Introduction

…Those who were not told about Him will see, and those who have not heard will understand. Romans 15:21

  When we get into the closing section of Paul’s letter to the Romans, it becomes clear that Paul not only was not the founder of the church there, but more than likely, he did not even know any of its membership. He had heard of their faithfulness, and as a preacher of the gospel, he wanted to make certain that they were fully aware of all the doctrines of the faith. He sent the letter that is now commonly known as The New Testament “Book of Romans” in care of a godly emissary named Phoebe, in hopes that it would be graciously received by the church. Paul doesn’t rebuke the church at Rome for any cause, but rather, he praises it for its faithfulness and sound doctrine. His purpose in writing was to formally introduce himself to the congregants through Phoebe, in hopes that one day he would be able to visit them personally. Paul, like any brother in Christ, longed for the fellowship of other Believers.   In Romans 15:14-15, Paul actually offers an apology for coming on so strong in his letter. He doesn’t want the church to think that he is critiquing them, but rather, he feels that it is his obligation to make sure that the church there has been established upon sound doctrine. This is why the book of Romans is so completely saturated with the tenants of the Christian faith. We today, can be thankful that Paul felt compelled to write such a letter to the church at Rome, for it has become a lasting treasure to those who have come to faith in Jesus Christ. Romans is the very essence of our faith consolidated into one wondrous document. The Spirit of God knew full well what He was doing when He compelled Paul to write this letter, even though Paul himself could not have possibly known that it would be handed down from generation to generation of Believers all around the world! We serve an amazing God indeed!   In his closing remarks to the Romans, Paul gives us some personal insight into the very heart of this faithful missionary. He, of all men, lived up to his full potential as an ambassador of Christ. He is an example for us all by his zeal to share the gospel with those who have not heard. We would do well to emulate him in this, for I do believe that the time is short and The Day of The LORD is at hand. Paul was a man on a mission, and he tirelessly pursued those who were lost without hope. He was the embodiment The LORD’S great commission:

Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of The Father, and of The Son, and of The Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age. Matthew 28:19-20

 

In Romans Chapter 14:1-12, we are commanded to accept those who are weaker in the faith. Accept them and do not judge them. We are to do this, because they have been accepted by Christ, and they will ultimately be judged by Christ. In verses 13-23, Paul adds to this teaching by saying that not only are we to accept those who are weaker in the faith, but we are to do everything that we can to strengthen and encourage them as well. This edification (building up) of those who are weak is to be done, even if it comes at great expense to us. Although those of who are now free in Christ have come to realize what a great freedom we have been given, that freedom does not give license to disregard the feelings of those around us. In short, my freedom in Christ ends where others may become hurt because of it. It is always the responsibility of the child of God to “love first”, before anything else. We live in a world that is bent upon divisiveness these days. But The Bible has commanded us to love, to put the needs of others ahead of our own, and to weigh our every decision against the effects that it would have upon those around us. This does not come natural for the “sensual man”, but it should be to the spiritual one.

 

Introduction And one of them, an expert in The Law, asked a question to test Him: ‘Teacher, which command in The Law is the greatest?’ He said to him, ‘Love The LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands.’ Matthew 22:35-40 I had someone ask me just the other day, why do I preach about love more than I do about sin? The answer is simple. All sin is rooted in a love problem. Please allow me to explain. Every time we sin against God, or our fellow man, it shows that we love ourselves more than we love them. All sin is rooted in self love. When a child of God gets his love in the right proportion, he will get his sin under control. In the book of Romans, Paul tells us that we are to become a “living sacrifice”. This means that rather than operate according to our own senses (sensuality), we should respond to everything according to the Spirit of God (spirituality). In short, we sacrifice our own personal agendas for the sake of serving Christ and His Church. This is what it means to be a living sacrifice.

 

“Let love be without hypocrisy. Detest evil; cling to what is good.” Romans 12:9 In Romans 12:9-21, Paul continues his discourse on Christian duty and actually lists 25 different attributes of a true believer. The Christian, who has been consecrated as a living sacrifice, will be unlike anyone else in this world. They are no longer sensual, but spiritual, and as such, they will love, not as the world does, but as Christ loves. A careful reading of the gospels will clearly demonstrate for us the love of Christ. He loved those who loved Him, as well as, those who rejected Him. At Calvary, we see Him praying for those who despised Him. And, as a result of this unconditional love for the unlovable, two men, a Jewish thief and a Gentile Centurion, were converted to faith that day. The Biblical word for this type of unnatural self-sacrificial love is “agape”. It was a word that the Greeks seldom used, for this kind of love was often viewed in Greek culture as foolishness and weakness. In The New Testament, it is this Greek word that has been co-opted to describe the kind of love that indwells a Spirit-filled Believer. It is a God kind of love. Paul begins his list of Christian attributes in Romans verse nine, by saying: “Let agape be without hypocrisy….”

Not Ashamed (Week 27) Romans 10 “Christ: The Final Destination”

 

Not Ashamed (Week 24) Romans 9:14-33 “Is God Fair?”

Introduction “What should we say then? Is there injustice with God? Absolutely not! Romans 9:14 We live in a society in which the founding fathers declared that “all men are created equal, and are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights…”. We strive for this ideal in our country, and as noble as it may seem, the question remains, “Is this really true?” Does God treat everyone the same? In our mind, that would seem to be fair, would it not? But scripture is pretty clear that everyone is not treated equally. In fact, if we were all to get what we deserved, then all of us would be sentenced to death for our sins, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him Who loved us.” Romans 8:37 As we conclude our study of Romans Chapter Eight, we come to some of the most quoted verses in all of scripture. But I wonder, if those who so often quote these verses fully comprehend their true meaning. Paul is assuring the believer, in this passage, that Jesus will finish the work that He began in them upon their salvation. Last week, we discussed the fact that the child of God is guaranteed three things: Justification, which speaks of our “Position on Christ”; Sanctification, which is the “Process” that The Spirit uses to conform us to holiness; and ultimately, Glorification, which is the finished “Product” when the sons of God are revealed in perfection.

 

Introduction “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, in this way death spread to all people, because all sinned. In fact, sin was in the world before The Law, but sin is not charged to a person’s account when there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who did not sin in the likeness of Adam’s transgression. He is a type of the Coming One.” Romans 5:12-14 It has often been called “the most difficult passage in the book of Romans”. And on the surface, it does seem confusing and convoluted. But, to fully understand Romans 5:12-21 is to understand the very essence of the Christian faith and the necessity for salvation through the One Man Jesus Christ. For in this passage, we see the “tale of two Adams”, as it were; the first Adam bringing us death, and the second one offering us life.

One of the most controversial doctrines within the body of Christ is that of “Eternal Security”, otherwise known as “Once saved…always saved”. In Romans Chapter Four, Paul makes it abundantly clear for us that we are saved by grace alone, and that no man’s “good work” can obtain a right standing before a Holy and just God. But what happens after a person is saved? Can he lose his salvation by not living up to God’s perfect standards? And if so, just how far does a person have to fall before he crosses that invisible line and loses favor with God? These are but a few of the questions that have caused many a church split, as well as, anxious Christians to walk the floor at night, wondering if they have somehow fallen from grace. In fact, several years ago, there was a church just up the street from where I was pastoring, and they boasted of having fifty to sixty baptisms every month. I was genuinely excited when I heard of these numbers until I learned that the church only had about two hundred members! How can you baptize fifty people every month and not have a significant growth in your church membership? It turns out that the church in question was baptizing the same people over and over again, because every time they committed a sin, they were afraid that they had lost their standing with God and had to be saved and baptized all over again! The fact is, this teaching is quite dangerous for one simple reason. It teaches that although we are “saved by grace”, we must “stay saved” by our own power. In other words, while God alone has the power to save you, you alone must keep from losing that salvation by your own power! Here is the simple truth of it all. No one can save themselves, and no one can keep themselves saved. It is ALL a work of grace from start to finish. Just listen to the words Jesus prayed before going to the cross.