Are You Ashamed of the Gospel? Why or why not? Romans 1

 

Paul’s Longing to Visit Rome

8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world. 9 God, whom I serve in my spirit in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you 10 in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you.

As we begin our walk through the book of Romans, written by the apostle Paul, you may or may not know that the letter to the Romans had an enormous influence on the great Reformer Martin Luther.

In August of 1513, a monk lectured on the Book of Psalms to seminary students, but his inner life was nothing but turmoil. In his studies he came across Psalm 31:1: In Thy righteousness deliver me. The passage confused Luther; how could God’s righteousness do anything but condemn him to hell as a righteous punishment for his sins? Luther kept thinking about Romans 1:17, which says, the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, “He who through faith is righteous shall live.”

Luther the monk went on to say: “Night and day I pondered until… I grasped the truth that the righteousness of God is that righteousness whereby, through grace and sheer mercy, he justifies us by faith. Therefore I felt myself to be reborn and to have gone through open doors into paradise… This passage of Paul became to me a gateway into heaven.” Martin Luther was born again, and the Reformation began in his heart. (David Guzik)

As we look at some of the most critical verses related to the Protestant Reformation they will come from the book of Romans, and as inspired by the Holy Spirit to the Apostle Paul. The Reformation movement is summarized by the statement, "We are justified by Faith Alone, by Grace Alone, based on the Word of Alone." 

11 I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong— 12 that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. 13 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters,[d] that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles.

Paul's deep desire was to visit the church in Rome.  We see in the book of Acts that ultimately Paul knew he would meet his fate in Rome at the hands of the Roman Empire.  For Paul, Rome was the end of the world on the map as he knew it.  To bring the gospel to Rome, was for Paul the same as bringing the gospel to all ends of the earth.  The church in Rome has been the center of Roman Catholic church for centuries. Early in the 4th Century Constantine the Roman Emperor, made Christianity the official religion of the empire and he built many of the large churches we see today. 

The bishop of the church in Rome, seen as being in apostolic succession from the apostle Peter became the authority for the Western church.  Whereas Catholics interpret their authority through the Church and specifically the historic episcopate (the succession of bishops/popes since Peter),  Protestants derive our authority from the Word of God, the bible.  So in this sense for a Protestant, the church in Rome is no different than the church in Irvine or Santa Ana.  Luther preached the center of the church is Jesus Christ, not any person or leader.  The Church is the body of Christ where the gospel is preached and the sacrament is administered rightly. This is the true church, not a building, bishop or pope.  As Jesus taught, "Whenever two or three are gathered in my name, there I am with them."  

14 I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. 15 That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome.16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last,[e] just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”

Though Romans is primarily written to the Jewish Christians in Rome, there is also quite a bit of emphasis on Paul's ministry and preaching to the Gentiles and their role in the church now and into the future.  Paul cites this as the reason he is so eager to visit Rome. He knows what a center of cultural influence Rome is opportunity for the gospel to reach all people groups.

Verses 16 and 17 are worth memorizing.  These two verses not only summarize Paul's great passion to reach lost people, but also the theology which will be the hallmark of the Church for twenty centuries.  In essence, Paul says that the Good News is that God has made it possible for us to have a right relationship with him.  The right relationship is not based on good works or being inherently pure, but it is based on faith.  Faith in God's only Son who became our own righteousness.  Paul will have more to say about this in the chapters ahead.  Paul is a meaty book with many verses that summarize the Christian faith and life.  Strap your seat belts on, we are going to have quite the ride!

What are you most passionate about in your life and why?  Why do you think Paul was so passionate about the Good News that we are justified by faith not works?  Do you feel like you have to be a good person to be accepted by God?  How good do you have to be?  The fact is none of us could be good enough to be declared righteous before God.  But God has given us a free gift that we are justified by faith in Jesus Christ who has become our righteousness and the only way to God.  For Luther this was a game changer.  Have you fully realized what this means for you?  If not read through this great book with new eyes!