Lifelong Learning                                                   Varioius Passages from Romans

EFC-C-09.05.2010

Have you ever missed someone so much that it drove to write them, compose a song, or draw a picture? I remember a song a wrote many years ago called “My Moose.” Doesn’t mean much to you, but to the person I wrote the song it meant the world. A person was helping through a summer of work away from my family. She accepted me and helped me become a better worker. I thought of her as my strong, supporting sister. I am very grateful that I could not find the song to read it to you. But I think you get what I am trying to say. When we have an emotional bond with another person or a group of people and we long to see them we wax eloquent.

Before we go further, let’s pray:

Father, as we seek to understand Your heart for us, Your desire for our knowledge, the basis for Your salvation; as we seek to rejoice with Paul through a greater understanding of Romans, help our feeble minds grasp the eternal wonders we find in this book. Enable us today by the presence of the Holy Spirit who indwells each believer in this room to grab the pieces to the puzzle of Romans and begin to make the outer edges of the puzzle that we may fill-in that puzzle throughout the remainder of this series. As always, Lord, may Your name be glorified and Your Word be taught to that end. In Your name we pray, amen.

I may not have “My Moose,” but I do have in my hand a letter that I wrote to Karen in April of 2007. Allow me to read this to you.

Karen and Kids,

If you received this letter it means I am at home with Jesus.

Karen, the most wonderful years of my life have been spent with you. The pleasure and wonderment were only increased as each child arrived. As I look back over the short time we have had together, I see how God has used you to sharpen my life, causing me to look more like Him each day. Thank-you for being part of my life and actively showing me the love of God.

Joshua, lead our family in the ways of God. Continue to trust Him in all you do. He will guide you into all that is good and right; follow Him. Protect your sister throughout her years with the love of God. His love guides and protects us, we need to do the same for others. I look forward to seeing what God is doing in your life. As I look from Heaven to see my oldest son, I desire to see a man of God changing the world for Him. Press on in His Word!

Kazlyn, I love you beyond all words. You are my precious child. Maintain purity throughout your life. Seek friends that will allow you to be you, to be the you God created. You will do great things through your life but you will need Joshua to help you. Allow him to love you. Allow God to complete His work in you and through you.

Joseph, the child of promise! God gave you to this family for a reason we don’t know of as yet. Your mother will tell you the story of your birth over and over again. You have been set apart by God and your mother and me. He knows why, we await. As you grow, and this makes sense to you, smile because of who God is making you to become. Smile, because as I look down, I am smiling too. You are a wonderment.

To my blessed family, thank you for filling my life with Jesus, joy, and just about everything else. Jesus has called me to be with Him and Poppa and Gigi. Just as He wanted them in Heaven with Him, He has also called me. Don’t be sad that I am gone, because we will meet again; don’t be sad that I am gone, because Jesus has called me to be with Him. When you think of me, you can miss me, but smile about all the laughs we had together and smile because you know I am smiling too. I love you and am blessed to have been in your life for the short time we had. God bless, be a peace, and rejoice in Jesus!

David.

This may not have blown you over, but it is my heart to my wife and family, of whom I thought I would never see again.

I think this is what Paul was going through when he began to pen the book of Romans. We are not sure if Paul even knew anyone who belonged to the church in Rome. We do know that he loved them and longed to see them. From this letter, it appears that he tried many times to visit them and was not able to until after this letter was written from Corinth on his way, it seems, to Jerusalem then to Rome.

What do we need to know as we begin our study of this letter penned through Paul by God? In order to answer this question, let’s look at three supporting questions: Who wrote the book, why was it written, when was it written?

1.    Who wrote the book?

Romans 1.1 answers that question for us. It says right there at the beginning that it was Paul who wrote the book. That helps us understand something of the content of the book. We know that Paul was a Pharisee, a Jewish leader, who was miraculously converted to Christianity. In his conversion, he was commissioned by God to be the Apostle to the Gentiles. He understood the Old Testament and the Jewish religious system. As we begin the book, in order to understand it, we need to know the Old Testament, we need to understand the book is based on logical arguments, much as a court case would be presented, and it is written with the heart of a missionary.

Romans 1.7 tells us that Paul was writing to the saints in Roman. Read the verse. These saints probably heard the gospel from those present in Acts when the gospel was first being preached by Peter. They went back to Rome and spread the Good News of the gospel.

A side note on what it means to be a saint. I know we will go over this many more times through the book of Romans, but for a moment let’s consider what it means to be a saint. We know from other books, such as Colossians 1.1-2, that our identity is wrapped up in that word. We are saints. That is to say, we are holy ones. Holy means God has set us apart or chosen us for a special role to fill.

We have so changed the meaning of this word it is difficult for some to grasp this. We are holy because God states we are. We do not become holy because people say we are. We shall see that when He justified us, we became holy, we became saints. He does not call us holy because our behavior has changed, He calls us holy so our behavior can change. When our mind is in the right mind-set, believing we are who He has called us, then our behavior begins to reflect who we are. As long as we believe we are less than saints, we will continue to live as though we are not saints.

2.    Why was it written?

As we shall hear in a few minutes, this is a book that has been used to bring people to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ for thousands of years. But it was originally written as a guide and encouragement, and instruction to believers. It has a lot to tell us as Christ-followers how we can live a life for God. This leads us to why the book was written. This is one of the reasons for writing the book.

An outline would give us another possible answer to this question. In your bulletin is an outline of the book of Romans. It is not necessarily the one we will follow in this series, but it does help us grab hold of what the book represents.

I. Introduction-1:1-17

This introduces the theme that the salvation is not merely for the Jews but for all people. This introduces the theme that salvation has nothing, in essence, to do with us. It is not our power, not our might, but His grace that provides salvation.

II.    Condemnation-1:18-3:20

Paul begins his court case against not merely the Jews but the whole world. The judgment is that all have sinned and there are none who are righteous. He presents the case that the religious person and the person who thinks there is no God (Stephen Hawking) are both hopeless because they are both helpless.

III.   Justification-3:21-5:21

Paul presents the case that it is God who takes care of that hopeless and helpless state. He declares that we are brought to God by His doing and not our own and uses Abraham to present this evidence. Before God, in Christ, we are justified. That is, because of Christ, we are seen by God the Father as righteous. An interesting passage in Zechariah 3 (p 1533) displays this truth for us. Read the passage and comment on it (3.1-5 is justification and 6-10 is sanctification).

IV.  Sanctification-6:1-8:39

Paul then presents the case for our daily working out of that justification. If being justified is how God sees us, being sanctified is how the world sees us. These chapters present a case for growth in Christ. There is no perfection only growth, growing into His image. As others see us struggle with life, with sin, and watch as we turn to God for peace, strength, victory, they will see His good work and praise Him. This is sanctification.

V.   Restoration-9:1-11:36

These chapters describe the restoration of Israel in the future. We can also see that these chapters deal with us too in the sense that God never lets go of us. What He has promised to do He will do it, whether we believe it or not.

VI.  Application-12:1-15:13

These chapters are the so what chapters. If chapters 1-11 are true, what should we do? These are the evidence that we have faith and are justified, daily being restored and sanctified. Without these chapters being evident in our life, we have no evidence that we are saved. But these chapters are meaningless without chapters 1-11.

VII.     Conclusion-15:14-16:27

These chapters inform us of Paul’s plans and his farewells and blessings to those in Rome and Corinth.

That is the gist of the book.

3.    When was it written?

It was written in 57 or 58 ad, near the end of Paul’s 3rd missionary journey, when Nero was ruling the Roman Empire. That plays a significant role in this book. Paul wrote Romans not as a young believer but as a veteran missionary. One who had established churches and brought many to Christ.

With these questions being answered, there are at least three things that need to be understood to better understand this epistle.

1.    The Old Testament is found throughout this book.

Paul presents the truth of the Old Testament as he presents his arguments on the back of the Old Testament. Paul often quotes the Hebrew Scriptures when he writes. The book of Romans covers more than half of the passages Paul refers to from the Hebrew Bible. He quotes no less than 69 times in this letter Scripture from the Old Testament.

2.    This epistle is deeply doctrinal (some have classified it as a legal document) as we evidenced in the outline.

If we do not understand this, our understanding of the book is muted.

3.    This epistle will change your life if you let it.

Listen to what others have had to say about this book:

Martin Luther in his book “Preface to the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans” argues that:

“This letter is truly the most important piece in the New Testament. It is purest Gospel. It is well worth a Christian’s while not only to memorize it word for word but also to occupy himself with it daily, as though it were the daily bread of the soul. It is impossible to read or to meditate on this letter too much or too well. The more one deals with it, the more precious it becomes and the better it tastes. Therefore I want to carry out my service and, with this preface, provide an introduction to the letter, insofar as God gives me the ability, so that every one can gain the fullest possible understanding of it. . . . it is in itself a bright light, almost bright enough to illumine the entire Scripture.”

John Calvin has said that "When anyone gains a knowledge of this Epistle he has an entrance opened to him to all the most hidden treasures of Scripture."

F.F. Bruce is quoted as saying "Time and again in the course of human history [Romans] has liberated the minds of men, brought them back to an understanding of the essential gospel of Christ, and started spiritual revolutions."

It is because of the book of Romans that all revivals have set forth.

Warren W. Wiersbe in his commentary on the book of Romans tells the story of a man whose life was changed by this book and who in turned changed the lives of literally millions of men and women:

"On May 24, 1738, a discouraged missionary went ’very unwillingly’ to a religious meeting in London. There a miracle took place. ’About a quarter before nine,’ he wrote in his journal, ’I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone, for salvation; and an assurance was given me that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death.’

That missionary was John Wesley. The message he heard that evening was the preface to Martin Luther’s commentary on Romans. Just a few months before, Wesley wrote in his journal: ’I went to America to convert the Indians; but Oh! who shall convert me?’ That evening in Aldersgate Street, his question was answered. And the result was the great Wesleyan Revival that swept England and transformed the nation."

Chrysostom, one of the early church fathers, had the epistle read to him twice a week.

Coleridge said that the Epistle to the Romans was the most profound writing that exists.

The scientist Michael Faraday, was asked on his death bed by a reporter, “What are your speculations now?” Faraday said, “I have no speculations. My faith is firmly fixed in Christ my Savior who died for me, and who has made a way for me to go to heaven.” This being based on his understanding of Romans.

John Bunyan was no intellectual giant, nor was he a poet, but he wrote a book that has been exceeded in sales by only one other, the Bible. That book is Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress. It is a story of a sinner saved by grace, and that sinner was John Bunyan. And the record of history is that this man read and studied the Epistle to the Romans, and he told its profound story in his own life’s story, the story of Pilgrim—that he came to the cross, that the burden of sin rolled off, and that he began that journey to the Celestial City.

The book of Romans is to Christianity what the Declaration of Independence is to America and the Magna Charta is to Great Britain! It can set you free if you study it and believe it.

J. Vernon McGee exhorts us:

Let me urge you to do something that will pay you amazing dividends: read the Book of Romans, and read it regularly. This epistle requires all the mental make-up we have, and in addition, it must be bathed in prayer and supplication so that the Holy Spirit can teach us. Yet every Christian should make an effort to know Romans, for this book will ground the believer in the faith.

Many are preaching a message that seeks to exalt man and his satisfaction. This does no one any good. For a moment, maybe; during times of struggles and frustrations, never. If man be exalted we are hopeless and helpless. If, as the book of Romans presents, Christ be exalted as we see our sin and His offer of salvation, we have great hope in the Almighty God and great help in the Savior of our souls. This is why we have chosen this book–to help each of us in our greatest times of need, that which is called life.

Encouragement for Christians (EFC): If you desire to grow in and understand your faith, take the exhortation by McGee seriously and begin to rigorously study the book of Romans as Tommy and I attempt to present its great truths to you. A plan for this is for you to read the passage for the next week each day. This would mean that you read Romans 1.1-17 at least six times before coming to church next week. Bathe that reading in prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to teach each of us these truths. Will you take that challenge? Can I challenge you to also memorize key verses each week. As you read through Romans 1.1-17 in preparation for next week’s service, begin to memorize Romans 1.16-17. Each week we will challenge you with key verses to memorize and daily passages to read.

Let’s pray.

Father, thank You for this wonderful book. We pray that Your Spirit would bathe us in the truths it contains. Cause a fire to stir within us as we read the words that You have used throughout history to challenge and change those who submitted to its words. May we glorify You in all we learn. May we continue to fellowship with each other in its truths. Amen.

[Song]

Benediction: May God’s heart be manifest through your fellowship in Romans 1.1-17 with each other this week. May the pre-eminence of Christ and His Gospel overwhelm you. May the Spirit of truth guide you into the truth of His Word. Amen.