Romans
An Introduction to Romans
Romans 1:7a
(Romans 1:7a)
It is probably safe to say that there is no consensus in our society concerning God. Ideas concerning God are probably as numerous today as in any time in history.
Various theories about God have always been in vogue. There is the Atheist who says that God does not exist. Life is random and without any divine purpose. We are on our own. There is no true religion, since there is no God. Every person must determine what is right and wrong.
There is also the Agnostic who will admit that there may be a God but that we really cannot know much about Him. Since we cannot know much about God, it is of little value to try to discover and understand Him. This view is similar to what is called Deism, a philosophy which says that there is a God but that He is not involved personally in our lives or in history. A Deist would also deny that there is any special revelation from God, like the Bible.
And then there is the New Age thinking of our day. To the New Ager, God exists as some kind of "force" in the universe, like the "force" of the Star Wars movies. It, too, is a religion without revelation, in which anything goes.
We, as Christians, profess that we believe in a living, personal God. And because we believe that this God is a person and is personally involved in history, we also believe that He has revealed Himself to us. God has given us a personal revelation of Himself in the book we call the Bible. As Christians, we claim to believe that the Bible is God's Word. It is His message to us.
Now that brings us to a very important question. When you open the Bible, do you expect God to speak to you personally? If you truly believe that the Bible is God's word then you should. You see, because God loves His people, He communicates His truth to them. He has not left us to fend for ourselves. He has spoken to us in words that we can understand. Our challenge is to do something with what He has given us. Our challenge, when we open the book of Romans or any other portion of Scripture, is to view it as God's message to us today.
And Romans is a powerful message indeed! As we introduce this book today, let's make a few observations about the book itself which will help us to appreciate and apply its message to our lives.
A Powerful Effect
The first observation which should be made is that Romans has had a powerful effect throughout history. This book has literally altered the course of human history, as we shall see.
Normally, when we think of important documents, we tend to think of works of classical literature or political documents like our Declaration of Independence or U. S. Constitution. Works of classical literature certainly have influenced people because of their common sharing and the enjoyment they bring. They have been read and re-read by many millions of people. Likewise, profound political documents like our United States Constitution or Declaration of Independence have shaped the life of our nation and, to a lesser extent, the world. These documents have been scrutinized, analyzed, debated and defended for over two hundred years.
But the book of Romans has existed for almost two thousand years and has transcended political and geographical boundaries. It has been analyzed and read by hundreds of millions, if not billions, of people. And it has had an indisputable and powerful effect wherever it has been taken seriously. It has caused people to be willing to risk everything for the sake of the message it contains.
Some examples of Romans' powerful effect are well known. Augustine, a distinguished teacher and philosopher in the fourth century is one example. He was a man of great intellect and learning and had become convinced that Christianity was true. In spite of that knowledge, however, he continued to be held in the grip of an immortal lifestyle. He knew what he was doing was wrong but was powerless to quit.
While visiting a friend, Augustine heard the voice of a child singing the words "take and read, take and read." Since he did not know of any such song, he thought it must be a message from God to read the Bible. Finding a Bible, he opened it and began reading at that place. It was Romans 13:13-14,
"Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful natures."
Augustine wrote that his life was instantly changed from that moment on and he went on to become one of the most influential figures in the church of Jesus Christ since the apostle Paul.
Another well known example of the power of the book of Romans can be found in the life of Martin Luther. Luther was a sincere monk who was attempting to live as pious a life as he could. He wanted to be pleasing in the eyes of God but found that the more he tried to please God the more distant he felt from God. He had no peace. He had no joy. In fact, he felt that God had required an impossible standard of righteousness for people and for that reason he found himself hating God.
Then one day Luther was reading Romans. His eyes fell upon Romans 1:17,
"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 righteousness will live by faith.'"
Nothing would ever be the same in Luther's life after that moment. He realized for the first time in his life that the righteousness he was seeking could never be attained by works - it could only be received by faith. From Luther's revelation comes the confession "sola fide" (faith alone). And not only was Martin Luther's life changed, but he went on to become the catalyst to launch the Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century.
Many years later John Wesley, listening to Luther's preface to his commentary on Romans, found that his own heart was "strangely warmed" by God. Even though he had already entered into the ministry and been a missionary to the Indians in America, Wesley saw this occasion as his conversion. His life was powerfully changed and out of his ministry came the great evangelical awakening of the eighteenth century. The course of European history was forever changed by that great revival.
The truth is that Romans has had a powerful and undeniable effect wherever its message has been proclaimed. And I believe that wherever it is read and received today it will also have a powerful effect. And there is a very good reason for this assumption.
A Powerful Message
The reason why I can be so confident of the effect that Romans can have upon our lives is because the book of Romans has a powerful message from God. This is the second observation. Romans contains the heart of the gospel of the grace of God. It explains His wonderful plan of salvation which is by grace through faith according to His eternal purpose.
God used the apostle Paul to write the book of Romans. It was written while Paul was in Corinth somewhere around AD 57. He dictated the letter to a secretary named Tertius (16:22) and sent it to be delivered to Rome by a deaconess named Phoebe. This is the method that God used to communicate His word to the Christians in Rome.
The central theme and great message of Romans can be summed up in the two verses found in Romans 1:16-17:
"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 righteousness will live by faith.'"
Indeed, the entire book of Romans is an explanation of how this Gospel applies to every person. This Gospel is powerful because it has the ability to change our eternal destiny. It is powerful in that it has the capacity to impart the righteousness of God to us by faith. It is powerful in that it can produce a life worth living.
The book has been divided by some into five sections. There are three major divisions - doctrinal (1:18-8:39), national (9:1-11:36), and practical (12:1-15:13) sandwiched between a prologue (1:1-17) and epilogue (15:14-16:27).
The book deals with the issues of human sin, gracious salvation, progressive sanctification, divine sovereignty, and practical service. It reveals how God's great plan of salvation is by His grace and for His glory. What begins with God's wrath, culminates in God's glory. It reveals the truth about the human condition and the solution to the predicament humankind is in. And it shows that salvation from first to last is of God.
A Powerful Impact
One final observation. The book of Romans can have a powerful impact on your life. James Boice said of the book of Romans that it "is the most basic, the most comprehensive statement of true Christianity." If this is true then we must clearly understand its message. Whether we do will depend on how we approach our task.
If you view this book as only a letter written to some people living thousands of years ago in a place called Rome, you will undoubtedly miss what God is trying to say to you today. If you only see the book of Romans as a historical work then you will miss its contemporary relevance.
If you approach the book of Romans as only a theological or doctrinal discourse, you will undoubtedly miss most of its message to you. There is no doubt that it contains some of the greatest doctrinal teaching anywhere. Its value as a theological treatise is without question. But God's intent is not to enrich your appreciation of theology. God desires to change your life.
Only as you view the book of Romans as God's personal message to you will you experience its powerful impact on your life. Are you ready for that? Be careful. If you open yourself to receive the message of God, you may never be the same. The power of God is contained in this book. Our challenge is to "take and read" as Augustine did.
Make it your aim to be like the Berean Christians mentioned in Acts. They searched the Scriptures daily for the truth of God. And they found it. If you will make it your goal to hear God's message to you from the book of Romans, God will set your life on the sure foundation of His Gospel, which is the power of God.
Indeed, Romans has had a powerful effect throughout history in the lives it has changed because it has a powerful message from God. Allow it to have a powerful impact on your life as you open your heart to receive God's message by His grace and for His glory.
Credit goes to JD Hoke.
