Blog Post: https://wakinguptograce.com/062-god-shows-no-partiality-romans-2-11/

The principle that "God shows no partiality" (Romans 2:11) shaped Paul's ministry approach as he navigated the complex relationship between Jewish and Gentile believers in the first-century church.

• Paul consistently went to Jewish synagogues first when entering new cities
• Early Christian Gentiles in Rome were deeply integrated with Jewish synagogue communities
• The Jerusalem Council (Acts 15) established minimum requirements for Gentile believers in Jewish communities without imposing full Jewish law
• Synagogues served as centers for community, worship, education, and economic support in the ancient world
• Paul demonstrated cultural sensitivity by having Timothy circumcised and taking Nazarite vows
• First-century Christians lived in a transitional period between covenant ages
• Christ fulfilled the law and brought reconciliation to the saints at Pentecost
• The destruction of the Temple in AD 70 marked the full end of the old covenant age along with the Law.
• Paul's approach wasn't anti-law but pro-Christ, seeing Jesus as the fulfillment of the law
• Paul used the Jewish scriptures to prove Jesus was the promised Messiah King that the Jews awaited.

As Christians today, we are saints, fully forgiven and made perfect by the blood of our Lord. Let's live like it!

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Blog Post: https://wakinguptograce.com/061-ten-reasons-futurism-is-destructive/

The destructive nature of futurism and its eschatological interpretations creates harmful consequences ranging from personal anxiety to political deception.

• Futurist prophetic predictions have a 100% failure rate despite being proclaimed throughout church history
• Scripture clearly states false prophets deserve death according to Deuteronomy 18
• End-times teaching creates unnecessary anxiety by telling people to "be ready" for events that already occurred
• The rapture concept misinterprets passages like 1 Thessalonians 4 and Luke 17
• Believing in imminent end times causes poor life decisions and diminishes motivation to address world problems
• Futurism leads to loss of hope when promised relief doesn't materialize
• Christian Zionism has caused support for violence through misunderstanding of biblical Israel
• Political deception occurs when Christians support modern Israel based on misapplied scriptures
• Futurist theology makes light of the apostles' mission which was already accomplished
• Christians are waiting for what they already have – the established kingdom of God

If you've been struggling with anxiety about end times or confusion about biblical prophecy, explore the preterist perspective at wakinguptograce.com where all messages are organized by topic.

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Blog Post: https://wakinguptograce.com/060-glory-and-honor-and-immortality-romans-2-7/

We explore the concept of "glory and honor and immortality" and how most Christians unknowingly seek what they already possess through the finished work of Christ

• Understanding what the apostles were truly awaiting in the first century—their promised redemption
• Why Christ's return in AD 70 matters and how it fulfilled all promises to the early believers
• The spiritual gifts of the first century and why they no longer exist today
• Israel's exodus from Egypt parallels our spiritual deliverance through Christ
• The change that occurred in believers at Christ's return
• What it means that we now possess glory and honor and immortality rather than just having the promise
• Revelation's "new earth" in its proper spiritual context
• The tragedy of living unaware of our spiritual inheritance

Join us in our ongoing Romans study as we continue to wake up to the grace we already have in Christ, understanding our true identity as eternally redeemed believers in the consummated new covenant age.

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Blog Post: https://wakinguptograce.com/059-the-jew-first-and-also-the-greek-romans-2-9-11/

The second coming of Christ must have already happened in AD 70, coinciding with Jerusalem's destruction, as evidenced by the Day of Yahweh prophecies in Scripture.

• The Day of the Lord brought tribulation "to the Jew first, and also the Greek" as prophesied in Romans 2:9-11
• Jesus directly connected His return to the destruction of Jerusalem in Matthew 24
• 2 Thessalonians 2 links Christ's return with the destruction of "the man of lawlessness" in the temple
• When Jesus told His accusers they would see Him "coming on the clouds" He was indicating judgment would come in their lifetime
• There's no 2,000-year gap between Christian resurrection and final judgment in Scripture
• Salvation was consistently described as future throughout the New Testament until Christ's return
• The resurrection produces spiritual bodies, not physical ones as many assume
• Christians today must be living in what Scripture calls "the new heaven and new earth"
• The New Covenant age began at Pentecost but was fully established at Christ's return in AD 70

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Blog Post: https://wakinguptograce.com/058-tribulation-for-the-jew-first-romans-2-9-11/

Paul's pronouncement that glory, honor, peace, tribulation and distress would come "to the Jew first" has profound implications for understanding biblical prophecy about the final judgment of national Israel.

• The concept of "to the Jew first" applies to both salvation and judgment, as Christ came first to Israel before the Gentiles
• Old Testament prophecies throughout Deuteronomy, Isaiah, Amos, Malachi etc. repeatedly warned Israel of a coming "Day of Yahweh"
• First-century Jews rejected their Messiah despite prophecies predicting his arrival and the consequences of rejecting him
• The "Great Tribulation" described in Matthew 24 refers to the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 AD
• John the Baptist fulfilled Malachi's prophecy as the "Elijah" who would come before the day of judgment
• The destruction of Jerusalem marked the complete end of the Old Covenant system, with genealogical records destroyed
• Prophetic language about darkened sun and falling stars represented the fall of governing authorities, not literal cosmic events
• The "Day of Yahweh" fulfilled all written prophecies, closing the biblical canon with the destruction of Jerusalem

Starting with our next episode, we'll explore evidence that Christ's prophesied return occurred in 70 AD alongside the destruction of Jerusalem and how this understanding transforms our view of biblical eschatology.

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Blog Post: https://wakinguptograce.com/057-what-is-preterism/

Preterism offers a radical reinterpretation of biblical prophecy, suggesting that Jesus' second coming occurred spiritually during the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. This perspective challenges mainstream Christianity's futurist views and provides a framework for understanding Christ's words about returning within the generation of his first-century audience.

• Full preterism interprets all biblical prophecies as events fulfilled by 70 AD
• Partial preterism believes some prophecies remain unfulfilled
• Jesus repeatedly stated his return would happen within "this generation"
• Ancient Hebrew prophetic language used cosmic imagery metaphorically
• The destruction of Jerusalem fulfilled Jesus' warnings about judgment
• Modern Zionism misunderstands the relationship between ancient and modern Israel
• Understanding apocalyptic language requires Hebrew rather than Western context
• The kingdom was taken from national Israel and given to Christ's followers
• We are already living in the "age to come" mentioned in the New Testament
• Our identity in Christ is holy and righteous in the present

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Paul examines God's judgment in Romans 2, revealing how self-righteousness fails to save while faith in Christ's glory provides true salvation. His rhetorical style, influenced by Greek education, helps us understand difficult passages that might otherwise appear to teach works-based salvation.

• Romans 2:1 addresses mankind's hypocrisy when judging others
• Paul uses rhetoric—a Greek communication style—to convey theological truths
• His rhetorical devices include apostrophes, dialogues, and imaginary opponents
• God's kindness toward sinners is meant to lead them to repentance
• Seeking "glory and honor" means seeking God himself, not self-glorification
• Tribulation comes to "the Jew first and also the Greek"?
• Understanding context prevents misinterpretation of passages
• The judgment is about belief versus unbelief, not behavior

Tune in to our next episode as we explore why tribulation and distress come "to the Jew first" and what this means for understanding God's judgment.

Share what's on your heart and enjoy free study resources on our Episodes Page at wakinguptograce.com: https://wakinguptograce.com/056-gods-judgment-and-pauls-rhetoric-romans-2-1-11/

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As Christians we can walk by the Spirit rather than being consumed by sin and its destructive influence on our lives and communities.

• Sin is what happens when separated from God, leading to a lack of peace, love, and fulfillment
• Walking by the Spirit means being guided by God rather than turning to ourselves
• Sexual immorality receives particular emphasis in Paul's teachings as it involves sinning against our own bodies
• Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, not our own possession but bought with a price
• Christians are called to a higher standard, but from freedom rather than legalistic obligation
• Within the church, attitude toward sin matters—pride in sin requires correction while struggling with sin deserves support
• Repentance (changing our mind about sin) naturally leads to behavior change
• The fruit of the Spirit comes from freedom in Christ, not from following rules
• Our union with God cannot be broken, improved, or changed—Christ is our rock

Share what's on your heart and enjoy free study resources on our Episodes Page at wakinguptograce.com: https://wakinguptograce.com/055-sinners-will-not-inherit-life-romans-1-29-32/

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