Romans 4:18-25 (ESV)

18 In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.” 19 He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb. 20 No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21 fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. 22 That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” 23 But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, 24 but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, 25 who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.

Faith Apart from Circumstances

Paul concludes chapter 4 of Romans by circling back to the faith of Abraham that started God’s covenant family.  This time he highlights the faith of Abraham to believe that God would give him a child, even though he was well on in age.  Abraham did not merely believe God when evidence of the promise was absent. In hope he believed against hope. In other words, Abraham believed God when the evidence sharply pointed against God’s promise.  From a human perspective, the situation was hopeless. Abraham was just an ordinary person putting his faith in an extraordinary God. If you’ll recall in Romans chapter 1, Paul paints a hopeless picture of humanity under the power of sin.  He now uses Abraham to reverse the storyline from a hopeless humanity to a humanity that can be put back together again and rediscover the life God intended His image bearers to live. Faith does not ignore hopeless circumstances. Faith faces them and sees beyond them to God.  Faith is not irrational – nothing is more rational than to believe God’s word, even when it seems foolish from a human perspective. Abraham’s faith initiated God’s covenant with humanity and Jesus fulfilled it. In the words of N.T. Wright, “Abraham believed that God would give life where there was none.  Christians believe that God raised Jesus from the dead.” Both positions take faith that God is bigger than sin and death, bigger than the hopelessness seen in our lives and the lives around us. Faith in His Son is God’s gift to humanity, a gift to be received or rejected. Aligning your life with Jesus makes you right before God’s throne and gives Him control to orchestrate your life so that the promises of God manifest in you and through you.  This is the good news of the gospel!  

Questions

1. How does your faith hold up when circumstances do not seem to be going your way?

2. For some extra fun, read Genesis 16 to learn how Abraham tried to fulfill God’s promise of a child on his own.  In Romans 4:19-20, Paul says that Abraham did not weaken in faith or waver in unbelief. What does this tell you about God?

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Romans 4:13-17 (ESV)

13 For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. 14 For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. 15 For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression.  16 That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, 17 as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.

Faith Apart from The Law

In Genesis chapter 17, God promised Abraham and his descendants the land of Canaan.  He also promised to make him a father of many nations. In Romans 4:13, Paul indicates that Abraham’s promise from God also included being heir of the whole world.  God initially intertwined Himself with a specific people (Israel) and a specific location (Canaan or the Promised Land), but His heart has always been for all of humanity in all geographic locations.  We see this in God’s original mandate to Adam and Eve before the fall. He told them to fill the earth and govern it. God’s heart is that all people in all nations be governed under the rightful rule and reign of King Jesus.  With Jesus as king, any privilege that the Jews might have had (geography, birth right, etc.) is available to all through faith. One specific privilege the Jewish people had was God’s word, the law. Just like Paul denounced the act of circumcision as a means to righteousness, in this section He denounces the law in the same way.  God gave the sign of circumcision to Abraham 14 years after He counted Abraham righteous. In the same vain, the law was given to Israel 430 years after God called Abraham righteous. God relates to people on the basis of their faith. The law gave God’s people moral standards as a way to be set apart from pagan nations, but it was not a means to salvation.  In fact, the law makes it very clear that humanity is in great need of a savior. Good behavior will never be enough to break sin’s power. Paul is clear that when people try to justify themselves by following the law, faith has no value, God’s promises are worthless and the law brings the wrath of God on you. It’s so relieving that it really is that simple.  It always comes down to faith in Jesus and His finished work on the cross.

Questions

1. Are you righteous before God’s throne?  Why or why not?

2. How has your faith activated the promises of God in your life?

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Romans 4:9-12 (ESV)

9 Is this blessing then only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? For we say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness. 10 How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised. 11 He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well, 12 and to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

Faith Apart from Circumcision

We’ve seen that both Abraham and David were saved by faith apart from any work, position or fulfillment of the law.  Paul turns his attention back to Abraham and the covenant God made with him through faith. Under the old covenant, circumcision was a physical sign of belonging to God’s kingdom.  Paul’s Jewish Christian audience in the Roman church was very tied to the law and circumcision as the way to follow God. They were trying to convince the Gentile Christians that they too must be circumcised in order to belong.  Because Paul is trying to unify God’s covenant story with humanity, a story that’s always been about faith, Paul highlights the fact that circumcision was given after God counted Abraham as righteous (several years later in fact).  Circumcision was not the basis for God’s covenant but rather a sign of it. It was an outward sign of a sealed spiritual reality that Abraham possessed through faith. Membership in God’s family (and thus Abraham’s family) is on the basis of faith, faith that finds Jesus at the center and His resurrection as the ultimate covenant between God and humanity.  The door is wide open for every race, culture, background and people groups. Glory be to God, there is only one door to walk through. There’s no guessing at which door might lead to God. No boasting that one door is better than the other. All who put their faith in Jesus as Savior and Lord are welcome.

Questions

1. What happens when people depend on their own obedience or signs (i.e. circumcision, baptism, Lord’s Supper) as a measure of their righteousness?

2. What value do obedience and signs have in following Jesus?

3. How are you helping the local church make sure that the gospel message is open to all, regardless of race, background, family, education, etc.?

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Romans 4:6-8 (ESV)

6…just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works:  7 “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; 8 blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.”

The Case of David

Paul continues to prove God’s way of salvation by faith with another Old Testament example, King David.  David was the greatest of Israel’s kings and a man after God’s own heart. David authored Psalm 32, the Psalm quoted in Romans 4:7, a thousand years before Jesus’ death and resurrection.  David was speaking of God’s forgiveness of his own sin, his adultery with Bathsheba and then murdering her husband. God’s covenant relationship has always been about dealing with sin, about realigning one’s life with His kingdom.  From the example of Abraham, we see that God counts us righteous through faith in His Son.  David’s example shows us that God no longer counts us by our sin.  These examples seem to say the same thing just in opposite form, but both truths must continually be at the forefront of our renewed mind.  Our faith puts us in right relationship with God AND our sins are forgiven, covered over and no longer counted against us. God chooses to remember our sins no more.  In order to walk out our true identity in Christ and to image God to the fullest, we must identify as being right before God, completely forgiven and having authority over sin.    

Questions

1. Name sins God has counted against Christ instead of you.  How do you express this joy of forgiveness?

2. If God no longer counts your sin against you, how does that help you deal with guilt from past sins?

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Romans 4:1-5 (ESV)

1 What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” 4 Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. 5 And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness…

The Case of Abraham

Paul used the first three chapters of Romans to explain to this first Roman church the problem of humanity (the power of sin) and the only solution for humanity (salvation by the gift of grace through faith in Jesus).  Recall that Paul’s audience is both Jewish and Gentile believers; those very familiar with God’s law and those who are not.  Knowing this, Paul is going to prove God’s way of salvation by faith using Old Testament examples. This will build upon the authority of scripture already known by his Jewish listeners and elicit new revelation of God’s ever unfolding narrative for the Gentiles.  Paul uses chapter 4 to lead them to the truth of God’s word, of God’s cohesive story in both the Old and New Testament. His first example references a man named Abraham, a man the Jewish believers would have called the “father of their faith.” You can read about Abraham starting in Genesis chapter 12.  God called Abraham unto Himself and said he would make him into a great nation, that He would bless him and thus all families on earth will be blessed through him. This is both a physical blessing and spiritual blessing. He fathered the nation of Israel through his son Isaac and grandson Jacob (whose name God changed to Israel) and all nations are blessed through Abraham as his lineage gave us the Messiah, Jesus Christ.  Abraham was the beginning of the covenant family, a covenant that now extends to all through faith in Jesus. This covenant was based on Abraham’s faith. His life pre-dated the law that was given to the nation of Israel; therefore, it was not Abraham’s keeping of the law that made Him right with God. It was his faith. He believed that God would do what He said He would do. He believed that God would give him offspring even though he and his wife were well past child bearing years.  Abraham’s faith didn’t ignore the difficult facts, but faced them. The way God has intertwined Himself with human beings has always been through faith. Abraham started where we all start, entangled with sin in need of a different master. It was his faith that moved him from paganism to aligning with God’s kingdom.              

Questions

1. How would you categorize your relationship with God?  One based on faith or more of an employer-employee relationship?

2. Think of a difficult circumstance in your life right now.  What role is faith playing in your situation?  

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Romans 3:21-31 (NIV)

21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.  22 This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 

24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 

25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. 27 Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith. 

28 For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.  29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, 30 since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.  31 Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.

The Reprieve

Thank goodness for Paul’s words, “But now!”  He’s signaling a point of relief from the bleak and dark picture of humanity’s sin.  He’s turning to a new script; replacing a horror film with a feel-good family movie. There is a solution!  There is hope! There is good news to be shared! Faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection reactivates our original job description to spread His rule and reign to the ends of the earth.  No longer defined by sin, we can be defined by Him; new, holy, righteous, saints, His. God justifies us (changes our verdict from guilty to innocent) when we put our faith in Jesus. Can anyone brag about this?  Of course not! Do you recall Paul’s words that it is God’s kindness that leads us to repentance? It is not because we are smarter than the next person. Or how about when Paul says that no one is able to seek God or do good?!?  Everyone is equally disadvantaged before a holy God. This is both humbling and praiseworthy. We don’t have to have an impressive resume to be in the kingdom of God, we simply need faith (even if it’s as small as a mustard seed).  Faith is not a good work; faith is God’s gift to humanity. Faith is not a work that saves us. Jesus Christ saves us through faith. Saving faith is believing and trusting in God and then acting on that with courage to give our full allegiance to Him.  The good news releases us from the grip of performance so we can be gripped by grace.          

Questions

1.  Are you reflecting Christ or representing yourself before God?

2. What is something your faith has recently prompted you to do?

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Romans 3:9-20 (NIV)

9 What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage? Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin. 10 As it is written:  “There is no one righteous, not even one; 11 there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God.
12 All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good,
 not even one.” 13 “Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” “The poison of vipers is on their lips.” 14 “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.” 15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16 ruin and misery mark their ways, 17 and the way of peace they do not know.” 18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” 19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. 20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.

 Understanding the Bad to Appreciate the Good

Just in case his audience was not clear, Paul spares no hard truths in giving a description of humanity; there is no one righteous, not even one.  Paul quotes Old Testament passages from the Psalms and Isaiah (verses 10-18) to describe what being under sin’s power looks like. No one can do even one thing to satisfy God’s standard of righteousness.  Without an accurate knowledge of our sin, we will never come to know the greatness of God’s grace. We will not accurately see the gospel as good news if we don’t see that it is impossible to seek God and understand Him on our own.  We often mistakenly see the good that we do as being in the same category as God’s righteousness. It’s like trying to spend monopoly money at the grocery store. Our good works are “fake money” before God’s throne. God requires true righteousness, available only through faith in King Jesus.  Paul has used the first three chapters of this letter to build his case against all of humanity. All are accountable to God (no one is autonomous), all are guilty of countless wrongs and all are without any works that merit God’s declaration of righteousness.

Questions

1. According to verse 18, what sin appears to underlie the other sins mentioned in this passage?  What warning do you receive from this?

2. How has our study of Romans thus far helped you to identify, confess and repent of your sin?

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Romans 3:1-8 (NIV)

1 What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision? 2 Much in every way! First of all, the Jews have been entrusted with the very words of God. 3 What if some were unfaithful? Will their unfaithfulness nullify God’s faithfulness? 4 Not at all! Let God be true, and every human being a liar. As it is written: “So that you may be proved right when you speak and prevail when you judge.” 5 But if our unrighteousness brings out God’s righteousness more clearly, what shall we say? That God is unjust in bringing his wrath on us? (I am using a human argument.) 6 Certainly not! If that were so, how could God judge the world? 7 Someone might argue, “If my falsehood enhances God’s truthfulness and so increases his glory, why am I still condemned as a sinner?” 8 Why not say—as some slanderously claim that we say— “Let us do evil that good may result”? Their condemnation is just!

God’s Determined Faithfulness

Paul continues to speak to the Jewish Christians in chapter 3. He has clearly established with them that all of humanity is need of a savior, Jew and Gentile alike. Even though the Jews did not use their spiritual advantages to take dominion and be God’s messenger across the earth, God’s faithfulness is not abolished by Israel’s faithlessness. In the words of N.T. Wright, “Jesus, as Israel’s representative, has offered the faithful obedience which Israel should have offered but did not. The Messiah is the messenger who finally delivers the message.” And what is the message Jesus offered?!? A message of salvation, healing and deliverance. Jesus came to save us from sin; He did not come to leave us in sin, much less to encourage sin. Paul is quick to correct faulty thinking that our unrighteousness enhances God’s righteousness, as if any human effort (bad or good) could add or take away from God’s perfection. Sin never glorifies God nor makes Him look good. Sin will always take us further than we plan to go, cause us to stay longer than we plan to stay and cost us more than we plan to pay. Sin cannot be managed nor controlled; it must be crucified. This is why the gospel is truly good news. It is the only answer to the sin that so easily entangles us. Those who belong to Christ exchange their identity of “sinner” for “saint” and can cling to the power of God’s spirit to continually surrender their mind, will and emotions to His perfect reign.

Questions

1. As a follower of Jesus, what should be our attitude toward sin?  Do you have this attitude over your sin and those around you?

2. How has God delivered you from sin’s bondage and destruction?

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Romans 2:17-29 (NIV)

17 Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and boast in God; 18 if you know his will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law; 19 if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, 20 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of little children, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— 21 you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? 22 You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? 24 As it is written: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.” 

25 Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised. 26 So then, if those who are not circumcised keep the law’s requirements, will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised? 27 The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you who, even though you have the written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker.

28 A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. 29 No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God.

A Matter of the Heart

Paul turns his attention from the moral elite to the religious elite, specifically the Jewish Christians who thought themselves superior because of their possession of the law.  Spiritual advantages are genuinely good things, but they cannot save you. God is not interested in outward things alone – church membership, stewardship, serving – but rather in what is inside a person.  1Samuel 16:7 says that people look at the outward appearance but the Lord looks at the heart. Paul challenges these Jewish believers that their heritage, knowledge of the law and even their ability to follow the law is not what aligns them with the gospel.  God sees their heart and the object of their faith. If their faith is in anything other than the death and resurrection of Jesus, they are no better than the outwardly rebellious or inwardly self-righteous. God judges according to truth and not according to appearances.  This levels the playing field. All of humanity is a candidate for God’s grace, a candidate to be His image bearer and spread the rule and reign of King Jesus.         

Questions

1. According to verse 24, why is it important that every area of our life be submitted to Jesus’ rule and reign?

2. What spiritual advantages has God given you?  Will you pray that God would use these as a catalyst for your faith and not a catalyst for pride?

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Romans 2:1-16 (NIV)

1 You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. 2 Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. 3 So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? 4 Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?

5 But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. 6 God “will repay each person according to what they have done.” 7 To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. 8 But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. 9 There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; 10 but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 11 For God does not show favoritism.

12 All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. 13 For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. 14 (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.) 16 This will take place on the day when God judges people’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.

Righteous Judgement 

If you’ll recall last week’s study of Romans chapter 1, Paul outlined the disease of sin (exchanging truth for lies) and its only cure (the good news of the gospel).  When we harden our hearts, God gives us over to our sinful desires and we become slaves to every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. We hit rock bottom. A clear picture of this is the parable Jesus told of the prodigal son found in Luke chapter 15; a son who hit rock bottom after being allowed to go his own way and fulfill the evil desires of his flesh.  Do you remember the other son in this parable? The one who stayed home and did everything “right?” If Romans chapter 1 describes the prodigal son, Romans chapter 2 is a good caricature of the other son. Paul opens chapter 2 by calling out the self-appointed judges, those who feel they are above immoral behavior and able to abide by all of the rules (basically they judge themselves on their good intentions).  It’s as if he’s saying, “If you felt tempted to believe that Romans 1 did not apply to you, you are not to be left out. You are guilty of the same terrible sins!” Paul makes it clear that all of humanity is under God’s perfect judgement; both the outwardly rebellious and the inwardly self-righteous. No one will escape God’s judgement; you will either be found in right standing aligned with King Jesus or self-seeking aligned with death and destruction.  Is your confidence building in being able to declare, “I am NOT ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes?!?”

Questions

1. Have you ever tried to use good morals/behavior to cover your sin?  Where did that get you?

2. What does it mean to pass judgment, and how does this differ from knowing and teaching God’s standards?

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Romans 1:18-32 (NLT)

18 But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. 19 They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. 20 For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.

21 Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. 22 Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. 23 And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles.

24 So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. 25 They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen. 26 That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. 27 And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved.

28 Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. 29 Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. 30 They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents. 31 They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy. 32 They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.

Exchanging Truth for Lies

Paul takes a sharp turn in his letter starting in verse 18.  Rather than words of greeting and encouragement, he starts to outline the harsh reality of a disease affecting all of mankind; the disease of sin.  Ever since Adam and Eve’s initial rebellion against God’s command, humanity is gripped by sin.  God has given people so much evidence of Himself that to avoid the truth about Him, people have to actively suppress it.  Because human beings are not autonomous, this suppression puts us under the rule and reign of sin and death.  This truly is a disease.  Suppression of truth leads to distorted thinking, a darkened heart and ultimately, evil behavior (idolatry, sexual impurity, shameful lusts, greed, etc.).  Perhaps this section of scripture can help explain a typical news cycle across our media platforms.  Do we see suppression of truth?  Distorted thinking?  Darkened hearts?  Evil behavior?  Have you also at some point seen this same reality when looking in a mirror?  The disease of sin is to be dealt with on a personal level, but its consequences are never personal.  Its consequences are far reaching.  Three times in this section of scripture it says that God abandoned them to their own desires.  God allows the very thing humanity fights for, the myth of independence.  Instead of authenticity, we lose our true identity.  Instead of freedom, we find sin’s bondage.  The disease spreads to the individual, to the family, the culture, the world.  Do you see the picture that Paul is painting?  It’s a bleak picture, but one with a very real solution.  Do you see why Paul says that he is not ashamed of the gospel?  It is the power of God to save and deliver us from ourselves!  In light of such depravity, God’s wrath is reasonable.  It’s His grace that is completely unreasonable.  This is really good news.    

Questions

1. How do you see the effects of sin in your life, both your sin and the sin of others?

2. Have you stopped suppressing God’s truth and come under the rule and reign of Jesus?How has your life changed since switching your allegiance?

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Romans 1:8-17 (NLT)

8 Let me say first that I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith in him is being talked about all over the world. 9 God knows how often I pray for you. Day and night I bring you and your needs in prayer to God, whom I serve with all my heart by spreading the Good News about his Son.

10 One of the things I always pray for is the opportunity, God willing, to come at last to see you. 11 For I long to visit you so I can bring you some spiritual gift that will help you grow strong in the Lord. 12 When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours.

13 I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, that I planned many times to visit you, but I was prevented until now. I want to work among you and see spiritual fruit, just as I have seen among other Gentiles. 14 For I have a great sense of obligation to people in both the civilized world and the rest of the world, to the educated and uneducated alike. 15 So I am eager to come to you in Rome, too, to preach the Good News.  16 For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile. 17 This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”

A Different Kingdom

Paul is full of thanksgiving as he writes this letter to the first Roman church.  In the words of N.T. Wright, Paul is thanking the maker of heaven and earth that there is a community in Rome, right under Caesar’s nose, who give allegiance to Jesus as Lord and have been grasped by the vision of a different kingdom.  Paul longed for the day that he could visit Rome, both to encourage and be encouraged.  Paul wanted to assist in advancing the gospel among the Roman people by preaching the good news.  Paul realized the gospel is not simply a personal possession, but a gift to be shared.  Unlike the Roman empire (or any other national allegiance), the kingdom of God is for everyone.  All who believe can align themselves with King Jesus; citizen and foreigner, civilized and uncivilized, male and female, young and old, rich and poor, etc.  Paul has no shame or embarrassment in spreading this message, for he knows that it is the power of God to completely save, heal and deliver us. 

Questions

1. List reasons Paul was not ashamed of the gospel.  How might these reasons help you when you are tempted to be ashamed or embarrassed by your faith?

2. Like Paul, we get to participate in God’s ever-expanding story in people’s lives.  Who in your life needs encouragement and prayer in order to grow strong in the Lord?

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Romans 1:7 (NLT)

7 I am writing to all of you in Rome who are loved by God and are called to be his own holy people.  May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.

Our Influence

Paul wraps up his greeting by identifying his audience (Roman believers) and the most important truths about them; they are loved by God and called to be His holy people.  Paul extends the grace and peace of God to these fellow believers so that they might stand firm in their allegiance to King Jesus, an allegiance that was in direct opposition to the Roman political powers of their day.  Although marked by physical beauty, ancient Rome was also marked by brutality; slavery, infanticide and dehumanizing sexual sin.  Among the cultural evils, a fellowship of people arose who rejected these values and lived entirely counter cultural.  Instead of sin, holiness marked the lives of these Roman Christians.  God had planted His new humanity atop the deteriorating carcass of the old!

Questions

1. How does the local church influence the culture in which they live?  What is your role to play?

2. As we live in a culture in desperate need of the good news, are you living in fear or in the peace Paul extends and God promises to deliver?

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Romans 1:5-6 (NLT)

5 Through Christ, God has given us the privilege and authority as apostles to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done for them, so that they will believe and obey him, bringing glory to his name.  6 And you are included among those Gentiles who have been called to belong to Jesus Christ.

Our Authority

Paul now includes these Roman Christians in God’s story by saying, “us.”  God has given us the privilege and authority to tell the world what God has done for them through Jesus.  God’s mission is accomplished through the us, through His church.  The privilege and authority Paul spoke over this first century Roman church, is the same privilege and authority spoken over us, the 21st century local church.  Because of our allegiance to Jesus, we have authority to share with others the good news of belonging to King Jesus.  It is our privilege to help others align their lives with Christ; to see Him as both Savior and Lord.  This truly is the mission of us, of the church!  Like Paul, we get to partner with God to see God’s story take root all over the earth. 

Questions

1. Do you see yourself as fully connected to the “us,” to the local church?  If not, what’s holding you back?

2. Who in your life needs to hear the story of King Jesus?  Will you begin to pray that God would open opportunities for you to share?

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Romans 1:1-4 (NLT)

1 This letter is from Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, chosen by God to be an apostle and sent out to preach his Good News. 2 God promised this Good News long ago through his prophets in the holy Scriptures. 3 The Good News is about his Son. In his earthly life he was born into King David’s family line, 4 and he was shown to be the Son of God when he was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit.  He is Jesus Christ our Lord.

Paul’s Allegiance

Paul takes the first verse in Romans to write somewhat of a resume or personal mission statement.  He is a slave (or servant), he’s chosen and he’s sent.  In other words, his full allegiance is to Jesus; chosen and sent my Him to bear God’s image to the world.  Paul was once a Pharisee and harsh persecutor of the church, but he had a radical encounter with Jesus that forever aligned him with the good news of the gospel.  Once set apart for the law, Paul is now set apart for the gospel.  God announced this gospel through His prophets and scriptures and God accomplished this gospel through the death and resurrection of His son, Jesus.  Unlike the law, the gospel is not a list of what we must do; it is the news of what God has done for us in Christ.  That is really good news!

Questions

1. Think about your own personal encounter with Jesus.  Has this caused you to align every area of your life with His rule and reign?

2. Why is the gospel “good news?”How have you experienced this goodness?

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