Romans (The NIV Application Commentary)

God’s “hardening,” then, does not cause spiritual insensitivity; it maintains people in the state of sin that they have already chosen. When God chooses people to be saved, he acts out of pure grace, granting a blessing to people who in no way deserve it. But when he destines people to wrath, he sentences them to the fate they have already chosen f

to remind us that suffering is a natural and expected part of the Christian life (cf. 5:3–4; 8:17), and to root the experiences of Christians in the experience of God’s old covenant people.

no spiritual being can separate us from Christ is needed in the church today.

“It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.”

The Spirit’s presence in our lives inevitably produces fruit pleasing to God. Thus, we are secure. But the Spirit does not do his work apart from our response. I like the careful balance Paul achieves in verse 13: “By the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body” (italics added). Paul puts the responsibility squarely on our shoulders: You n

“Don’t be upset about your fiancé breaking off your engagement, because God must have an even better life partner for you; Romans 8:28 promises….” The difficulty with this application is

He wants us to come away from this text not with theological questions but with a renewed sense of assurance: that the God who began a good work in us will indeed bring it to completion in the day of Christ Jesus (Phil. 1:6).

not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. 7Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham’s children.

the Bible cannot ultimately be compared to a novel, and we can learn a great deal by reading a single psalm, proverb, or book.