Vaiden Rochelle

Hi, Dr. Ralph, No,there is not place of independent freedom from "slavery" to sin or to Christ. "Imagine" is the old Beatles' song that wants us to imagine that there's no heaven or hell, just us. So many people are living that way, but they are ignorant to the fact that God created us for His pleasure, Rev. 4:11, and not for ourselves. Many people would like to have independent freedom because a lot of sin is fun, and no one wants to think that what they do is going to result in damning consequences. Many people just want to do what they want to do. Many of us hesitate to firmly take sides and make our allegiance clear to all because we don't want to be ridiculed, threatened, killed, or ostercized by our family or friends. However, we must choose to live our Christian life by actual actions in order to please God. That means we have to stand up for Him and witness to others as needed. We must do what He tells us to do and how He tells us to do it. There used to be a saying: If you are accused of being a Christian, will there be enough evidence to convict you? It's still a good one.

Hi, Dr. Ralph, The teaching that we should be avoiding are those that are contrary to God's Word. Unfortunately, occassionally, not everything being preached from the pulpit and in other Christian settings line up with the Bible. Therefore, we should pray for a discerning spirit, and ask God for the help of the Holy Spirit to give us guidance in our daily walk.

Hi, Dr. Ralph, Slaves have no choice other than to be obedient or face the consequences. Paul said that if people choose to be obedient to sin, the consequences are death. If people choose to obey God, they will have eternal life with Him. It's our choice. By doing acts of righteousness, we are showing our love for God. We do whatever He wants and needs us to do because we love Him. Paul did everything for God out of love and therefore considered himself a slave of love for Him. Living a life of sin is slavery to sin and sinners will ultimately experience damnation. The only way to break free of a life of sinful bondage is for one to realize that he or she is without God, is a sinner, and needs to repent of their sins. Also, he or she must confess that Jesus is God's only Son, and that he or she wants Him in their heart and life. Also, the person must want to live his or her life for Him. A fresh obedience in my life means that I must daily listen to His voice and act upon what He says. Also, I must have a willing heart to want to listen to Him.

Hi, Dr. Ralph, One of the way I offer the members of my body to God is to think the thoughts that focus on good and not evil things. Therefore, I choose not to steal, not to curse, not to go places where I shouldn't, such as to bars, or to see things that I shouldn't. It all starts within the heart. If we keep a clean heart and praise God with our inner most being, we are beginning to do what He wants us to do.

Hi, Dr. Ralph, When we obey God and follow His teachings, we are turning our backs on sin. However, we must keep in mind that sin still exists, and if we begin to not follow God, then we are trapped in sin once more. Therefore, we must not choose to sin any longer.

Hi, Pastor Ralph, Part 3, Q5. (Romans 6:11) "To count" means to believe that we are dead to sin. In other words, we should not want any part of sin. This means that we believe that Jesus forgave us of our sins, He died for us, and we believe this. Therefore, we are willing to live our lives for Him. Since we are willing to live this way, we are dead to sin. No, we are not convincing ourselves of something that isn't true. It is true! Therefore, the effect this has on our lives is one of joy. No longer are we on the way to hell but instead we are going to live forever in heaven. Also, as we live, our lives will be full of peace that only God can give. We also have a new reason for living and that is to win souls for Christ.

Hi, Dr. Ralph, This is a challenging question! Paul is referring to both. Paul wants us to realize that we need to die to sin and tbe desire to sin. Then, our sins must be buried, or forgiven as the actual immersion symbolizes. The death Paul is talking about is Jesus's death on Calvary and also the death to our sins and to the self who wants to sin. This death becomes our own by us living the kind of Christian life Jesus wants and needs us to live. None of this is nonsense but reality. Conducting the way we live our lives is proof that all of this is real.

Hi, Dr. Ralph, In Romans 6:3-4, Paul is refering to buried as meaning that our sins are being forgiven. In Romans 6:4b, he means that we are looking forward to living a new life without sin when we come up out of the water.

Hi, Dr. Ralph, Being physically baptised and the act of consciously accepting Christ as God's son as our Lord and Savior illustrates John 15. Baptism with Christ shows that we are His, and He is living within us because He loves us. We have made a decision to stop sinning and to live our lives as Jesus would have us to live. Baptism symbolizes our union with Christ in a few ways. When entering into water immersion, the act of being lowered into the water indicates that we are leaving our sin and the desire to sin behind. The act of being in the water symbolizes our sins being forgiven, and the coming out of the water demonstrates that we are now entering into a new life. Thinking about this, I wonder what all John the Baptist told the believers who were baptised before he baptised them. This would be interesting to know.

Hi, Dr. Ralph, Since Adam was God's first human creation, all of Adam's offspring imitate him. For example, all of us humans reflect Adam physically, mentally, and emotionally. If he had remained without sinning, we wouldn't have sin in our lives either. The sin element therefore was passed down throughout the generations just like anything else we inherent. Christ loves us all and is righteous. Because He loves us, He alone saves us from sin, and He saves us from eternal hell if we confess that He is God's son and ask for forgiveness of our sins. This won't happen if Christ is not our "representative".

Hi, Dr. Ralph, In Romans 5:13 and 20 Paul is saying that there is sin without the law because sin entered into Adam and consequently the human race. God just hadn't given the law to the people until yet, so He didn't judge them guilty of death until He did give them the law. The "trespass increases" when the law is present because God gave Moses the Ten Commandments. With these Commandments, we are all aware of what to avoid doing, and we will be held accountable for breaking them unless we confess our sin and ask for forgiveness with a sincere heart.

Hi, Dr. Ralph, It's sad, but I immediately think of the suicide terrorists when I think of someone acting for the whole group. Possibly an elected official will act for the whole group, too. The members of the group are usually tied to this person through shared beliefs.

Hi, Pastor Ralph, Reconcililation means to restore broked or destroyed pieces to create a whole piece. We need reconciliation with God because we are God's creation, and are meant to be like Him. Through Adam's sin, all of us are flawed or have a sin nature. God is pure and Holy. In order to be like we were meant to be before Adam's sin, we need to be reconciled with God thereby creating a oneness with God. With reconciliation with God, we also are sons and daughters of God and are going to enjoy heaven and all that God has for us. Without reconciliation, people are doomed to hell for eternity. Jesus is doing so much for us in the present. He has made a way for us to ". . .have life more abundantly." John 10:10. Jesus still makes a way for us during difficult times when there doesn't seem to be a way. He takes care of us in all situations, physical ones, spiritual ones, and emotional ones. Thank you, Jesus!

Hi, Pastor Ralph, It is so important to embrace the truth that Christ died for the ungodly because all of us must realize that we ourselves cannot save ourselves from hell. We are helpless against death. Christ made the way for all of us to live in heaven with Him. Of course, it's up to us to choose to confess Him as God's only begotten son, and live our lives as He needs us to do. It's also important to embrace the truth that Christ died for sinners because God loved the whole world, and Jesus was willing to carry out God's plan in order that none of us should perish. According to 5:8, Christ died for wus at our worst. We were sinners. Jesus loved us (and He still does!)so much that He willingly went to the cross in our place. Even when we mess up, if we ask for His forgiveness, He is willing to forgive us because He loves us. Nothing can separate us from His love. Also, He has prepared a place for us in heaven to be with us. There is nothing that is too bad for Him to forgive us for if we admit our sins and ask forgiveness.

Hi, Pastor Ralph, We should rejoice in our sufferings and tribulations because we know that they teach us to learn to be patient. I have also learned more about God during these times. He never has left me, and He has always helped me through the situations. Trials also have taught me that He is patient with me, too, and for that I'm very thankful. Perseverance is important to our lives because we cannot afford to give up. The Apostle Paul tells us not to give up the good fight. We must keep living our lives for Jesus, not only for ourselves but to help others to want to be saved and live for God, too. Perseverance also helps us build character. We are not quitters. We must not give up when trials and problems confront us. It's during those times of temptation that we need to pray for God to strengthen us and guide us into what He wants us to do. He will, too. Tried character is something that happens when I have successfully gone through trials. Every time I experience a trial or problem, I immediately pray about it, and I never stop until the situation is over. For example, with a "tried character" I have learned more about God. He has promised that He would never leave nor forsake me, so I have learned to believe Him. I also know now that as soon as I face a trial or problem, I need to pray and trust God in all things. I already know that God has made good plans for me. The outcome is good! I agree with David A on Dec. 6 who wrote that it shows others that God is with me. This is a good question because I know more about faith than hope. Thinking about that, I find that interesting. However, I will try to answer it. It is important to have hope because we look forward to going to heaven and being with Jesus.

Hi Everyone! Belief is the relationshipe between faith and justification. Since Abraham loved God, he chose to believe Him. We all need to do the same. Justification through Christ means I accept by faith that God has forgiven me of my sins, and He remembers them no more. I have heard it said that "Justify can be thought of as 'Just as if I had never sinned.'"

Hi, My name is Lynda. I'm originally from IN, but have been living in TN for the last twelve years. I have a wonderful husband, two grown sons, and four grandchildren. I've been a Christian for many years, love God, and love animals. I am looking forward to learning a lot from this study in Romans. It's good to meet you all. Lynda