Romans 1 - Not Ashamed!
Today we begin our journey through Paul's letter to the Romans. As you may remember, Paul's ultimate goal was to make it to Rome and share the gospel with the Romans. Rome is also where he ended up preaching for 2 years in a rented house, which is the last we hear of him in Acts 28. Tradition and some of his letters (i.e. 1 Timothy) suggest he eventually traveled to Spain to preach the gospel there. He returned to Rome later, where he was persecuted under Emperor Nero. Tradition has it that Paul was beheaded under Nero's rule in 68 A.D.
Paul's letter to the Romans has played a huge role in the lives of many famous saints in the church including Augustine, Martin Luther, John Wesley, and John Calvin. The latter three are the most important figures in the Protestant Reformation, starting with Martin Luther in 1518.
Luther was an Augustinian monk, who was tortured by his feelings of inadequacy before a holy and righteous God. It was as he read Romans 1:17 the he found peace with God.
"For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”
This verse relieved the condemnation and fear of punishment Luther had which caused him 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." - Enduring Word Commentary
When John Wesley the famous Methodist preacher read Luther's commentary on Romans he is what happened to him,
"While he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone, for my salvation, and an assurance was given me that he had taken my sins away, even mine.” John Wesley was saved that night in London." - EWC
Here are some other quotes about these men and other gave about the book of Romans!
Martin Luther praised Romans: “It is the chief part of the New Testament and the perfect gospel… the absolute epitome of the gospel.”
John Calvin said of the Book of Romans, “When anyone understands this Epistle, he has a passage opened to him to the understanding of the whole Scripture.”
Frederick Godet, 19th Century Swiss theologian called the Book of Romans “The cathedral of the Christian faith.”
Though this letter is addressed to the Romans, it's attention to doctrine is unparallelled in the New Testament and has edified all Christians from the time of Christ until now. It is the longest letter of the New Testament at 16 chapters. Most importantly Romans lays out with crystal clear focus the most important doctrine of the Christian faith.
"We are justified by grace through faith in Jesus Christ!"
Doctrine matters, especially as we look at the distinctives of what we believe as Christians. It is only as we throughly understand what we believe that we can recognize false teaching and false religions. Thank God for Paul's letter to the Romans which helps us to understand what we believe and gives us the assurance of salvation based on what God has done for us in Christ!
Let's get started!
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. 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. 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.”[f]
Paul wrote this letter arond 56-58, before he traveled to Rome in 60-62, which we just read about at the end of Acts. Paul had heard about the Romans' faith, which shows that news did travel around the world usually by word of mouth but also by letters. Rome was a central hub in the world, so lots of people came and went through there.
These Christians had to be strong. “The Christians of Rome were unpopular – reputed to be ‘enemies of the human race’ and credited with such vices as incest and cannibalism. In large numbers, then, they became the victims of the imperial malevolence – and it is this persecution of Christians under Nero that traditionally forms the setting for Paul’s martyrdom.” (Bruce)
We read frequently of Paul's ardent prayer life, as many times his letters mention his prayers for the people and churches he knows. Paul prayed that at some point he could personally visit them. It is such an amazing thing to meet someone who you have been praying for. As you pray for someone God gives you a heart for them. We have a spiritual connection with all those we pray for that is seen in the heavenly realms. Even if we don't meet them on earth, one day we will meet them in heaven.
Paul wanted to impart some "spiritual gift" to make them strong. What did he mean by that?
Paul teaches on spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12-14 and Ephesians 4. Here are some of the spiritual gifts he possessed: apostle, teacher, pastor, encouragement, and evangelism. Obviously he was a very gifted, which was only matched by his passion and enthusiasm for all people to know Christ! Notice Paul also says, "That we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith."
Whenever we use our spiritual gifts to build others up, we are built up as well. No one us has all the gifts, but God has given each person as spiritual gift as the Holy Spirit determines. One of the greatest joys and privileges we have as Christians is to use our spiritual gifts, which are a supernatural endowment given to us by God. If you want to discover more about your spiritual gifts, please feel free to email me at pastormike@ctkfb.org
Paul is preaching to Gentiles as he says, "So that I might have a harvest among you like other Gentiles". But scholars think he was also writing to the Jewish Christians there, because of some other passages that seem to be directed toward those with a Jewish background. Though he was an apostle to the Gentiles, he never lost love for his Jewish brothers as we will read about in Romans 11.
When you are a believer, you should not care about someone's background, ethnicity, or economic status, as we are all the same in God's eyes. God loves everyone the same no matter what they have done. Of course, Paul knew this personally, as he witnessed the martyrdom of Stephen and approved of his killing.
Finally, Paul gives us a few verses that we would all do well to memorize.
"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."
Though Paul among the intellectuals and sophisticates in Rome, he was not ashamed to preach the simple gospel. The gospel of how God became a man and died for the sin of all humankind. Even the lowest ranks of society could become a child of God and inheritor of eternal life. For some of the haughty Romans, this was beneath them. But there was another reason Paul was not ashamed of the gospel.
"It is the power of God for all who believe." We don't often talk about the inherent power of the gospel. It is more than just words. It penetrates deep into a man dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Hebrews 4:12
Here is what some other commentators have had to say about the power of the Gospel, the Word of God.
"Paul knows that the gospel – the good news of Jesus Christ – has inherent power. We do not give it power, we only stop hindering the power of the gospel when we present it effectively." (Guzik)
"The gospel is certainly news, but it is more than information; it has an inherent power. “The gospel is not advice to people, suggesting that they lift themselves. It is power. It lifts them up. Paul does not say that the gospel brings power, but that it is power, and God’s power at that.” (Morris)
Friends, do you know the power of the gospel? The gospel is the Good News that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. The gospel shows us the deep, unrequited love of God by sending His own son to die on a lonely cross. If you want to know how much God loves you, look up the cross where your prince of glory died.
If you have received this treasure of the gospel, are you ashamed to share it? If yes, why? If no, are you sharing it when the Spirit gives you the opportunity? How many people have you shared Christ with in the last year? I ask this not to shame you but to remind and encourage you (and me) of how precious a gift we have. It is a gift that becomes even more valuable as we give it away!
Heavenly Father thank you for revealing Your unconditional love for us by sending Your only Son to die for us. There is no greater love than a man lay down his life for his friends. May we not be ashamed of You when we are given an opportunity to give a reason for the hope we have within us! Amen.
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