You can Email Dr. White at:
hleewhite@gmail.com

Romans

Ready To Preach- 1:15-16

Paul is saying that: "I'm ready to preach the gospel.
I am ready to be the evangelos.
I am ready to tell you that we have won."
What a tremendous message from an imprisoned preacher sitting in a jail cell sent
to church people hiding out in caves and catacombs whose condition and disposition are
the very definition of doom and defeat.
What a tremendous message: "We have won!...

Thoroughly Confident - Romans 1:16

Let us say with Paul, "I am not ashamed of the gospel."
There are some reasons why we need never be ashamed of the Christian faith.
We need never to be ashamed of our Christian faith because of God's promises.
We can be proud of the Christian faith because it does not disappoint.
We are a suspicious people.
And, we have good reason to be because we are bombarded on every front
by promises which usually turn out to be disappointments. ...

Faith To Faith
Romans 1:16-17

The Wrath of God
Romans 1:18-32

Makes God Angry
Romans 1:24-25

What Happened To Sin?- 3:23

We live in a world that takes sin casually.
Even those who profess to be Christians are not very disturbed about their sins.
So, it is important to see what happened to sin.
It is important for us to see that it is still with us.
God hates sin, and God will punish it! ...

Your Account With God
Romans 4:3

Abounding Grace of God
Romans 5:1-2,8

Understanding Grace
Romans 6:14

Emotionally Damaged
Romans 6:26-27

Living In The Eight- 8:1

The eighth chapter of Romans has stamped its mark on the church down through the ages.
It follows the Christian from the moment the burden rolls off at the cross
until the moment he is called to go through the gates of heaven where
he will see Jesus face to face. ...

No Condemnation - 8:1

It is not possible to exaggerate the importance of the affirmation of Romans 8:1.
Here we are told most emphatically that there is now no condemnation to them
which are in Christ Jesus.
Oh, we should despise these awful guilt complexes which wreck Christians.
I say Christians, for the unconverted are not concerned about these matters. ...

In Jesus - New Life- 8:1-4

As all men are in Adam, all Christians are "in Christ."
In Adam is to have a sinful nature which leads to death.
In Christ is to have a new righteous nature which leads to life.
In Adam man broke God's law. In Jesus man obeyed God.
Man was lost because he is involved in Adam's transgression.
Man is saved who is involved in Christ's righteousness - by faith in His life, death,
and resurrection.
That is what it means to be in Christ. ...

Purpose Of The Law- 8:4

God put an end to the old order to the law of sin and death for those who are in Christ.
All the old is done away:
There is now no condemnation, no sin, no law, and no death to have power over him.
We have been received into a wholly new order who " walk not according to the flesh,
but according to the Spirit." ...

Two Results - Life Or Death- 8:5-8

To be carnally minded is death.
The state of a carnally-minded person is one of death.
Life for the one who is not a Christian is a living death.
They are spiritually dead.
There is no stronger term than "death."
You cannot say anything beyond saying that a person is dead.
It is not "almost dead"; he is actually dead. It is not "desperately ill";
it is dead. No life! ...

Indwelling Spirit Of Christ - 8:5-8

The indwelling is mentioned throughout the Scriptures and is expressed in a variety of figures.
Here it is that of a house or a temple.
The Spirit, being its owner and inhabitant, makes it a fit habitation for Himself.
He adorns it. He uses it for Himself.
Since God's Spirit is the absolute opposite of the old sin power, it is easy to tell who dwells
in the house of your heart.
Those who live in the flesh do not want to have the Spirit.
They do not belong to Him. ...

Man Cannot - God Can! - 8:9

In verse 7 we learn how miserable the state of man is by nature.
Man's wisdom and intelligence in his unconverted state are enmity against God so that
he cannot submit himself to God's law.
We learn that the ability both to will and to do anything must be from God.
"Neither indeed can be." (Verse 7)
All men in their natural state are the slaves of sin.
They may boast that they are free, but that is a delusion. ...

Sons Of God- 8:14

Paul's former exhortation to "walk after the Spirit" (8:12) is almost identical
with the current definition of those who are now "led by the Spirit."
But his thought moves forward as well, for now he turns from the concept of life
to that of sons.
Both are linked with the work of the Spirit, but a deeper level is plumbed;
the gift of life is seen as the proof of sonship, and such sonship goes to the heart
of God Himself.
The two leading ideas of God's Spirit and man's sonship are then interwoven
in a remarkable pattern: "...for as many...sons of God." (Verse 14) ...

Led By The Spirit- 8:14

It is necessary that believers be led by the Spirit of God, for the believer is a traveler
to the eternal world.
And in spiritual things, we are little children who need to be led because of our weaknesses.
Left to our own guidance we possess vast, uncontrollable powers of self destruction.
Without being led of the Spirit would be as though we had no one to guide us
through the wilderness.
It would be like being in a runaway plane without a pilot. ...

Two Spirits, Bondage And Adoption- 8:15

The spirit of bondage is unpardoned guilt which fills the mind with continual terrors.
(Job 15:20-24)
It is a habitual fear of death and the expectation of future punishment.
It is the knowledge of our inability to deliver ourselves out of this sad situation
- this spirit of bondage.
Those enslaved with the spirit of bondage have a dominating love of money, pleasure, and sin.
There are those who are enslaved who come to church regularly, utter prayers, sing songs,
and read the Bible.
These are bored by the worship and long for it to be over.
Why do they come at all? ...

Two Witnesses- 8:16

This very verse is the declaration of a personal function: the Spirit's witness.
In all the great experiences of life we need a voice other than our own to complete
the degree of satisfaction, which begins in our own conscious awareness.
In common affairs we may be strong enough without external encouragement;
but when life lunges into a crisis, we need something more.
There are times when we need to hear our own convictions reiterated by the voice of another.
Let that second witness be greater than ourselves, and His testimony will bring with it
the strength and comfort that we need.
He is wiser than men and at once we are filled with peace and joy unspeakable. ...

Back to Top

If Children, Then Heirs - 8:17

There is a vast difference between an earthly inheritance and a heavenly inheritance.
On earth the portion of the heir diminishes as the number of heirs increase.
In heaven it is the exact, extreme reverse.
Like Abraham, (Rom. 4:13) we are heirs of the promise.
We are heirs of the world that God has blessed and made good.
We are heirs of the eternal life of God Himself. ...

Not Worthy Of Comparison- 8:17

All the sufferings of this present time fade into nothingness when compared with the glory
to be revealed in us.
Paul would compress all the suffering of the world into a tiny spark,
while he expands its glory as the blaze of a burning forest or as a drop of water
into a mighty ocean.
So, Paul encourages us to endure afflictions because there is no comparison
between this present suffering and our future glory. ...

Firstfruits- 8:23

Paul borrowed the image of firstfruits from the ancient custom of a thank offering
at the time of harvest.
Used figuratively, the firstfruits; signify the assurance of much more to follow.
It is the first down payment which secures the rest of the payment in God's time.
The first portion of the harvest is regarded as a first installment and as a pledge
of the final delivery of the whole.
The Holy Spirit is regarded as an anticipation of final salvation, and has a pledge that we,
who have the Spirit shall receive the fullness of the glory of our Lord.
Possession of the Spirit is a great privilege, but that possession is not God's final gift
for which we, as Christians, still look forward to eagerly. ...

God's Way To Get Things Done- 8:25-32

We often pray for that which we think is obvious.
What we might see and think is not always what God thinks.
So, the Holy Spirit gently guides us in our prayers.
It is amazing when we are praying to discover the Holy Spirit guiding our prayer.
Not only does the Holy Spirit intercede for us, but He intervenes and sometimes,
even interrupts.
This miracle of prayer consummates with the purpose of our heavenly Father.
Praying is how to get things done.
It's not what we do, or how we prepare; it is prayer that is God's way
of getting things done. ...

Living With Our Limitations
Romans 8:26

Unutterable Groanings- 8:26

All praying is not formulated in words or is articulate in thought.
There are sighs that are too deep for words, just as there is sorrow that is too deep for tears.
True prayers may or may not find voice in words, even when it is most articulate.
It may have its root in desires that cannot be uttered.
But the Holy Spirit will impart a meaning to such desires which they would not have of themselves.
He will clothe them with a shape and value which is altogether beyond anything that
we could define. ...

What To Pray For?- 8:26-27

Even when Paul was writing these words, he knew that he did not know what he should pray for.
Why was he, and why are we so ignorant concerning prayer?
Essentially, it is because prayer is not the "miracle of miracles," which takes place
daily in pious souls.
It is because the motive of all prayer is not the striving after, and the strengthening
and the enhancing of a person's own life.
We are ignorant in prayer because even the most sincere and most powerful prayers serve
to reveal to us how little the person of prayer is able to escape from what
he, himself, has thought and experienced....

Searcher Of Hearts- 8:27a

The thought of the passage is therefore: As God searches the heart of His children,
He finds unuttered and unutterable groanings.
Though they are inarticulate, there is a meaning and content that does not escape
the omniscient eye of God.
They are wholly intelligible to Him.
Furthermore, they are found to be in accordance with His will.
Let us conclude by stating why this point is so useful and so precious to us.
It is useful because it brings us divine counsel.
Our hearts are searched by God and His Spirit makes us conscious of our sins, our needs,
and guides us. ...

Spirit's Intercession- 8:27

We are often selfish in our prayers concerning petitions and purposes, but God knows
the mind of the Spirit in this sense also.
So, here in this verse is added another great comfort and encouragement, which belongs
to us as God's children.
It is such a comfort that the Lord passes over that which is flesh in us, and looks only
at that which is Spirit.
There is no experience of life that we can rely on for divine aid with more confidence
than when we are praying in the Spirit, even when we feel too weak to pray.
We can be confident that we have a divine Intercessor, a Helper, a Comforter who is voicing
the longings for which we lack the ability or knowledge to express.
We have an advocate above, as well as an advocate within, and between these two advocates
there is no discord.
The Spirit's intercession is an effect of Christ's intercession and flows out of it. ...

Back to Top

Troubles Will Come!
Romans 8:28

We Know- 8:28

The words of this great verse ring out as the ultimate inference, which Paul drew
from all that he has said about the fact of trial and the triumph of faith.
Adversity may be real and profound, but God will bend it for our good.
This is the fact, which we must grasp with the strength of childlike simplicity, and be content.
God holds the key of all the unknown, and that should make our faith, glad.
There is much that we do not know, but this we know as a fact that admits no doubt:
our life is in the hands of God who will guide and control all its issues for His glory. ...

All Things- 8:28

People will sometimes agree that life as a whole is ruled by the will of God, but they shrink
from the thought that all things have a place in God's plan.
Paul was not hesitant to claim that nothing can take place, which does not fit with God's purpose
for His children.
Jesus asserted this to be true when He stated that even the sparrow does not fall to the ground
without His Father's knowledge.
The eye of God-given faith sees that there is room for all things in God's overruling wisdom. ...

Work Together- 8:28

"All things, work together" -- and they work, but not in an aimless manner.
The believer's history is not an aimless series of events, but all things form a perfect plan.
The believer's life, death, infancy, old age -- all enter into one grand purpose,
which God is causing to produce His spiritual benefit.
The working of God is made up of so many parts, it tends to baffle the mind
and the understanding of man.
Yet, all is clear to the eye of God, and all is under the sovereign hand of God. ...

The Called- 8:28

So another characteristic of the Christian is added -- not only do they love God,
but they also are "called according to His purpose."
The former is the effect and truth of the latter.
Those who are called according to His purpose are the same as those who love Him.
Christians are said to be called because God has called us to salvation, and has sent
into our heart such an influence, as to make the call effectual to our salvation.
In this way, our salvation is traced to its source -- God. ...

Back to Top

Predestination- 8:29

Predestination is the summary of the good news of Jesus Christ.
Predestination in the Bible is always good news.
Predestination to life and freedom is sheer grace.
In trying to understand predestination, we must focus our attention on the main part
of the word, "destination."
We know what is meant by the word, "destination."
It is "where we are coming out" -- the place or point to where we are going.
The word, "predestination," always points forward to the future.
Predestination is a word that belongs to every believer. ...

More Than Conquerors
Romans 8:35-37

No Separation
Romans 8:38-39

Purpose of the Potter
Romans 9:20-21

In The Hands of God  Romans 9:20-21

Something Beautiful  Romans 10:1-4

What God Wants- 12:1

It would be a tragedy to go through all of this worship and spend all of this time
and give all this money, and still not give back to God what He wants.
What a tragedy to discover after all the years of coming to church, singing in the choir,
serving on committees, meeting after meeting, and to discover that you still have not
given God what He wants.
The question is serious and tremendously important -- what does God want now?
Paul says it so clearly that it is impossible to mistake what God wants now.
Turn in your Bibles to Romans 12:1 -- this is what God wants: "I beseech you therefore,
brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice,
holy, acceptable unto God."
Did you hear what God wants? ...

Christians Are Different Romans 12:2

Every Gift Important- 12:5-6

You cannot determine your spiritual gift any more than where you were born
or the color of your eyes.
The Holy Spirit sovereignly distributes these gifts as He wills.
He knows what is best for the body.
Some Christians practice "cafeteria Christianity."
They think they can select their spiritual gifts just as they choose food in a cafeteria.
"I'd like the gift of tongues please, but I don't want to teach."
Or, "I'd take the gift of healing, but I don't want the gift of giving."
But the Holy Spirit knows what is best, and He gives the gifts accordingly.
We must never be jealous of another who has a different gift.
Paul said, "For who makes you differ from one another?
And what do you have that you did not receive?
Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you glory as if you had not received it?"
(1 Cor. 4:7) ...

Leadership Qualities- 12:8

Paul identified leadership as one of the gifts of the Spirit and wrote to the church at Rome
and to us, "If you are a leader, exert yourself to lead." (Romans 12: 8, NEB)
The gift of leadership is from God, but it is our responsibility to polish it, develop it,
and improve it through His enabling power.
In order to improve our leadership, we must understand the characteristics that
compose good leadership.
What does it take to be a good leader? ...

Tolerant Or Intolerant? 12:9-21

One Mean Mother- 16:13

There are some who have precious and pleasant memories of their mother.
There are also some who have painful and unpleasant memories of their mother.
It's possible that some of you have not yet recovered from deep emotional wounds
left by your mother.
You may have had a very loving, godly mother, but there may be some here who didn't.
Those who may have been neglected, abused and deeply hurt by their mothers could
leave here without receiving anything from the message.
Many have been both loved and wounded by their mothers.
There are positive and the negative ways that our mothers have influenced us.
Every mother has an important ministry.
I believe that it is the most important ministry in life. ...

Back to Top