing this blessed man, is “agathos” and means beneficial in character, morally honorable! This is a “goodness” that spreads and impacts others too! It is not dormant. The idea here is that this “good” man, fine as he is, does not even compare to the “righteous” man just discussed.   Yet there are people who would die even for him! The verb “dare” is “tolmao” and means without dread or fear! Boldly!

Then comes the most amazing statement of all!

“Sinners,” in Greek “hamartolos,” means those who have missed God’s mark, fallen short of His Glory, rebelled against His Name!

“Yet” is “eti” and means “still or further!”

“We” is a genitive plural of “ego” and includes Paul quite obviously. In fact, it includes all of us.

Christ, the Anointed One of God, died “for” us. This preposition, “huper,” has been used through both of today’s verses. It means “in the place of” or “in the stead of” another!

A man dying as a substitute for someone else!

Jesus dying “for” us is defined as Substitutionary Atonement. Jesus laid down His Life vicariously … in our stead!

Let me mention that “died” is naturally an aorist verb, its action having been completed … not to be repeated!  It, “apothnesko,” also can refer to a violent death, with much suffering and bloodshed.

But what is the basis of this Death?

This apex of human experience?

God’s Love!

His “agape” Love!

His unselfish Love!

His characteristic Love!

The Lord “commended” His Love toward us … best illustrated at Calvary! The verb here is “sunistao” and means “to stand with” someone! This “standing with” eventually indicates approval or commendation also!

The preposition “toward” is “eis” in Greek. With the accusative case, as here, it means “at, on, among, near or into!” It is amazing what doctrinal implications a single preposition can have … in Holy Scripture anyway.

Now, look back across the landscape!

Three kinds of men.

The righteous man.

The good man.

And even the sinner man!

And God, through His Son, died for the worst of all!

That’s why it is called Amazing Grace!

                                                                                 --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

LESSON 8:

Verse nine adds a thrilling truth, even if a bit complex in structure.

"Much more then, being now justified by His Blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him." Romans 5:9

Paul, in the previous verse, has just called us all sinners! "While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us!"

As sinners, we are under the threat of God's Wrath, His Holy Anger at sin! John 3:36 reminds us: "He that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." And John 3:18 concurs: "He that believeth not is condemned already."

But Paul is teaching us today that justification, that state of being made right with God, also delivers us or removes us or frees us from His Wrath!

In other words, if God can bend so low as to die for such as you and me, or even the "chief of sinners" as Paul called himself ... if God can so suffer for filthy rebels like us ... "much more then" ... He can "save" us from wrath!

This opening adverbial phrase is spelled like this, "polus oun mallon." Therefore more greatly! So many more times! Then greatly better! All these are loose definitions of our term.

If God did such a great thing as to die in our stead ... He will certainly do such a thing as deliver us from the coming Wrath! One would not be angry at the object for which he died!

Here's "justified" again! This time our basic verb "dikaioo" is expressed as an aorist passive participle. This being made right with God, blameless of any guilt or even of any tinge of sin, has occurred in the past and is a completed transaction! Furthermore I did not achieve such a thing for myself. It was done for me, by the Lord! I am a passive participant. I merely believed! And, as a participle, the word is describing a noun or pronoun in the Verse, someone who once was a sinner! "We" who know Jesus have been so justified!

How?

"By His Blood!"

This preposition is spelled "en" in Greek. It can, with the dative case as here, mean "with" or "into" or "before" ... as well as "by." Obviously the Blood is the Agent through which we are justified! The Blood of God the Son!

And the noun "blood," in Greek "haima," is found 99 times in the New Testament. Every one of those nearly one hundred times it is translated "blood" in the King James Text.

We are justified by Jesus' Blood!

Not His symbolical Blood!

Not His representative Blood!

Not His Blood spiritually!

Not merely His Death!

BY HIS BLOOD!

Literally.

Then, and as a result of such justification, we also "shall be saved from wrath through Him."

"Saved" here, "sozo," is built as a future indicative passive verb. Technically this particular aspect of God's Wrath is yet to come! Maybe it is a reference to the Tribulation! Or to Hell itself! Likely it also includes the forensic judicial wrath of God the Judge Who will sentence the Lost to eternity in Hell! A "Great White Throne" kind of Judgment!

Whatever, we are delivered from it!

God, Who is "angry with the wicked every day," is NOT angry at those who have been justified! See Psalm 7:11.

"Sozo" means delivered or rescued here.

"From" wrath translates "apo," away from, separated from, distanced from! Forty-eight times in Scripture it is rendered as "out of" also!

Lastly, "wrath" is "orge" and implies violent passionate anger! It is derived from a verb stem that means "to stretch out" for something or someone, seeking to seize them! "Orge" also is said to represent a settled and abiding and here holy anger! Often one that seeks revenge, the Judgment of God Almighty!

Justified by the Blood!

Now also, saved "through" Him, Jesus!

This preposition is "dia," and with the accusative case means "because of" or "on account of" or even "for the sake of!" It also is worded as "through" 88 times in the King James Text. All these meanings are relatively equivalent. Each just adds a little further nuance to the picture.

This is a fundamental verse of Scripture. Get familiar with it please. "Much more then, being now justified by His Blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him." Romans 5:9

One more "time" thought.

NOW we are justified!

SOON, when God's Wrath falls, we shall even be delivered from that too!

Sounds like justification is the Gift that just keeps on giving!

Praise the Lord!

                                                                          --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

LESSON 9:

Twice the word surfaces in our Text!

"Reconciled!"

To read the Apostle Paul is to have a course in Christian Vocabulary!

"For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the Death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His Life." Romans 5:10

Every man and woman who is now saved, in his or her past, prior to salvation, was an "enemy" to God!

Yes, Paul includes all us Believers when he says "we."

The noun "enemy" is "echthros" and means those who hate you, are hostile toward you or your cause!

But look what happened to us "enemies."

We "were reconciled" to God!

This key verb, "katallasso," literally means "to exchange," as when one trades his money for an item of value, like a car or a meal.  The suffix to our verb is "allos" in Greek, meaning simply "another" one, or a "different" one ... unlike in kind! The prefix "kata" just intensifies whatever meaning exists in the stem.

This "reconciliation" surely is another blessing flowing from the vast reservoir of God's gift of "justification." Because we have been declared clean and pure, the record of our sin having been purged,  God can do some "exchanging" in our lives!

Salvation affords us: life instead of death! Holiness instead of iniquity! Heaven instead of Hell! Jesus instead of the devil! Joy rather than horror! Peace rather than turmoil!

This "katallasso" action, effected upon us when we believed, was then done once and for all and was done for us by the Lord, not as a result of our own ability or works! I'm saying the verb is an aorist passive.

"To" God we have been reconciled. The preposition is expressed by the dative case of its Object here, the Lord Himself. We have been reconciled ... "to" God's Glory or "for" God's Pleasure! 

Then comes the means of our reconciliation. "By the death of His Son" we are told. "By" translates "dia" and means "through" or "by means of!" Notice here Christ Jesus is given the accurate Title of God's Son! He is indeed!

"Death" is a genitive masculine singular of "thanatos." It is speaking of the Lord's vicarious atonement on Calvary, where He shed His precious Blood for the lost.

How blessed we are in Christ Jesus!

Justified!

Reconciled!

But something else says Paul, additionally!

And this fact is "much more" an issue to the Apostle, hence to us. An adverbial phrase, "polus mallon," means things like: many more times, to an even larger degree or even greater and better.

Perhaps Paul is again reasoning from the greater issue to a smaller one. If Jesus DIED for us ... the greatest gift one can give, His very Life, surely surely surely He will be delighted to LIVE for us as well!

Paul is not saying that Jesus' present Life is greater than His past Death. Without His shed Blood, all of us would be going to Hell!

Since the One Event, Calvary, has occurred ... the Other Event, Christ's High Priestly Ministry, will never cease occurring! Jesus "ever liveth" to make intercession for us says Hebrews 7:25.

"Much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His Life!"

That's Bible, word for word, Romans 5:10, second half of the verse!

"Saved" of course is "sozo." Delivered, rescued! If one is sick, sozo brings health! If one is lost it brings direction! If one is dying, it brings life! If one is at war, it brings victory! If one is in turmoil, it brings peace!

Again I say it. We are "saved" by Jesus' Death and precious Blood shed on the Cross.

Also we "shall be" saved by His Life! Here, specifically, "sozo" is a future "tense" indicative mood passive voice verb. We are going to be saved from some things ... by Jesus very Life!

Jesus is alive, He can pray for me today, all day long!

Jesus is alive, He can refute the devil's accusations hurled toward me later today! Jesus is our Advocate, our Lawyer, you know!

Jesus is alive, He can encourage me with His Presence, today and tomorrow and eternally so! He said He would never leave me nor forsake me!

Jesus is alive, He can come back to get me ... right on time! "The Lord Himself" will handle this job! The Rapture!

Jesus is alive, He will defeat the devil and cast him into eternal torment one of these days!

Jesus is alive, I can fellowship with Him every minute of today, every minute of my life, every _______ of eternity! I do not know how eternity will be measured you see!

Jesus' present Life, unending as It is, affords me many many many blessings and side-effects and by-products and tokens of Grace and smiles from Heaven, God's very Countenance enlightening our way!

He is eternally alive!

Sitting by the Father's Right Hand!

Glorified and Honored!

Praying again and again John 17 or something like it, the High Priestly Prayer!

Brethren and Sisters, because of Him we are SAVED!

And will be so forevermore!

                                                                             --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

LESSON 10:

"The benefits of being saved," that's what we have called these past few lessons. Our Text has been Romans 5:1-11.

Yet, even in the final verse of the Paragraph, there are more blessings! Truly the Lord "daily loadeth us with benefits" as Psalm 68:19 declares.

Read with me: "And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom we now have received the Atonement." Romans 5:11

The opening phrase, "and not only so," is Paul's inspired way of saying "there's more!"

The word "also" suggests the same thought.

The saved man and woman can "joy" in God their Father!

This word is not the verb that indicates ecstasy or euphoria or a giddy happiness. In fact its idea is that of rejoicing "in" Someone!

"Kauchaomai" means literally "to brag or to boast!" To "glory" in Someone! Still in 5 of its 38 New Testament appearances it is rendered as "rejoice" 4 times or "joy" once.

As a middle voice verb "kauchaomai" impacts and changes the subject himself, the one who is boasting in his Lord!

"In" the Lord, "en" in Greek with a dative case Proper Noun, means "in, on, at, near, by or before" the Lord! What proximity!

We joy in the Lord through our Lord Jesus Christ! This preposition as used here can convey at least two meanings. "Dia" with the genitive case object suggests "by means of" primarily. Jesus may be leading the cheers for His Father! But it also can mean, at least secondarily, "with" Someone! Jesus boasting with us, giving praise to the Father!

Then, speaking of Jesus, He is the One "by Whom" we receive Atonement! Again "dia" is used with a genitive noun, "through" or "by" as a means of acquiring something.

Look!

In this verse alone!

"In God!"

"Through God!"

And "by God!"

This is Christ honoring Salvation!

"Atonement" is "katallage" and means "that which is exchanged!" In the New Testament "reconciliation" is one of its main ideas. When God saved me, I got life for death! Purity for sinfulness! Heaven for Hell! Jesus instead of Satan!

I, who had been so "far" from God, have not been made "near" Him! What an exchange!

The verb "received" is "lambano" and pictures "taking" something or "catching" it or "obtaining" it. It usually indicates acquiring this thing with great joy and eagerness too! Another aorist verb, the action is completed!

"Now," in Greek "nun," means presently!

Already atoned!

Right with God!

Such a Heavenly Father, Such a Saviour, Such an indwelling Spirit should be exalted!

Brag on Him all day!

Exalt His Name for ever!

Hallelujah!

                                                                              --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

CONCLUSION:

Jeremiah the Old Testament Prophet said that he found God's Words one day "and did eat them." He furthermore found therein "joy and rejoicing" in his heart! See Jeremiah 15:16.

I pray that you also are spiritually "hungry" today!

May today's Bible Lesson feed your souls!

Once a man or woman has been saved, washed in the Blood of the Lord Jesus, many other wonderful things begin to occur in his life.

Paul, in Romans 5:1-11, elaborates.

Because we are justified, we have peace with God! Not just the peace of God, mind you! Peace with Him, complete harmony! Largely this is so because of the state of justification in which we live. No longer at enmity with God! He is our Peace!

Justified!

Then we have "access" into God's Presence! Because we are justified! The word used here, "prosagoge," actually means going into the Throne Room and appearing before God's very Face!

Next there is joy, joy because of the hope we have in God!

Justification even gives us a new way of looking at trials and problems! We can now brag and boast and glory in our troubles and any heavy pressures that fall on us from time to time.

Our standing with God, Jesus being our Saviour, also produces, through trials perhaps, but still produces patience and experience and hope!

Soon thereafter any remaining shame is gone ... and boldness, yea assurance, takes its place!

Justification yields love too, love poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit Himself!

Then, as a side-effect you see, we shall be delivered from any future wrath! What security this affords!

Justification does much more than we would have ever thought!

Including reconciliation! God has swapped with us Life for death, Joy for sorrow, Victory for defeat, Heaven for hell!

Then Justification, itself given to us by faith in Jesus, brings about atonement in our lives. Look at the word: Atonement! At-one-ment!

One with God, no longer separated!

Think of all these things!

One miracle ... justification ... but many many many blessings from that One Fountain!

Praise the Lord!

Are you justified?

                                                                                  --- Dr. Mike Bagwell