Romans 1 - Intro - 1/11/09
Turn with me this morning to Romans 1. Romans comes in the NT after the four gospels, M,M,L,J, and after the book of the Acts of the Apostles. So, we have the history of the gospel, the record of how the gospel brought change to the world, and then in Romans, we have the explanation of the gospel. The word “gospel” literally means “good news.” We are going to spent the next several weeks looking at the book of Romans, seeing what the gospel, the “good news” really is.
"On May 24, 1738, a discouraged missionary went ‘very unwillingly’ to a religious meeting in London. There a miracle took place. ‘About a quarter before nine,’ he wrote in his journal, ‘I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone, for salvation; and an assurance was given me that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death.’ That missionary was John Wesley. The message he heard that evening was the preface to Martin Luther’s commentary on the book of Romans. Just a few months before, Wesley had written in his journal: ‘I went to America to convert the Indians; but Oh! who shall convert me?’ That evening in Alders gate Street, his question was answered. And the result was the great Wesley Revival that swept England and transformed the world."
The book of Romans is to Christianity what the Declaration of Independence is to America and the Magna Carta is to Great Britain! It can set you free if you study it and believe it.
Martin Luther in his book “Preface to the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans” argues that:
“This letter is truly the most important piece in the New Testament. It is purest Gospel. It is well worth a Christian’s while not only to memorize it word for word but also to occupy himself with it daily, as though it were the daily bread of the soul. It is impossible to read or to meditate on this letter too much or too well. The more one deals with it, the more precious it becomes and the better it tastes. Therefore I want to carry out my service and, with this preface, provide an introduction to the letter, insofar as God gives me the ability, so that every one can gain the fullest possible understanding of it. . . . it is in itself a bright light, almost bright enough to illumine the entire Scripture.”
Having said that, let’s realize that this book, loved by many, but often overlooked because it seems deep or wordy, is really a treasure trove for us, full of practical help in understanding the “good news” that is ours.
A quick look at any newspaper or a news magazine, or a few minutes watching the news on TV reminds us that in our world most news is bad and seems to be getting worse. What is happening on a national and worldwide scale is simply the magnification of what is happening on an individual level. As personal problems, animosities, and fears increase, so do their counterparts in society at large. People are in the grip of a terrifying power that holds them at the very core of their being. Left unchecked, it pushes them to self-destruction in one form or another. That power is sin, which is always bad news.
Sin has selfishness at its heart. The basic element of fallen human nature is the exaltation of self. When Satan fell, he was asserting his own will above God’s will, declaring “I will. . .” in Isaiah 14:13-14, a passage which speaks of Satan’s fall: “I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.”
Man fell by the same self-will, when Adam and Eve asserted their own understanding about right and wrong above God’s clear instruction. By nature every person is self-centered and inclined to have his own way.
Sin produces guilt. This is another form of bad news. No matter how convincingly one tries to justify selfishness, its inevitable abuse of things and people cannot escape generating guilt. When guilt is ignored or suppressed, it continues to grow and intensify, and with it comes anxiety, fear, sleeplessness, and countless other spiritual and physical afflictions. Many people try to overcome those afflictions by masking them with possessions, money, alcohol, drugs, sex, travel, and psychoanalysis. They try to ease their guilt by blaming society, parents, a deprived childhood, environment, and even God himself. But the irresponsible notion of blaming other persons and things only aggravates the guilt and escalates the accompanying afflictions.
Sin produces meaninglessness. The self-indulgent person has no sense of purpose or meaning. Life becomes an endless cycle of trying to fill a void that cannot be filled. The result is futility and despair.
Sin produces hopelessness. Hopelessness is the companion of meaninglessness. The selfish person forfeits hope, both for this life and for the next. Although he may deny it, he senses that even death is not the end, and for the hopeless sinner death becomes therefore the ultimate bad news.
Millions of babies are born every day into a world filled with bad news. And because of the boundless selfishness that permeates modern society, millions of other babies are not allowed to enter the world at all. That tragedy alone has made the bad news of the modern world immeasurably worse.
But the essence of Paul’s letter to the Romans is that there is good news that is truly good. He proclaimed the good news that in Christ Jesus sin can be forgiven, selfishness can be overcome, guilt can be removed, anxiety can be alleviated, and life can indeed have meaning and hope that will last throughout all eternity! That is good news!
As we go through the book of Romans in the next several weeks, we are going to learn more and more about the good news of salvation offered through Jesus Christ. We are going to learn about a lot of big words: in chapters 1-3 condemnation; 3-5 justification; 6-8 sanctification; 9-11 dispensation; 12-16 glorification. And as we go through the book, we’ll understand why each of these big terms means “good news” for us. As we get started this morning, let’s start with prayer. PRAY.
Hopefully, by this time you have been able to find the book of Romans. Let’s look at the first few verses together. Read 1:1-7 - Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God-- the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God, by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. Through him and for his name’s sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith. And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
When we write letters, we always put our greetings at the end. But in the first century, they started with their greetings. And we see here that this is a letter written by the Apostle Paul to the Christians who lived in Rome. Remember who Paul is -- a former skilled rabbi -- a technical legal expert -- much like our modern day trial lawyers. And he relentlessly pursued Christians, until one day he came into personal confrontation with Jesus Christ and was dramatically changed. His life changed and he traveled all across the Middle East telling others about the good news found in Jesus Christ.
He writes to the Christians at Rome. The apostle Paul wrote this letter to the Roman Christians while he was wintering in the home of Gaius (16:23) in Corinth in the spring of 57 AD. Paul was planning to go to Spain (15:24) via Rome. He wrote to the Christians in Rome to let them know he wanted to visit them (1:13) and also to be an encouragement to them (1:11-12). Rome was the key city in it’s day. It was about 16-20 square miles and had a population of 2 million, about half of them slaves. It would be like modern day Tokyo, New York City, or Chicago. So this is a real letter to real people about a real question - the key question of life:
How can a sinful man be made right with a holy God? That is the good news that Paul is going to address.
Paul was particularly concerned about the Roman Christians’ understanding of the gospel. Apparently, false teaching was beginning to creep in to the Roman churches (16:17-19). And so the overarching theme of the entire letter to the Romans concerns the gospel—the good news of God. Paul wrote the letter to the Romans to state as clearly as he could the content of the gospel.
In these first few verses, Paul gives his greeting, his salutation, and we see three key things: the writer, the recipients, and the reason. First, look at the writer. Paul says in verse 1 that he is “a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, and set apart for the gospel of God.” Paul is a man who is
• a slave by choice - he is a man who knew his master
• sent by command - he is a man who knew his mission
• separated by calling - he is a man who knew his message
First, he calls himself a slave. The term used, a slave or servant, shows Paul’s complete submission to Christ. He does not live for himself, but for his Lord. Paul lived a life devoted to doing what Christ wanted him to do. Just like Christ who lived to do His father’s will. Remember how Jesus prayed in the garden, “not my will, but thine be done.”
-- Today, can you say that you completely serve Christ? or would you have to say that you completely serve him for an hour or two a week. “I serve Christ every Sunday morning!” But how about Sunday afternoon, when you get together with your friends - Friday night when you go out for a night on the town -- Tuesday morning around the breakroom table at work? Can we say we choose to serve Christ completely. Are you willing to do whatever God calls you to do? Even if it means doing something you don’t like, like going and knocking on someone’s door or speaking up when someone is speaking inappropriately? Paul was a slave by choice - he is a man who knew his master.
Next, he calls himself an apostle, which means someone sent on a mission. Paul had a job to do. When God spoke to him on the road to Damascus, he changed Paul’s direction in life. Far too often we want to say we love God but still live for ourselves. Paul’s agenda was to follow what Christ had for him. He took several missionary journeys starting churches all across Asia Minor. He used the gifts God had given him to the best of his ability. He wasn’t a gifted man who hid his gifts; he fully used them for God’s glory.
What gifts has God given you? Are there gifts God has given you that you don’t use because in would mean stepping out of your comfort zone? How are you using your gifts for God’s glory? Paul was sent by command - he is a man who knew his mission.
And third, Paul was separated -- set apart for the gospel. The word refers to a special appointment with a special purpose. Paul’s purpose was to help believers and unbelievers alike to understand the truth of the gospel, the good news of God’s salvation. And so here in the book of Romans, Paul seeks to clearly convey the truth of the gospel.
Paul talks about the distinction of the gospel.
• The gospel is distinct in its prophecy. The gospel was not a new thing. Jesus Christ is the subject of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. The OT is filled with the story of God’s redemption of man. Jesus is the promised Messiah, predicted and prophesied time and time again throughout the Old Testament. Over 330 prophecies were fulfilled by Christ’s first coming. In John 5:39, Jesus tells the Pharisees, You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.
• The gospel is distinct in its person - verse 3 tells us the gospel centers upon the person of Jesus, who is both God and man. One of the greatest truths of the bible is that Jesus is fully God, and fully man. Eternally pre-existent as God, Jesus existed before the creation of the heavens and earth; but he came to be fully human through the virgin birth. He had to be God to be sinless and take away our sins; he had to be man to be our representative and able to die in our place.
• The gospel is distinct in its purpose - The purpose of the gospel is to bring all the nations into obedience through faith. God’s desire is for all to be save d and to come to the knowledge of the truth. But as we will see as we go on, there are many who refuse the truth.
So, to quickly review before we go on,
Romans is a real letter to real people about a real question - the key question of life:
How can a sinful man be made right with a holy God?
Paul is the author. He is
• a slave by choice - he is a man who knew his master
• sent by command - he is a man who knew his mission
• separated by calling - he is a man who knew his message
Paul’s message is the good news that we can be made right with God. This message is distinct in it’s prophecy, person, and purpose.
Paul writes to the Christians in Rome, and in verse 7 he calls them saints - holy ones - those who are set apart. We don’t become a saint by living like one; rather we live like a saint because we are ones. Paul tells us what a saint is in 1 Corinthians 1:2 - Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours. So a saint is anyone who has called upon Jesus for salvation and forgiveness of sins. We then choose to live a life “set apart” from sin.
Paul tell these Roman believers in verse 8 that wherever he went, he heard of the faith of these Christians and the effect the gospel had upon their lives. If Paul was here today, could he say the same thing about you?
• Who have you impacted by your personal testimony? Does anyone know what you believe, what you stand for, the testimony you live by? Do you family members know your testimony? Your co-workers? Those in class with you? Your neighbors? Who is talking about your Christian testimony?
And then in verse 9 and 10 we see Paul express his desire: he wants to come and visit them. In verse 11 we see he wants to build them - in 12 he wants to bless them and encourage them, and in 13 he wants to bring others to faith along with them. In verse 13 we see the obstacles Paul faced - I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now).
What do you do when you face obstacles? What do you do when you make your plans and are seeking to follow God, but God doesn’t answer your prayers the way you expect. You keep on believing in HOPE! We keep seeking to follow God.
Paul faithfully kept following God even though he faced obstacles, because he was committed to sharing the good news of salvation. Verse 16 shares his passion: I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”
How can a sinful man be made right with a holy God? Paul gives the answer here: The just shall live by faith! Our salvation comes by faith in what Jesus Christ has done for us. The gospel is good news - that we can be right with God not based on our works, but on Christ’s sacrifice -- not by what we can DO, but by what He has DONE. Titus 3:5 - he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. Eph. 2:8 - For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- not by works, so that no-one can boast.
So Paul is going to tell us about this good news that we can be made right with God. How is it done? By faith in what Jesus has done for us.
Now Paul goes on to tell us who needs salvation. And this is the topic under the $5 word condemnation. Who is condemned by God? Would a loving God condemn anybody to hell? The answer is yes. Even though there are many who think God would never send anyone there. Paul goes on to share that there are some who are such ungodly sinners that they will face God’s condemnation. Let’s see what they are like. Let’s start reading at verse 18. Read 1:18-32
Who needs salvation? The ungodly sinners! If there is anyone we would expect to be under the wrath of God, it would be those who care nothing for God, who reject the truth. Paul tells us
• they knew God - they are without excuse because they knew the truth and rejected it. Man did not begin in ignorance, but with revelation, and man has turned his back on the truth. Sinners are without excuse because of creation -- vs. 20 - For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse. When you look at creation, you see the handiwork of God. Psalm 19 tells us, The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. . . There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.
Every nation under heaven has the witness of creation. All of mankind is without excuse. Some people like to say, what about the natives out in the bush in Africa. But God says, they are without excuse. No one can explain away the creation of the world. Even the best evolutionist has NO answers to how everything just started. The big bang -- well where did the bang come from. There has to be a start somewhere. And chance never formed something out of nothing.
I haven’t seen it, but I have heard great things about a movie that’s out on video now called “Expelled.” It’s about the attempts of the educational elite to keep from admitting evidence to intelligent design. They refuse to allow for a creator. And that is exactly what Paul is saying here.
Every man is also without excuse because of the witness of conscience. In 2:15 Paul mentions the conscience of man as accusing him. Every man and woman’s conscience will show our sin and guilt. We can easily see our sin and guilt. So, • they knew God , then
• they ignored God - they refused to glorify God. When you come to the point of considering God, you always need to make a choice: to either come to Him and worship and follow Him, or to turn away. You can never come to God and go away unchanged. Either you will bow in worship or stand in defiance. Either you will obey or reject. And that is just what happened to mankind. We see it in verse 21 - Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.
There are untold millions of fools all across the world today who have heard the truth, they know the good news of God’s salvation, but they have refused to follow God. We’ll go on looking at God’s salvation next week, but as we close today, let me ask you -- as you are confronted with God’s call to you today, what will be your choice? How will you leave here today.
Will you choose to do what God wants you to do -- just like Paul - to follow God completely -- or will you turn away, like the ungodly. But each one of us has a choice to make. I believe God has been speaking to some of us here today. And if God has touched your heart, don’t turn Him away. Instead, humble yourself and choose to worship Him, choose to serve Him, choose to obey Him.
Maybe someone is here today who knows about Jesus, you believe in Jesus, but you have never chosen to ask Christ for forgiveness of your sins and commit your life to following Him. If today God is calling you to receive His salvation, don’t turn Him away. Make the choice today to commit to following God. Let’s pray together.
