Introduction. Series The Righteousness of God A Verse- by- Verse Study through The Epistle to the Romans

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1 Series The Righteousness of God A Verse- by- Verse Study through The Epistle to the Romans Message One Introduction to the Letter Wednesday, December 4, 2013 Text Romans 1:1 17 Introduction The Epistle to the Romans is the first letter included in the Bible order of epistles. It was not the first chronologically, however. Romans was actually the sixth of Paul s recorded letters, written after Galatians, 1 st and 2 nd Corinthians, and 1 st and 2 nd Thessalonians. It was written from Corinth in approximately 58 A.D. at the end of Paul s third missionary journey. Though not first chronologically, this letter was possibly included first because of its foundational importance of establishing the principle of the righteousness, which can only come from God. The primary purpose of Romans is not to preach to the lost sinner about how to be saved; it is rather to teach the doctrine of salvation to those of us who are saved. Harry Ironside, the great pastor of Moody Church said this: I would add one other thought, which I believe is of moment, particularly for those who seek to present the gospel to others. It is this: in Romans, we have the gospel taught to saints rather than the gospel preached to unsaved sinners. I believe it is very important to see this. In order to be saved it is only necessary to trust in Christ. But in order to understand our salvation and, thus, to get out of it the joy and blessing God intends to be our portion, we need to have the work of Christ unfolded to us. This is what the Holy Spirit has done in this precious epistle. It is written to people who are already saved to show them the secure foundation upon which their salvation rests: namely, the righteousness of God. When faith apprehends this, doubts and fears are gone and the soul enters into settled peace. 1 When I was first saved, I did not understand salvation, and I still struggle comprehending the depth of truth involving redemption. A careful study of Romans, however, will help us all get a better grasp of how a lost sinner receives the righteousness of God. 1 Ironside, H. A. (1920) Romans and Galatians (Kindle Locations ). Kindle Edition. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications. 1

2 Martin Luther said: "The epistle to the Romans is the true masterpiece of the New Testament and the very purest gospel, which is well worth and deserving that a Christian man should not only learn it by heart, word for word, but also that he should daily deal with it as the daily bread of men s souls. It can never be too much or too well read or studied, and the more it is handled the more precious it becomes, and the better it tastes" (Martin Luther). John Wesley, the father of Methodism, was saved on May 4, 1738 after hearing a message from Martin Luther s preface to his commentary on Romans. John Bunyan, the writer of Pilgrim s Progress, was saved after reading The Epistle to the Romans. John Phillips states that Romans presents salvation fully, freely, and forever. In introducing this letter to the Romans we will take a partial look at verses 1 and 7: Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, To all that be in Rome, Our initial focus in this first glimpse of the letter will be to meet the human author, to understand more about the intended audience, and to make sense of the particular aim, or purpose, for the writing. Preaching Point We are commanded to study. Why are we studying all of this preliminary information about Romans? Because the information contained in this introductory study is imperative in order for us to learn the important doctrines contained in the text. In order to learn the text, we must first examine the context, and the context will be revealed in this introductory study. The Bible commands us to: "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15) 2

3 The Author The human writer of the letter to the Romans is identified in the first verse. We do not ever take a position other than what is plainly stated in the Bible, and the Bible tells us who the writer is. There are some liberal Bible critics who desire to pick apart what is plainly taught by the Bible. Paul also had the help of some others in communicating this wonderful letter. Tertius, an amanuensis (one who takes dictation - Romans 16:22), penned the epistle as Paul dictated it. Paul himself was merely a scribe of sorts, someone who received this inspired truth as God dictated it to him. The letter was then delivered by Phoebe (Romans 16:1 and 2 note Cenchrea was located next to Corinth, and was the port city for Corinth) Let s take a moment to learn what we can about the human author. The following is an excerpt from a previous study on The Life of Paul: I Paul s Background as an Enemy of Christ "For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless." - (Philippians 3:3-6) "But Paul said, I am a man which am a Jew of Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city: and, I beseech thee, suffer me to speak unto the people." - (Acts 21:39) It is important to note that Paul was born in Tarsus of Cilicia, and was given the name Saul by his father. (Acts 22:1 3;) He is not actually referred to as Paul until Acts 13:9. "Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him," - (Acts 13:9) The Bible does not indicate that God changed his name to Paul, but that he was known by both names. Though he was Hebrew by both blood and faith, he also had Roman citizenship, which entitled him to many privileges and rights that other Jews did not enjoy. How Paul received this citizenship is 3

4 unclear. It is believed by some that the city of Tarsus was granted freedom in the years prior to the birth of Saul, and thus every person born in it was automatically granted citizenship. It is interesting that Paul never mentions his family in his writings. He visited Tarsus shortly after his conversion and on both his second and third journeys, yet there is no mention of him visiting or witnessing to family members Paul s was a Pharisee and the son of a Pharisee. "But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question." - (Acts 23:6) The Pharisees were a very legalistic sect of the Jews that seemed to have originated in the period of time between the Old and New Testaments, possibly during the revolt of the Maccabees against Antiochus Epiphanes. They are not mentioned at all in the Old Testament. This group held to a strict code of ceremonial laws, and consisted of about 6000 members. They were bitter enemies of the Lord. The name Pharisee means separated ones. Jesus often rebuked them for placing their traditions above the word and will of God. (See Matthew 15:3 9; 22:18; 23:13, 23, 25, 29; Luke 12:1) Notice that there is another group mentioned in Acts 23:6 the Sadducees. They were the liberals of the day. They denied the existence of angels, and the possibility of a resurrection. Though the Sadducees and Pharisees were almost opposite of each other, Jesus warned His followers to beware of the leaven of both groups. (See Matthew 22:23; Acts 23:8) A His Education as a Pharisee "I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day." - (Acts 22:3) He was educated at the feet of Gamaliel a well- respected doctor of the law. (See also Acts 5:34 40) Gamaliel was also a Pharisee, and quite possibly the most influential teacher of Paul s day. As a student of this man, Paul would have become expert in both the Old Testament Law, and Rabbinic traditions. Paul was probably a member of the Sanhedrin (see Acts 26:10) a council of seventy- one members made up of both Pharisees and Sadducees, with the High Priest being the chief officer. 4

5 It is possible that Paul was at one time married because he was a Pharisee, a rabbi, and a member of the Council. That leaves us with the question of what happened to Paul s wife. If, in fact, he was married at one time, his wife had probably died prior to the time of Paul s travels and writings. B His Enmity as a Persecutor (See Acts 7:54 8:3; 9:1-2) "I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them. And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities." - (Acts 26:9-11) Paul hated Christians. He saw himself as an agent of God in the extermination of all that professed faith in Christ. II Paul s Birth into God s Family (Acts 9:3 17) A Paul s salvation was powerful - Salvation for anyone is a divine act of God, but Paul s conversion was uniquely miraculous. Jesus personally appeared to Saul on the road to Damascus. B Paul s salvation was personal You will notice that the Lord revealed himself only to Paul, not to the men that were travelling with him. C Paul s salvation was prepared Another disciple of the Lord Ananias received a vision also from the Lord preparing him to assist Paul. It was after Ananias came to Paul that the scales were lifted from his eyes, and he received the Holy Ghost. D Paul s salvation was preceded by the testimony of Stephen The death of Stephen certainly had a profound impact on Paul. III Paul s Baptism and Training as a Disciple A He was baptized by Ananias in Damascus (Acts 9:18) 9:19) B His discipleship began with the disciples in Damascus (Acts He immediately began preaching Christ in the synagogues (v 20 22) He boldly convinced many Jews in Damascus that Jesus is the Christ. 5

6 C He escaped the Jews in Damascus only to be shunned by the disciples in Jerusalem. (Acts 9:23 26) D He is defended by Barnabus (Acts 9:25 28) E He gets into another scuffle with the Grecians (see Acts 6), and they try to kill him. (Acts 9:29) F He is sent home to Tarsus. (Acts 9:30-31) G 11:19 26) H 11:27 30) Barnabus finds Paul in Tarsus and brings him to Antioch (Acts Barnabus and Saul deliver relief to the saints in Judaea (Acts I Paul and Barnabus return to Antioch with John Mark (Acts 12:25 13:1) Paul s training was practical in that he immediately put into practice the things that he learned. His training was also personal in that several individuals invested their lives in him, especially Barnabus. IV Paul s Frequent Boasting of the Grace of God Every time Paul had the opportunity he rehearsed his testimony before unbelievers. The personal testimony is one of the most effective tools any believer has in witnessing to the lost. New believers may not know all of the Scriptural arguments regarding salvation, but they should know what happened to them. The Audience A Before the Jews at Jerusalem Acts 21:39 22:16 B Before Agrippa Acts 26: 1 23 Verse eight tells us that the letter was written to all believers in Rome. Rome was the capital of the entire Roman Empire. It was founded in 753 BC, but is not mentioned in the Bible until the New Testament. The population of Rome was over one million in Paul s day. Rome is located 15 miles from the Mediterranean Sea in central Italy. The City of Rome contained many Jews, and after Pentecost, began to be a place where Jewish Christians lived. According to a Suetonius, a first 6

7 century Roman Scholar in his Life of Claudius, Caesar Claudius who reigned from 41 to 54 A.D., banished from Rome all the Jews, who were continually making disturbances at the instigation of one Chrestus. 2 (presumably Christ see Acts 18:2 Priscilla and Aquila were kicked out of Rome). Some of the believers at Rome had probably been converted to Christ at Pentecost (Acts 2:10), and others may have been converted through the ministry of Paul and others after the time of Pentecost. Priscilla and Aquila were originally from Rome, but were with Paul in Corinth and in Ephesus on his second journey in A.D. Apparently, they were now living back in Rome as we see that a church was meeting at their house. (Romans 16:3 5) The letter was written to all believers in Rome, both Jew and Gentile. Portions of the letter were specifically addressed to Jews (2:17; 4:1, 12); but other portions of the letter were addressed to Gentiles (1:13; 11:13). Other sections seem to be designed to explain the assimilation of both Jews and Gentiles into the Body of Christ. (11:17 31) The Aim (or Purpose) As was already stated, the theme of this letter is the righteousness of God: "For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith." (Romans 1:17) Harry Ironside points out that there are three New Testament letters that quote the phrase from Habakkuk 2:4: the just shall live by his faith. In Romans the emphasis is on the just ; in Galatians, the emphasis is on shall live ; and in Hebrews, the emphasis is by faith. 3 In Romans, Paul will prove that righteousness cannot come from adherence to commandments, but rather only through faith in Christ. Whether Jew or Gentile, righteousness can only be imputed to the lost sinner when he places his trust in the Lord Jesus: "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe 2 Suetonius. Life of Claudius 3 Ironside (Kindle Location 51) 7

8 in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." (Romans 10:9) In this epistle, Paul will step by step, precept upon precept, and line upon line, diffuse all arguments to the contrary. Paul was not correcting false doctrine here in Romans, as he did in Galatians; nor was he rebuking bad behavior, as in the Corinthian epistles. He was establishing doctrinal as well as practical principles surrounding the theme of the righteousness of God. The great doctrines of sanctification, justification, and eternal security are all carefully explained here in this letter. Paul wanted to make sure that this church in Rome was established in the faith (Romans 1:11) There is also a secondary purpose recorded in Romans 15: Paul wanted to eventually reach into Spain with the gospel, and he wanted to stop and visit the saints in Rome on the way, and solicit their support for his journey. The Epistle to the Romans breaks up into three major divisions. There is the doctrinal section in chapters 1 8; the dispensational section in chapters 9 11; and the devotional (practical) section in chapters John Phillips observed that there are several key words and phases found in this letter: Some of the key words in Romans are law (78 times), all (71 times), righteousness (66 times), faith (62 times), sin (60 times), death (42 times), in Christ (33 times), flesh (20 times), impute (19 times), and God forbid (10 times).' Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John gave the facts about Christ's sojourn on earth, but Paul gave the meaning of it, so that in Romans we actually have the gospel according to Paul. More Old Testament quotations appear in Romans than in all the other epistles put together- some seventy quotations from fourteen Old Testament books. In this way Paul showed that the gospel message is the same throughout all ages. 4 4 Phillips, John. (2009) Exploring the New Testament Book by Book: An Expository Survey (Loc ). Kindle Ed. Grand Rapids, MI. Kregel Pub. 8

9 Series The Righteousness of God A Verse- by- Verse Study through The Epistle to the Romans Message Two The Righteousness of God Revealed Wednesday, December 11, 2013 Text Romans 1:1 17 The Doctrinal Section I Paul s Salutation to the Saints at Rome (vs. 1 7) "Paul, a servant (δοῦλος - doulos) of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God," (Romans 1:1) Notice that Paul calls himself a servant. The word here is doulos, which means a slave one who gives himself up to another s will. This is a stronger word than the word diakonos, which is also sometimes translated servant or minister. Though Paul was a great leader, he was also a great servant. Paul served people, but he was willingly a slave to the Lord. Paul recognized that he was a purchased possession of the Lord. (1 Corinthians 6:20; 7:23) Dr. Paul Fedena made this observation: The word Paul uses is doulos or bondslave. There were about 6 million slaves in the Roman empire so Paul s use of this term would resonate with those in bondage. But his surrender was to the Savior, whom he served willingly. So Paul became a loving slave like those in O.T. times who, when set free, chose instead to stay with their masters even willingly taking an external badge of slave I.D., i.e., a wooden plug in their earlobe. Paul was not ashamed to be identified as a bondslave of Jesus Christ. 5 Illustration told by Harry Ironside: There is a story told of an African slave whose master was about to slay him with a spear when a chivalrous British traveler thrust out his arm to ward off the blow, and it was pierced by the cruel weapon. As the blood spurted out, he demanded the person of the slave, saying he had bought him by his suffering. To this the former master ruefully agreed. As the latter walked away, the slave threw himself at the feet of his 5 Fedena, Paul. (2013) Commentary on Romans, Chapter 1 By Special Delivery, (page 1) 9

10 deliverer, exclaiming, "The blood- bought is now the slave of the son of pity. He will serve him faithfully." And he insisted on accompanying his generous deliverer and took delight in waiting upon him in every possible way. 6 Notice that Paul was called or appointed to be an apostle. An apostle was one who is sent by authority with a commission. One of the qualifications for an apostle was that they had to have seen the resurrected Christ. Paul met the resurrected Lord on the road to Damascus in Acts 9. They also had to be personally chosen by the Lord. I believe Peter jumped the gun in Acts 1 when he called for a casting of lots in order to choose Matthias as a replacement for Judas. Peter was instructed to wait at Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit came. Paul was chosen by Jesus. (Acts 1:15 26; 9:1 19) Preaching Point We are also called, and commissioned God has called us to some things, and He has commissioned us to do some things as well. We who are believers were all called to salvation; and all those who have been saved are commissioned to preach the gospel to every creature. We will also be called individually by the Lord to perform certain tasks that he will equip us to do. Notice also that Paul was separated unto the gospel. We often speak of being separated from things: sinners, evil, the world. Romans 12:2 says: "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." (Romans 12:2) But here Paul declares a positive side of separation. Paul was separated from some things, but he was also separated to some things, and here he states that he was separated unto the gospel. Preaching Point We should not just be separated from evil; we should also be separated to what s good and right. Oftentimes, when we are dealing with our young people, we are always 6 Ironside. (Kindle Locations ). 10

11 telling them what they can t do, what they shouldn t watch or listen to; but there is a very wonderful positive side to God s will as well. Paul s new life was an abundant, abounding, and fruitful life that brought to him more joy than anything that he may have given up. "(Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,)" (Romans 1:2) This parenthetical statement refers to the gospel of God from the previous verse, meaning that the gospel was prophesied in the Old Testament. The gospel of Christ was alluded to in many Old Testament passages beginning in Genesis 3:15, but there are also many clear pictures of Christ s sacrifice including Isaiah 53. "Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;" (Romans 1:3) The gospel of God concerns the Son of God, Jesus Christ. He was the One who died for our sin, was buried and was resurrected to prove his power over death and Hell. (1 Corinthians 15:1 4) Notice that Jesus was made of the seed of David, indicating that He existed prior to His becoming a man. According to the flesh, Jesus was a descendent of David legally through the lineage of his foster father Joseph (Matthew 1), and biologically through the lineage of his mother Mary. (Luke 3) "And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:" (Romans 1:4) Verse three declares that Jesus was fully human, but verse four tells us that he was also fully God. The Father Himself had declared Jesus to be the Son of God: "And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased." (Luke 3:22) "For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received from God the Father honour 11

12 and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount." (2 Peter 1:16-18) His sinless life ( the spirit of holiness ) and complete fulfillment of all of the demands of the Law also proved that He was the Son of God. If the declaration of the Father, and a sinless life are not enough to prove His deity, then perhaps His resurrection from the dead will convince you. The gospel message is not only that Christ died for our sins, and was buried but that also: " he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time." (1 Corinthians 15:4-8) "By whom we have received grace and apostleship (ἀποστολή apostolē), for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:" (Romans 1:5) Paul had received the grace of God - God s unmerited favor, but he also received apostleship a commission literally a sending away. Paul was saying that God had saved him, and then sent him to preach the faith of Christ to all nations. "Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ:" (Romans 1:6) The recipients of this letter were among those that Paul was called to minister to. They were the called of Jesus Christ ; meaning that God had given the gospel to them and many of them had already received the invitation to be saved. (See also Romans 8:28-30) In a general way, every human being on the planet has been called or invited to be saved. However, the called, seems to refer to those who have already been saved, not just to those that God is inviting. The word translated the called here is κλητός (klētos), which is usually used as a verb, but here the definite article the would indicate that it is a noun referring to those who are called. 12

13 "To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ." (Romans 1:7) The beloved of God, called to be saints are those who have believed the Gospel. This would be consistent with the statement that we made earlier indicating that this letter was not written primarily to lead people to Christ, but rather it s purpose was to help those who have already received the gift to better understand their salvation. Preaching Point This letter is for us too. We must not ever think that we are studying the Bible in order to see what God was doing with people 2000 years ago. The material in this letter is very relevant for us today. God wants to understand our salvation a little better. He wants us to be better grounded in the faith. He wants us to understand his love for us. It is His love that constrains us. "And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God." (Ephesians 3:19) II Paul s Sanction of the Strength of their Faith (vs. 8 15) The word sanction means confirmation or recognition meaning that Paul recognized this group of believers in Rome. A Paul was proud of this church. "First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world." (Romans 1:8) This church had a reputation for their faith. Christians around the world were talking about what was going on in Rome. As we have already noted, there were some Christian Jews who were kicked out of Rome, which is a sign that they were living godly lives, and declaring the gospel to others: "Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." (2 Timothy 3:12) Preaching Point: 13

14 When was the last time somebody from Jersey Shore Baptist Church was persecuted? Our lack of ill treatment from the world may be an indication of our lack of impact on this dark world. Go to work tomorrow and pass out a dozen tracts, and try to talk to a few people about Jesus Christ, and then watch what happens. You probably won t get a promotion; you will most likely be called up to the boss s office and be reprimanded. When was the last time somebody was reprimanded for sharing his or her faith? We want the world to take notice of our church; not in a bad way, or even in a prideful way. I want the people that ride by here to know that there is a group of people here in Galloway that love the Lord, and are not ashamed of Him. B Paul prayed for this church. "For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers; Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you." (Romans 1:9-10) Notice the phrase the gospel of his Son in v. 9. In v. 1 he uses the phrase gospel of God; in v. 16 the gospel of Christ ; and in 2:16 he takes possession of it by calling it my gospel. The gospel was personal to Paul, and it ought to be personal to us as well. Paul s love for these people is evident in the language that he uses here. Regarding Paul s prayer: Paul not only prayed for the church, he also prayed that he would be able to come visit the church. Paul s prayer request would not be answered for a few years, not until after he was imprisoned and shipwrecked. Paul s concern for this church was evident in that he always mentioned them to God. This was a church he had not yet visited; made up of many people he didn t even know. Paul was a busy guy. He already had a lot of people and churches to pray for from places he had already ministered to, yet he still took the time to pray for the believers at Rome. 14

15 Preaching Point: How much effort are we putting into our prayers for other people? Prayer is our declaration of dependence upon God, but it is also duty and delight to lift up the names of the people we care about to the Lord. Prayer of Concern by Gertrude Grace Sanborn I did not read God s word today, Nor did I take the time to pray; I busy went upon my way, And thus betrayed my Lord. I did not lean upon his might When new day cares came with the light; I tried to walk by my own sight, And thus I grieved my Lord. I did not raise my voice in praise But murmured oft on many days, And did not to myself say nay, And thus denied my Lord. Dear Lord I yearn to be so bent Unto thy will and be content To trust thee for each day and hour, And draw from thee Thy grace and power. 7 C Paul purposed to visit this church. "For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established;" (Romans 1:11) Notice that Paul wanted to do something for them, to give something to them. Too many in the ministry want to get something in return, but Paul was a giver. The spiritual gift that Paul wanted to give them was the gift of sound doctrine. He wanted this church to be established in the faith; just as Priscilla and Aquila expounded unto Apollos the way of God more perfectly. Paul wanted to make sure that this young church, 7 Waite, D. A. (October 2005) Romans Preaching Verse by Verse (p. 15) Collingswood, N. J.: Bible for Today Press. 15

16 which had no apostolic leadership, was prospering down the right path. Paul wanted to teach them the Word of God. It is the Word that establishes us (makes us stable). Too many Christians are immature and unstable. Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus: "And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love." (Ephesians 4:11-16) Paul said that the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers were gifts to the church in order to help them be perfected or established. "That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me." (Romans 1:12) It is a great comfort to know that you are on the same page with others. Paul wanted to make sure that the church at Rome was doctrinally on the right page. John said: "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth." (3 John 1:4) "Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles." (Romans 1:13) Now I would not have you ignorant brethren this is the first of seven times that this phrase, or a similar one is used. Paul uses it six of the 16

17 seven times, and the other time it is used by Peter: 1 Romans 11:25 concerning the blindness of Israel. 2 1 Corinthians 10:1 concerning the typology of the deliverance of Israel from Egypt, and how it relates to the idolatry present in Corinth. 3 1 Corinthians 12:1 concerning spiritual gifts. 4 2 Corinthians 1:8 concerning the trouble Paul had in Asia. 5 1 Thessalonians 4:13 concerning the rapture. 6 2 Peter 3:8 concerning God s timetable. To be ignorant simply means that we don t know or don t understand. The bottom line is that God does not want us to be ignorant, and we don t have to be if we study to shew [ourselves] approved unto God. but was let hitherto - means that Paul was hindered from coming. He was busy in other places, and at the time of this writing (in Corinth at the conclusion of third missionary journey) it might have been possible for him to go, but he was determined to go to Jerusalem, which would result in his being delayed further as he would be arrested and then incarcerated in Caesarea for a couple of years. D Paul was ready to preach to this church. "I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise." (Romans 1:14) This is the first of the three famous I am statements in chapter one. Here he states that he is a debtor. Note a Barbarian was one who could not speak Greek. In a broader sense, it could refer to somebody that was uncultured or uneducated. Paul stated that he owed a debt to these Gentiles. Why? Perhaps it was because of the abundant grace that was bestowed upon him. In other words, he felt obligated to pay back the Gentiles for all that God had done for him. It could mean that Paul was a debtor to them because they had been a source of provision for him in the past. (See Romans 15:25 27 the saints at Macedonia and Achaia were indebted to the saints at Jerusalem because the gospel ultimately 17

18 came from them.) Preaching Point: We owe a great debt too. We don t have to pay back God. We didn t sign a contract of servitude for Him when we trusted Christ. He saved us unconditionally, and He loves us unconditionally. But we ought to be willing to share with the world around us a little of the grace that God has given us. We show our appreciation to Jesus by loving and serving others here on the earth. "So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also." (Romans 1:15) Here is the second I am statement. Paul was ready. Ready means two things: 1 He was willing. Paul was certainly willing. As was already stated, he said he felt obligated. "For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!" (1 Corinthians 9:16) He, like Jeremiah, had a burning fire shut up in his bones, and he couldn t refrain from preaching if he wanted to. 2 He was prepared. Paul knew what he was talking about. He knew the Bible. He prepared himself and his message. He was prepared spiritually through dependence upon the Holy Ghost of God. Preaching Point: Are you ready, willing, and able to preach the gospel to those around you? Are you ready to tell others how to be saved? Are you trusting in the Holy Ghost to bring you to people who will be receptive to the Words of Life? III Paul s Statement Regarding Salvation through the Gospel (vs ) "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of 18

19 God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek." (Romans 1:16) Here is the final and famous I am statement. Paul said that he was not ashamed of the gospel because it was through the gospel that he was saved. The gospel message is the power (δύναμις [dynamis] dynamite) that breaks up the fallow ground of the lost sinner s heart, and gloriously brings him from death unto life. The late evangelist Dwight L. Moody commented that the gospel is like a lion. All the preacher has to do is to open the door of the cage and get out of the way! 8 Paul was not ashamed of something that powerful both because of what it could do, and Who it came from. It was God s gospel. Jesus said: "Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels." (Mark 8:38) Paul later quotes from the Old Testament in Romans: "For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed." (Romans 10:11) Preaching Point: We cannot be ashamed of Christ or afraid to preach the gospel messaged. It is the only way for people to be saved. "For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith." (Romans 1:17) This verse is the key verse to the entire epistle. The Christian life is a faith life. The just shall live by faith this is a quotation from Habakkuk 2:4. Here in Romans the emphasis of this verse is on the two words, the 8 Mounce, R. H. (1995). Romans (Vol. 27, p. 70). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers. 19

20 just, in other words Romans deals extensively with the doctrine of justification. How does a person become justified? How can he be seen as sinless in the sight of God? By faith! This phrase is also repeated in Galatians 3:11 where the emphasis is on shall live, and in Hebrews 10:38 where the emphasis is on by faith. We are not only saved by grace through faith, we are also to live by faith as well. The Christian life is a life of faith, not religious traditions, rituals, or requirements. from faith to faith the gospel is passed down from those who had faith to believe to those who have faith to believe. We receive the righteousness of God through faith: "Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:" (Romans 3:22) Have you been saved by faith? Are you living by faith? 20

21 Series The Righteousness of God A Verse- by- Verse Study through The Epistle to the Romans Message Three The Wrath of God Revealed Wednesday, January 1, 2014 Text Romans 1:18 32 The Doctrinal Section continued In the first part of chapter one, we were introduced to the theme for this entire letter, the just shall live by faith (Romans 1:17). Here in the second part of the first chapter we see that the unjust lives according to the lusts of his flesh. The first part of the chapter reveals the righteousness of God, which is imparted and imputed to all who have placed their faith in Christ; and the second part reveals the wrath of God, which will be poured out on those who reject the offer of salvation. It is very important to realize that this passage clearly teaches that God is not the cause behind man s problems. Man keeps making bad choices. It was not God s will for man to sin against him in the Garden of Eden, yet man chose to do so. Of course, God knew that Adam would sin, and God had a plan for man to be saved through the shed blood of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. God gave man the Truth about the redemption that He offers those who place their faith in Christ. Yet, mankind, for the most part, continues to reject the Truth. In our passage, we will see that mankind continues to step away from God and His Truth, and each time they do, God gave them up (vs. 24; 26; over v. 28). This does not mean that God gives up on His willingness to save them; it simply means that God allows them to exercise their free will; He doesn t restrain them. The only hope for mankind is to believe the Truth, and receive the gift of salvation that is offered through repentance and faith in Christ. God didn t want Adam to sin, and doesn t want you to sin today, but He will allow you to sin; and He will allow you to continue down that pathway, but the consequences of sin is God s wrath. The wages of sin is death. God does not take pleasure in executing wrath. In fact, God s desire is for you to turn away from sin (that s repentance), and turn to 21

22 Him for salvation (that s forgiveness); but God will not force you to be saved, and He will give you up, or give you over, meaning He will allow you to have your way, just like it teaches in this passage. I God Gave Them Up, Because They Choked Back (Restrained or Suppressed) the Truth (vs ) "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness (lack of reverence or fear) and unrighteousness (breaking of the Law) of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;" (Romans 1:18) The idea here is that the Truth is available, knowable, and attainable for anyone and everyone. However, man chooses to reject the Truth that He can easily see; he represses it. "For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God." (John 3:17-21) Man can see the Light, but he rejects it, or suppresses it. "But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them." (2 Corinthians 4:3-4) Each step a man takes away from the Light, the Light gets dimmer. Eventually, he will get so far away that he can t see the Light at all. But remember, it all started at a place where there was Light that he could see, and know, but he chose to suppress it. "For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their 22

23 eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them." (Matthew 13:15) Notice the phrase is revealed that s present tense. You would think that it should read will be revealed in the future; but the punishment for the unjust is already revealed. We just read from John 3, where Jesus said, He that believeth not is condemned already. The rejecters of God s Son are already condemned, and their punishment is already revealed. "And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." (Revelation 20:11-15) God reveals the Truth about Himself to all men through: 1 The Law Within Their Conscience (v. 19) "Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them." (Romans 1:19) "For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)" (Romans 2:14-15) 2 Creation (v. 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:" (Romans 1:20) 23

24 He also reveals Himself to man through direct revelation, through the Word of God. God revealed Himself directly to Adam and Eve. He revealed Himself directly to Noah and his family who were the only human beings on earth after the flood. He revealed Himself directly in the past to the entire nation of Israel. He has directly revealed Truth to this nation (America), in that at one time the Truth about God permeated every aspect of our society, even being taught for most of our history in the schools. Our land was flooded with Truth, and even today there is still no excuse, because the Truth is readily available for anyone who wants it. "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." (Romans 1:21) Notice that man did not glorify God, and wasn t thankful, meaning that man doesn t recognize God as the source of life and blessing, and he does not appreciate what God has provided for him. Thanksgiving to God glorifies Him. One of the characteristics of this selfish and godless society is the lack of appreciation that it expresses. We are quick to complain when things are not going the way we want them to; we are quick to blame God for every tragedy that takes place in our lives; but when something good happens to us, we want to steal God s glory, and claim it for ourselves. "I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images." (Isaiah 42:8) Think about all of the good things, the wonderful blessings that you have. Do you recognize them as gifts from God? "Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools," (Romans 1:22) The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom [and knowledge]. Since man has thrown God out, he loses his wisdom, and starts believing all kinds of crazy things. Evolution is a perfect example of what I am talking about. A careful look at the creation will clearly point you to a Creator, but men choose instead to reject what they can clearly see, and believe something that is preposterous and not provable. In fact, this passage clearly teaches the opposite of evolution, because mankind is not 24

25 evolving into something better, he is devolving into something much worse. "And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things." (Romans 1:23) At this point, man has taken God off of His throne, and re- fashions Him into a god of his own imagination. Because we no longer possess the Truth in righteousness, we now believe whatever we want. Man worships a god that doesn t exist except in His own mind. And since your belief determines your behavior; since you have left the Truth, God now allows you to do what feels right to you. This is the epitome of humanism. God is gone; man has been put on the throne, and he is doing whatever he feels like doing. If it feels good, do it. If it s right for you, it s right. There are no absolutes, everything is relative. In v. 23, we see that man begins to worship nature. Notice the end result: "Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:" (Romans 1:24) The word uncleanness speaks of moral impurity. The word dishonor comes from the same root word as the word vile in v. 26. God gave them up because they Choked Back (Restrained and Suppressed) the Truth. II God Gave Them Up, Because They Changed (Revised or Substituted) The Truth (vs ) "Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen." (Romans 1:25) The context of this really has the idea of man s creation of his own truth, which is really a lie. The Devil is the father of lies, and he loves it when man is on the throne and doing his own thing. He ll encourage you to believe whatever you want as long as it is not the Truth. 25

26 Christian s should be admonished here about changing God s Word, which is the same as changing Truth. We live in a day when the Bible is being re- written into many different perversions. "For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:" (Romans 1:26) "And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet." (Romans 1:27) Notice that homosexuality is the end result of a people who have abandoned the Truth of God. Notice very carefully that God says homosexuality is a vile affection. God gave them up because they choked back, restrained, and suppressed the Truth. God gave them up because they changed, revised, and substituted God s Truth for a lie. III God Gave Them Over To a Reprobate Mind, Because They Chose to Continue (Remain or Stay) in their Rebellion Against the Truth (vs ) "And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;" (Romans 1:28) "Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity (means bad character, depravity of heart); whisperers," (Romans 1:29) According to Ephesians 5:18, the Christian is supposed to be filled with the Spirit of God. In Ephesians 3:19, the Bible says that we are to be filled with all the fullness of God. Here in this passage, we see that the man who rejects Christ is filled with all of the things that God is opposed to. (also Mark 7:20 23; Galatians 5:19 21; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11) 26

27 "Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents," (Romans 1:30) "Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable (stubborn, unyielding), unmerciful:" (Romans 1:31) "Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them." (Romans 1:32) These people know that what they are doing is wrong, and they know that punishment that is coming, but they simply have become hardened to the point where they do not care. They take pleasure in wickedness. I m reminded here of the progression of wickedness that was taught in the first psalm: Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor standeth in the way of sinners, Nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. (Psalm 1:1) IV God Will Give Them Grace and Mercy, If They Cherish (Repent and Receive or Surrender to) The Truth Though this wonderful truth is not contained in this chapter, Paul is building up to it and it will be revealed in later chapters. "Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:" (Romans 3:22) "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8) "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:23) "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.... For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Romans 10:9-10, 13) 27