Romans - The Heart of the Gospel

Writing to the church in Rome, a church made up of converted Jews and gentile converts, Paul continues to affirm that salvation only comes through faith. Paul brings us back to the law, having not mentioned it since the start of chapter 3. His purpose is to teach us that if we live by the law we will be judged by the law. The problem is none of us can ever keep the full law. Therefore, if we can't...

The Jews to whom Paul was writing were caught up in their history. Every part of their worship was given to them through their historical experience. This was how God worked in human history to gather the community of Israel to himself. But their religious practices had become so far removed from God's original plan for worship that they had diluted and distorted true worship. Paul challenges this...

The 31 October 1517 is a significant date in the history of the church. A young Martin Luther nails his 95 statements to the door of the church in Wittenberg, hoping to spark conversation that would reform the church. Luther quickly realised the church wouldn't change and so began the Protestant Reformation. Luther was awakened to the truth of the gospel by discovering Romans 3: 21-31. Having conc...

In Romans 3 v 1-20 Paul begins a diatribe to set his argument about God's faithfulness to his plan of salvation. Although it looks like Paul is sweet talking the Jews his focus is completely on God's goodness. Our unfaithfulness to God does not null and void his covenant promise of salvation. Moving on Paul then addresses humanity's condition. No single one of us is good or righteous. Our sins wil...

Romans 2 v 12-29 sees Paul take us further in considering just how impartial God is when it comes to his judgement of sin. We each, whether Jew or gentile, have God's law. For the Jew it is written before them. For the gentile it is imprinted on their hearts. Each use conscience to determine how to live by God's standard and so each will be judged by law. But it is one thing to hear the law and an...

Paul's argument continues as he moves on to talk about God's judgement being just and good and will be the final judgement. He challenges his readers not to be caught in the position of judge, because it is not our place to judge. When we do we place judgement on others we state a fact: we too can be judged! We need to give God his place and allow him to be the judge of our lives and the world. Th...

Having opened his heart to the Christians in Rome about the gospel and his love for it, Paul moves on to begin explaining why the gospel is needed. He begins by taking about what sin deserves: God's wrath. Over 15 verses (Romans 1: 18-32) Paul details how all of humanity can have a knowledge of God through creation, how it has been designed and how God has ordered it. Because humanity naturally go...

Romans is Paul’s longest letter and is written to the church in Rome, a church that he didn’t plant and isn’t fully acquainted with. His purpose in writing is to introduce himself and confirm what the church in Rome believers about the gospel. In these opening verses Paul on two occasions shares the gospel, culminating in verses 16 and 17. The gospel is to be our way of life, not a religious pract...