Study the Bible in Two Years

Wednesday – Romans 9-11

1.  Chapter 9 is an involved discussion about who the true “Israel” is and how we came to be a part of it.  To get the main thoughts, answer the following questions:  Who are the true Israelites, according to 9:8?  How did we get to be a part of that, according to 9:16?  

2.  Read 10:8-13.  How are we saved?  Who is this for?  What does that lead us to do, 10:14-16?

3.  Look at 11:5-6.  Grace, we remember, is God’s undeserved love.  What does this passage say to those religions that require good works for salvation?  Why does a dependence on works for salvation destroy the meaning of God’s grace?

4.  If Israel was God’s original family tree, what are we as Gentile believers?  See 11:17.  That is why Paul can now say that all “Israel” will be saved, 11:26.  It is all based on what facts, according to the Old Testament passages Paul quotes in 11:26-27?

Study the Bible in Two Years

Tuesday – Romans 8

1.  Paul points out that the law could not save us because of what?  8:3.  How do we meet all of its requirements?   It’s all about Jesus!   How then shall we live?   See 8:9-11.

2.  Because of the Holy Spirit working in us, we are no longer slaves, but what?  8:14.  What can we now call the holy and almighty God?

 3.  Memorize 8:28, if you don’t know it already.  What precious promise does God make to his believers?  Why is this encouraging when we face difficulties in our lives?

4.  According to 8:32, how far is God willing to go to care for you?  Why is this passage so valuable when we face doubts about his love for us?

5.  Paul lists many of the enemies we face.  Because of Jesus, what does he call us in 8:37?    Why cannot we be defeated?  See the comforting answer in 8:38-39.

Study the Bible in Two Years

Monday – Romans 7

1.  Paul uses an illustration from marriage to show that you cannot marry another until the first spouse dies.  We were first “married” to the law, and need to be married to Christ.  But first, a death has to happen.  Who dies?  See 7:4.  If you’re not sure how this happened, then look back to 6:3.  What does that mean for our daily life?  See 7:6. 

2. Even though we need to be separated from the law, Paul points out that the law in and of itself is not bad, 7:7-13.   Why?  What does the law show us?  Why is it important that we are shown that? 

3.  In 7:15-24, Paul talks about the spiritual battle we all face: our sinful nature living in us versus our life of faith.  How have you felt that battle in your life today? 

 4.  In 7:24, after reflecting on all of his sins, Paul asks the question “Who will rescue me from this body of death?”  How does his answer encourage you in your ongoing spiritual battle?

Study the Bible in Two Years

Saturday, January 30 – Romans 6

1.   Paul explains that in our baptisms, two things happened:  We died and were buried with Christ and we rose to new life with Christ.    What does it mean to be buried with Christ?  See 6:5-7 for answers.

2.  What does it mean to be raised with Christ?  See 6:8-11 for answers.

3.  So what will we do with these facts?  See 6:12-14 for answers.

Study the Bible in Two Years

Friday, January 29 – Romans 5

1.  The TV evangelist says:  “If you believe in Jesus, he will deliver you from all afflictions and troubles.”  What does Paul say about that in 5:1-5?  

2.  Your friend says:  “What possible purpose could God have in letting me suffer like this?”  What answer could you give him from these first 5 verses?    

3.  In 5:12-19, Paul compares two men, one who brought death and the other who brought life.  Who are these two men?

Study the Bible in Two Years

Thursday – Romans 4

1.   Justification by faith alone was not a brand new concept, just a forgotten one.  In Romans

4:1-3, who is Paul’s example of justification by faith?   Where in Genesis was this taught? (see footnote)  

2.  A sign of being Jewish was circumcision.  Paul makes the point that Abraham was justified by faith before God gave circumcision.  So what does that make Abraham?  4:11,16.

2.  In Romans 4:18-25, Paul shows what Abraham’s faith was like.  What impossible thing did he believe?   What impossible thing do we believe?  (see 4:24)

Study the Bible in Two Years

Wednesday – Romans 3

1.  After condemning those who think they’re so great because they are of Jewish background (2:17-29), Paul shoots down arguments that say that God has no right to judge us, in 3:3-8. He makes his main point about the law in 3:9-12.   Why is this message rejected in today’s world?

2.   To sum up the law portion of his letter, Paul concludes with 3:20.  Now it’s time for the Gospel, 3:21-31.   In this classic discussion of justification, it is very important to understand that God must give us righteousness to be saved, because we cannot do it ourselves.  How can a person be right with God?  For whom has God done this?

3. With Christ’s righteousness, God justifies us, or declares us righteous, by his grace alone.  How do we receive it?  Find the key verse that is the classic statement of salvation by grace through faith and not by works.

Study the Bible in Two Years

Tuesday – Romans 1-2

1.  Read Romans 1:16-17.  Why need we not be ashamed of sharing our faith with others?  What wonderful news do we have to share?

2. In Romans 1:20, Paul says that unbelievers are without excuse when it comes to knowing that there is a supreme, powerful God.  How can they know this?   Who did they serve instead of the true God, 1:22-23?   Because of this, God “gave them over” to various blatant sins.  Note that Paul says this 3 times, 1:24,26,28.  Where do you see these sins defended in our world today?

3.  Before we pass judgment on people who do those things, what must we as believers watch out for?  See 2:3.  This is even worse for a Christian than for the unbeliever, because we are doing what, according to 2:4?

4.  How does Paul describe people of faith who will be saved, in 2:7?    How does he describe those who will be condemned, in 2:8?

Study the Bible in Two Years

Monday – Isaiah 65-66

1.   In Isaiah 65:1-7, the Lord is talking to a nation that was once faithful to him, but now they have abandoned him.  As you read this, apply what he says to our nation.  Yet note what he says in 65:8 for the faithful few.

2.  Isaiah 65:17-25 is the famous prophecy of the new heavens and earth.  What makes it difficult is that some things described here do not fit with our eternal home.  When Isaiah describes our heavenlyJerusalem, he uses pictures from an earthlyJerusalemto help people understand something beyond our comprehension.  As you read, ponder those things which do not entirely fit our heavenly home, and think about what the Lord is trying to tell us through that picture.

3.  The Lord has created and rules over all things, 66:1   He has no need for us to build him a house.   What pleases the Lord most? See 66:2

4.  Note the unusual picture that the Lord uses to describe the birth of his church, 66:7-11.  he picture of a woman being in labor. But the birth is miraculous. It happens even before the labor begins. The Lord is foretelling a time of miraculous birth,

5.  In Isaiah’s final paragraph, how does he describe eternal joys and eternal punishments? How does this motivate us to enlarge the church?

Study the Bible in Two Years

 

Saturday – Isaiah 63-64

 

Note:  If you are using “Today’s Light Bible,” we are also dividing Friday into two.  This part of Isaiah is too important to read through so quickly.  We’ll finish Isaiah on Monday.

 

1.  In Isaiah 63:1-6, watch the quotation marks carefully, because that is the Lord speaking. His vengeance onEdomis a small picture of his final judgment against the ungodly.

 

2.  The rest of Chapter 63 and 64 is Isaiah’s prayer.  Ponder especially 64:5-9.  How are we described in 64:6?

 

3.  What is the answer to Isaiah’s question in 64:5?  We cannot do this for ourselves, as the next verse shows.  When it comes to saving us, what are all our righteous deeds like?

 

4.  Note the famous picture in 64:8.  What does that mean to you?