Rom 16:17  Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.

Rom 16:18  For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.

Today there are many churches around the world that teach and preach “contrary” doctrines in the name of Jesus Christ, but even though these people declare that they are preaching the truth about Jesus Christ and God’s word of truth, if it is not taught according to the way that God designed then there is no truth in it at all. In fact, they all believe they are preaching and teaching God’s word in truth, but they get their doctrinal foundation from theological schools and from whatever by-laws their denomination has implemented. But as we will see, God the Father has the Apostle Paul lay our foundation for our education in the establishment of His word. The book of Romans is the foundational epistle for the saints to get their edification properly underway, and this is the main reason there is so much confusion in the world today about the bible, man has taught doctrine “contrary” to the ‘four cornerstone’ foundational doctrine that God has Paul teach in the book of Romans. We will take a look at just some of the doctrine that is found in the book of Romans that many churches are ignorant of:

1st.       Chapter 1:

Rom 1:1  Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,

Rom 1:2  (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,)

Rom 1:3  Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;

Rom 1:4  And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:

Rom 1:5  By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:

Most churches are ignorant of the Apostle Paul’s special “apostleship” and how that he was “separated unto the gospel of God.” It is Paul who God “separated” aside from the other Apostles to preach, teach, and establish all nations for the “obedience to the faith.” And as recorded in Acts chapter 9, the Lord raised up Paul to be His “chosen vessel” to proclaim the gospel of God reconciling the heavenly places back unto Himself through the “one new man” to the unsaved Jew and Gentile. But ignorance to this truth has caused many to assume that it is the Apostle Peter whom we must follow for the “obedience to the faith.”

Rom 1:11  For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established;

Rom 1:12  That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.

Rom 1:13  Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles.

Rom 1:14  I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise.

Rom 1:15  So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.

The Apostle Paul makes it plainly clear that he is a “debtor” to the whole world for their establishment in the gospel and this meant that he established the saints in Rome also, so why do we find today’s Rome saying that they are established by the Apostle Peter, and that they ought to be under the “obedience to the faith” by the Pope?

2nd.      Chapter 2:

Rom 2:1  Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.

Rom 2:2  But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.

Rom 2:3  And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?

Rom 2:4  Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

Rom 2:5  But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;

Rom 2:6  Who will render to every man according to his deeds:

After declaring the wrath of God against all ungodliness in chapter 1, Paul shows that the “man” is without excuse; meaning he has no excuse to say that God is unjustly judging him unworthy of everlasting life, but that his damnation is just because all sin is an abomination in God’s sight; not just the sins that seem worse than the others. This type of doctrine is taught as a comparative righteousness where the “man” thinks that God will over-look the minimal sins that he has done, and it will be out-weighed by his good works, but God will “render to every man according to his deeds” since that is how he wants God to deal with him, but his self-righteous attempt will not be good enough in the sight of God, but on this earth, this type of  “man” has a holy, and righteous standing in the eyes of men, but in God’s sight this type of “man” is vain, and ungodly.

3rd.     Chapters 3-5:

Rom 3:21  But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;

Rom 3:22  Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:

Rom 3:23  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Rom 3:24  Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

Rom 3:25  Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

Rom 3:26  To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

Many churches are ignorant of the righteousness of God being by faith alone without works of any kind at any time, but these churches require you to declare ‘your’ righteousness for “the remission of sins that are past” by asking God for forgiveness when the noticeably obvious sins are committed, but this is not how the justice of God operates. It is the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ that we are to have to be declared righteous in the sight of God because we all will come “short of the glory of God” if we use the justification method that man uses to self-justify himself. And if this were the case we would never have the ability to utilize our “faith” regarding our forgiveness (the issue of faith is trusting in something unseen or trusting that someone is going to do something for you that you can’t do on your own). Man teaches others that someone can lose their salvation from the debt and penalty of sin against them in God’s sight, and that their works will satisfy God’s justice, instead of trusting and believing in the Lord’s Redemption for their souls.

4th.     Chapters 6-7:

Rom 6:1  What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?

Rom 6:2  God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

Rom 6:3  Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

Rom 6:11  Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Rom 6:12  Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.

Rom 6:13  Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

Rom 6:14  For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

After the saint has just been taught the glorious gospel about his justification in chapters 3-5, he now begins to learn how and why he is to be “dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God,” and that he has a grace motivated walk as one who has received this grace “freely.” But most of today’s church teach before one can become saved, he must first put off sin and maintain a consistent walk of a certain ‘do’s and don’ts before God will accept him and his works, but this is a “contrary” doctrine that has the man self-sanctifying himself in his vain attempt to please God. God would have the saint to walk in the new man as a sanctified saint AFTER he places his faith in the finished work of the cross, but man would have the UNSAVED to try to sanctify himself as the ‘first-things-first’ before he can become saved from the debt and penalty of sin.

Rod Jones