Paul’s Letter to the Romans and Us

PAUL’S LETTER TO THE ROMANS

Teach the wise, and they will be wiser.  Teach the righteous, and they will learn more.
10 Fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.  Knowledge of the Holy One results in understanding. (Proverbs 9:9-10) (NLT)  

At first, we want the awareness of being guided by God.  But then as we grow spiritually, we live so fully aware of God that we do not even need to ask what His will is, because the thought of choosing another way will never occur to us.

Near the end of his third missionary journey, after what many would consider a full life in ministry, the Apostle Paul looked westward to the capital city of the Empire, Rome.  Paul had long admired the congregation in Rome although he had never visited the church in Rome.  He had many partners in ministry, some were cell mates in the early days of evangelism, several were the fruit of his labors in other regions.  Their obedience to the Word and faithfulness to one another had become legendary among the other churches.

The Letter to the Romans would spark a revolution in the heart of Martin Luther, who would reintroduce the truth of justification by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone – a doctrine all but obscured by the dogma of men who stood to profit from a false gospel of works.  It would ignite the mind of Jonathan Edwards, strangely warm the heart of John Wesley, and fuel the revival fire of George Whitefield.

Paul’s Letter to the Romans would eventually be called the Magna Carta of the Christian Faith.  The groundwork laid in this Letter would lead to Salvation for uncountable numbers of Christians around the world.  Because of this Letter we can, today, learn the very simple path to Salvation on our own.

When most pastors are asked, “If you could only preach from one Book of the Bible, which would it be,” most of the time the answer is the Gospel of John; because it reveals so clearly, and simply, who Jesus is, the Son of God and God Incarnate.  But, the reply of the pastors is usually followed quickly by, “Then you should read Paul’s Letter to the Romans, because it lays out so clearly how to find the Salvation shown to you in the Gospel of John.”

Romans 3:23 – for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

Romans 6:23 – For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 5:8 – But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 10:9-10 – That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

1 John 1:9 – If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

There may come a day when you wished you had all this information on the tip of your tongue, now is your time to prepare.  Don’t walk away from a friend or loved one and wish you could remember what you needed or wanted to say.  Mark them well in your Bible and review them from time to time.  If you give your effort the Holy Spirit will do His job and you will have a wonderful memory of knowing you lead someone to the Lord.             Bostwick UMC  6/11/21

Paul’s Greeting to the Romans: (read it in a new way)
1:1 Paul,
a servant of Christ Jesus,
called to be an apostle
and set apart for the gospel of God—
2 the gospel he promised
beforehand
through his prophets
in the Holy Scriptures
3 regarding his Son,
who as to his human nature
was a descendant
of David,
4 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.
5 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.
6 And you also are among those who are called
to belong to Jesus Christ.
7 To all in Rome [and Bostwick]
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.  (NIV)

MAJOR THEMES OF ROMANS
The Righteousness of God
The Sovereignty of God
The Justice of God
The moral failure of humanity
Humanity’s hopelessness and eternal peril
Powerlessness of works for salvation
The futility of human effort
Justification through faith
The necessity of the Holy Spirit
The Free Gift of Grace
Reconciliation
We are God’s Children and Heirs of God
Assurance offered for our future