Romans 1:1 to Romans 3:21
Romans 1:1 Paul , a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God
How many Christians today would start a letter declaring themselves to be bondservants of Jesus Christ. Can we see ourselves as separated to the gospel of God. We are separated to the gospel and we understanding we have also been separated from something. Does God call His children to live with singleness of mind?
Romans 1:2 which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures,
The Holy Scriptures referred to is the Old Testament. The Holy Scriptures point to the coming Messiah who would save His people from sin.
Romans 1:3 concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, 4 and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.
Paul waste no time to identify Jesus as the Son of Man and the Son of God! Jesus is the exclusive one who fulfilled all the prophecy written about the coming Messiah. The empty grave has proved Jesus to be the Everlasting Father. Without Him there would be no everlasting life. What you believe about Jesus Christ determines your destiny.
Romans 1:5 Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name, 6 among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ;
We have received grace (His divine influence) and every gift we have for a specific purpose. God has given us all that we have for obedience to the faith. We are called to fulfill the purpose of God! He has given us the gift to do the good works He prepared for us to do from the foundation of the world.
Romans 1:7 To all who are in Rome , beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.
To all who may have called upon the name of the Lord, may you know that you are beloved of God! Jesus called your name to be a saint. More religious talk, ones who belong to God lock stock and barrel, are the ones who have the seal of ownership upon them. You are a saint if the you have been birthed with the imperishable seed.
Romans 1:9 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, 10 making request if, by some means, now at last I may find a way in the will of God to come to you. 11 For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established; 12 that is, that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.
Paul was a praying man sold out to imparting spiritual gifts to the body of Christ. His goal was to see the faith of the believers to abound. What is this truth that spiritual gifts establish the believer. The supernatural working in the believers life establish them in the purpose of God.
Romans 1:13 Now I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that I often planned to come to you (but was hindered until now), that I might have some fruit among you also, just as among the other Gentiles. 14 I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise. 15 So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also. 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith."
Paul called himself a debtor to preach the gospel. The gospel by definition is the good news of Jesus Christ. A righteousness is revealed from faith to faith. The prophet Habakkuk declared the just shall live by faith. The time is here and now! The impartation Paul desires to share with the church is the righteousness of God. The entire book of Romans is dedicated to sharing how man is made right with God. Romans is a building block book. Each truth is carefully laid line upon line and precept on precept. To preach Romans chapter one and not preach any other part of Romans would be to miss the point of the truth of righteousness. To preach the truth found in Romans 8 about no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus without the believer having an understanding where righteousness comes from would be to misapply the truth.
Here is a practical example. Romans 1:18-32 speaks of the wicked, Romans 2:1-25 speaks of those with the knowledge of the law, Romans 2:26-29 speak of those who are the morally upstanding not under the law. If we look only to these verses and do not go past the building blocks Paul is laying we will miss the truth of righteousness.
Romans 3:9 What then? Are we better than they? Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin. 10 As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one; 11 There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. 12 They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one."
Paul was going somewhere with his teaching. If you are wicked, if you are under the law, or if you are a morally upstanding you are all under sin. In humans there is none righteous no not one. Righteousness apart from our human doings had to be found. That is the righteousness of faith. Righteousness is being made right with God. It is being reconciled back to God. No man can possess it or achieve it from his own accord.
Paul carefully laid a foundation no matter what people group you belong to you are held under the law and are found guilty as a sinner. Jesus came preaching the gospel of repentance for the kingdom of God is here.
Romans 3:19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
The law is important because with the knowledge of the law sin was known. Doing the deeds of the law can not make a man just as if he has never sinned. The law can not impart life but it is necessary to hold every one guilty. Without the foundational truth that all were born in sin and shaped in iniquity, one can not make room to find the true righteousness found by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. We must be careful to handle the Word of God properly and never point men to the law to find life. We point men to the law so they might gain the knowledge of their sinfulness. Life is found exclusively in Jesus Christ; He came to give us life and life more abundantly. There is a knowing by experience that when the Son sets you free from sin you are free indeed. I am jumping way ahead of myself.
Romans 3:21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,
Thank God for the witness of the Law and Prophets; Thank God for the righteousness found apart from the law. More to come…
(I may be back to edit but not tonight)
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