The first in a series of lessons on the book of Romans, spread over the coming months. This is a book that is very often misunderstood. We will seek to understand the purpose of the book, what Paul wants us to get from it.
“Gods covenant people now consist of a group that is demarcated not by the badges that signify Jewish ethnicity, but by their faith in Jesus.” NT Wright.
Jews were coming back to Rome and to a church which is primarily a Gentile church. So Paul is worried about how this is going to work. Throughout the book he is dealing with this issue. What he wants to stress is what matters is faith in Jesus, not your heritage.
We will focus on verses 1-7 and 16-17.
The gospel of God….
1. Promised in holy scripture. He says I am a servant of king Jesus. Jesus is the anointed one. He is descended from David, of ancient royal lineage but it is not the flesh that matters. It’s about faith in Jesus. Jesus is declared Son of God, a royal title. Any Roman who picked up this book would understand this. Not only that he sends ambassadors out to spread the gospel. Jesus is worthy of loyalty. Everyone should fall at his feet and obey Him. Ezekiel. 34 ties into this text, how God would work through the lineage of David to establish His throne. Read Verses 15 and 22 and see that Ezekiel is predicting this hundreds of years before it happens. The word promise is critical – when God promises, He delivers.
2. Offers salvation to all. Verse 16. In chapter 1, Paul lay the groundwork for his arguments in the rest of the book. Paul will argue that God is not only going to redeem His people, but all people. The portrayal is we are going back to Eden, expressed by God saying I will be their God and they will be my people. The picture of salvation is not just the ultimate fulfillment of the promise but the current deliverance and rescue from sin. Even now, in this present time, we have been given hope. All of this is what salvation in Christ represents.
3. Reveals God’s righteousness. The story of the gospel is about the glory of God. The gospel answers our most crucial questions, the main one being why is everything such a mess? What God is doing in the world is a much bigger thing than just my personal salvation. So why do bad things happen? Bad things happen because of sin. Sin entered the world in the garden and sin brings death. God, righteous and just, has to deal with it. Why isn’t God acting in the midst of all the war and chaos? He IS acting. He is doing so through the gospel. In the end, all things will be made right. The major problem is one of perspective. We want everything fixed now. This is because we don’t understand divine sovereignty. For God to deal with sin is going to involve judgment. God is working His plan in His own time. This is evident in the story of Jesus. How many years did the Jews wait to a savior?
When He finally comes, it is a proclamation. God is righteous and God keeps His promises, in His time. He is trustworthy and faithful. It’s not about this life. There is something bigger, something more.
Sermon by Brent Moody
