My dad was a Marine and went through basic training in Camp Pendleton, CA. in 1959. I remember him talking about it often and telling me some of the boot camp stories.
He would tell me that it was a lot of work. He would tell me how tough the drill instructors were, how bad the food was, how short the nights were and how long the days were.
According to Today’s Military.com Basic Training – often called boot camp – prepares recruits for all elements of service: physical, mental and emotional. It gives service members the basic tools necessary to perform the roles that will be asked of them for the duration of their tour.
Each of the Services has its own training program, tailoring the curriculum to the specialized nature of its role in the Military.
No matter which branch of the Service a recruit chooses, Basic Training is an intense experience. The purpose of this training isn’t to “break” recruits. In fact, the combination of physical training, field exercises and classroom time makes individuals strong and capable.
It’s a tough process, but a rewarding one that many service members value for life.
Fortunately, our basic training isn’t going to be as tough!
The desire of the child of God should be to become the strongest and best Christian that can become. We want to be a strong soldier of Jesus Christ.
In the military basic training will last 9 weeks. Our basic training is going to be 10 weeks. Hopefully it will be 10 weeks that will cause you to no longer be an average civilian but rather a great soldier of the Cross, the best of the best.
Feared the world around as one who is able to engage the enemy; anywhere and anytime.
Our basic training will take us through the book of Romans. A book written by the Apostle Paul that unlocks the door to vast treasures of Scriptures for the soldier of Christ.
In the book of Romans we find the basic truths for Christian living.
Welcome to Basic Training!
Let’s pray,
Father,
Open my eyes so I can see Your truth.
Open my ears so I can hear Your voice.
Open my mind so I can understand Your Word.
And open my heart so I may receive all that You want me to receive. AMEN
The book of Romans defines for us many of the doctrines of Christianity that we hold true. The doctrines of justification, sanctification, divine election, condemnation, the perseverance of the saints, man’s depravity, the last judgment, the fall of mankind, the revelation of God and so much more.
As I said, there is a vase treasure of Scriptural truths in this book.
The writer was the Apostle Paul. His Hebrew name was Saul and was later called Paul by Jesus. Paul was from Tarsus and he was well educated. His family was from the tribe of Benjamin and Paul was a Pharisee which meant that he knew everything there was to know about the Scriptures.
We first meet Paul two years after the Day of Pentecost when the church was born. It was at the stoning of a young man named Stephen who gave a very aggressive message about Jesus Christ.
In Acts 7:54-60 we learn what happened to Stephen and in Acts 8:1 we meet Saul of Tarsus who was there giving approval to his death.
In Acts 9 we learn that Saul, under the orders of the high priest was to go to Damascus and take any Christians he found to prison.
On his way to Damascus Paul experienced a life-changing event.
As he and his companions rode on, suddenly at mid-day a brilliant light shone around them, and Saul was laid prostrate in terror on the ground and a voice was sounding in his ears, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
Paul looked up and the risen Savior was there in front of him.
And Paul asked, “Who are you, Lord?” And Jesus said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.”
That event changed Paul’s life and he became a believer and dedicated his life to spreading the good news of Jesus Christ.
Paul is probably the most influential individual in history. He was used by the Lord in his missionary and evangelistic activities help make the church what it is today, the Body of Christ on earth.
Billions of human beings have been directly or indirectly affected by his ministry. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he wrote the foundation documents for the Christian way of life which has changed the lives of millions.
As great as a man as Paul was, he wasn’t that much different than any of us. I say that because the Apostle Paul was a sinner. He freely admitted this time and time again.
In Romans 7 we read his explanation of his sin as he writes, “I do not do the good that I always want to do; No, what I do is the evil I do not want to do. I keep on doing the things I do not want to do. I know what it is, it is the sin living in me that does it.” He then said, “What a wretched man I am!”
Paul struggled, just like we struggle. But Paul didn’t want to stay in his sin. He wanted to overcome the power of Satan with a greater power.
Where did he get that power to overcome? He turned to Christ for his strength. He looked to Christ for forgiveness and grace. Paul strained to finish the race of life that was set before him in such a way as to win the prize of God which was the promise of eternal life in heaven.
So many times we are like Paul and we do the thing we don’t want to do and we struggle to do the things we know we should do.
It is a conflict that has taken place for thousands of years and it is a conflict that is confronted by the book of Romans.
A book that was originally written for the Christians who lived in Rome, at the time it was a thriving metropolis with an estimated population of over 4 million people.
Most Bible scholars agree that the church began as a result of the Apostle Peter’s message on the Day of Pentecost. They heard him that day and took the message back to Rome.
There are four reasons for Paul writing this letter to the Roman church.
1. Paul needed to announce his plans to come to Rome.
2. Paul needed their support for a missionary visit to their area. Paul wanted to go into Spain and preach the Good News and he wanted to make Rome his home base for operations.
3. Paul needed their prayer support as he was about to travel to Jerusalem and meet with the other Apostles.
4. Most importantly, Paul know that the Roman church had come into existence without the authoritative leadership of the Apostles. Because of this, they needed some instruction.
There is no doubt that the book of Romans is a very important book to the believer.
John Calvin said, “When anyone understands this Epistle, he has a passage opened to him to the understanding of the whole Scriptures.”
James Packer a 20th Century theologian said, “There is on book in the New Testament which links up with almost everything that the Bible contains: the book of Romans.”
One person said, “A reading through the book of Romans repeatedly results in revival.”
If that is true then this should be an exciting series that will hopefully bring us all closer to God and broaden our understanding of Scripture as well as prepare us to be the best soldiers of the cross we can be.
Our first Scripture that we are going to look at today is some of Paul’s opening statements to the audience. Opening statements set the tone for what is about to follow.
I think that you will see that Paul is setting a tone that will be a life changer for all who read this book.
In the first few paragraphs Paul introduces himself to the people and in Romans 1:8-17 he explains why he is writing to them.
8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world. 9 God, whom I serve in my spirit in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you 10 in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you.
11 I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong— 12 that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. 13 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles.
14 I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. 15 That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome.
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” Romans 1:8-17 NIV
News about the church in Rome had reached Paul and he was thrilled about the news. They had great faith in God and in His Son, Jesus Christ. For this Paul was extremely thankful.
Paul commends them for their faith and assures them that he is continually praying for them.
Paul lets the people of Rome know how bad he really wants to come and visit them. He wants to share with them the Good News and he wanted to impart some spiritual gift to them. A gift that would strengthen them in their faith. A gift that would strengthen them in the Christian walk. A gift that would help them be better soldiers of the cross.
Remember that this church was most likely started by people who were witness to the out pouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost but no one from the church in Jerusalem had been to Rome to share with them all there was to Christianity.
Paul longed to give them a taste of more. He longed to introduce them to the Holy Spirit and the power that comes from allowing Him into your life.
His desire is to come to Rome and be more than a blessing to them. He wants to build them up and explain to them in more detail what it means to be in Christ Jesus.
Paul also hoped that as he brought the Holy Spirit to them they would open up a way for the Gospel to be spread into Spain.
It was a win/win situation for everyone. The Rome church gets the Holy Spirit and the Gospel message is spread to new places.
Paul was eager to preach in Rome. This guy loved preaching the Good News. That is evident in his comments in
Romans 1:16-17.
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” Romans 1:16-17 NIV
The theme of the Gospel is the good news that Jesus Christ died for our sins. Without that we do not have Christianity.
Paul makes a bold claim here especially considering his back ground, being from the tribe of Benjamin and being a Pharisee of Pharisees.
Maybe Paul had been told what Jesus had said in Luke 9:26, “Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.”
Paul could have been ashamed of the Gospel for a number of reasons.
He could have been ashamed because he was a Jew and many did not accept the Christian message.
He could have been ashamed because he was a well educated man and to some the Gospel seemed foolish.
He could have been ashamed because the Pharisees could not tolerate the message.
But Paul was not ashamed of the Gospel message. And why was he not ashamed? Because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.
Paul understood the power of God.
He was a first hand witness to the power of God.
He was a product of the power of God.
He met Jesus Christ face to face.
He knew Jesus was crucified and up to that time on the Damascus road believed that Jesus was still dead. He never accepted the stories that Jesus had rose from the grave. Instead he spent his time looking for Christians and putting them in jail.
But then Paul met Jesus and his life was never the same.
He experienced the power of God, that great and awesome power that raised Jesus from the dead. That power that had been with God from the very beginning of time.
The power of God that compels people to face the reality of their own sin and guilt and the inevitable judgment that is to come.
The power of God that draws those same people to the one who gave His life so that the sin and shame and guilt could be taken away and replaced by God’s mercy and grace.
Paul was not ashamed of the Gospel because it was the dynamite which blasts away mankind’s self-complacency, self-delusion, and sinful self-reliance.
The power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes!
That power brought salvation to Paul. He believed. He had faith! He was able to see the righteousness of God for the first time in the light of Jesus Christ.
That is why he said in verse 17, “For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”
Paul was quoting Habakkuk 2:4 to explain this righteousness.
The Gospel message reveals the righteousness of God , a righteousness that will stand forever. A righteousness, the only righteousness that will bring God’s love, mercy and forgiveness to us.
It is also a righteousness that will being judgment and punishment to those who do not accept the Good News.
But for those who accept it and who live by faith, the impurities of this world are washed away and we have the promise of eternal life with Christ.
Righteousness is received by faith in Jesus Christ and is in turn revealed through the believer’s faithful living. It is faith that is more than a mere acceptance of salvation. It is a life style that has been changed by the power of God.
For this Basic Training to be effective you need to be living by this same faith. Not just accepting Christ but rather making that life style change and living for Him.
CLOSE.
