Paul had a great love for fellow believers and he addresses this letter to all God’s “beloved in Rome” (v7). We know from his mention of Gaius and Erastus, in the last chapter, that he is writing from Corinth, just before returning to Jerusalem to finish his third and final great missionary journey. He was called to be an “apostle” (v1), which means “one sent forth”, for Paul was a person sent by God with the Gospel message to the Gentiles (v5). The Rome church was well known for its faith (v8) but he had never had a chance to visit them.
Paul’s heart was to share with them a spiritual gift, to strengthen them (v11), and visit them to encourage each other. He wanted to reap a harvest among them (v13) and in verses 16 and 17 Paul says he is not ashamed of the gospel, the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith. He refers back to the old testament book, Habbakuk, and quotes “the one who is righteous will live by faith.”
THE WRATH OF GOD
God’s wrath is revealed (v18) because of man’s wicked rejection of Him. People should have realised through the created world that God existed and then given thanks to Him but, sadly instead, worshipped their own creations, like idols (v23) etc. God then just let men go their own way and degrade their bodies (v24) with unnatural sexual passions (like homosexuality v26, 27), debased minds and other evil (29-31). They had no right to judge others when they did the very same things (2v1). The only hope we have is in God’s kindness, riches and patience which are meant to lead us to repentance (v4). There is no difference for Jew or Gentile because it is the “secret thoughts of the heart” that God will judge (v15, 16). The Jews should not think that circumcision gives them any advantage over the Gentiles because real circumcision has always been a matter of the heart (v29).
ALL UNDER THE POWER OF SIN
All people are under the power of sin (3v9) for “there is no one who is righteous, not even one” (v10). It is through the “law”, the commandments given to Moses, that we know how bad we all are (v20) and how much we fall short of God’s glory (v23).
JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH ALONE
Our only hope is God’s gift of forgiving grace (v24), enabled by our faith in the sacrificial blood of Jesus (v25). Justification by faith was not a new teaching and goes right back to Abraham (4v3), see Genesis 15v6, and to David in the Psalms (Ps 32v1). Faith was reckoned to Abraham as righteousness (v3) and later on, to us (v24); a gift because we could never be able to do what is right. Abraham is father of all of us, Jew and Gentile, because we all live by faith (v16). What was powerful about Abraham’s faith?
- He believed God even though, humanly speaking, it was ridiculous (v19).
- No distrust made him doubt God’s promises (v20).
CONSEQUENCES OF THAT FAITH
Through justification by faith we have “peace with God” (5v1) through our Lord Jesus Christ and God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit (v5) (another gift). Through the sinful action of Adam all were made sinners (5v19) and sin leads to death (v21) but through the obedience of Jesus many will be made righteous (v19), leading to eternal life (v21).
DOES THAT MEAN WE CAN SIN AS MUCH AS WE LIKE
“By no means” (6v2) because by baptism into the death of Jesus we also share the resurrection life that raised Jesus from the dead. Our old self was effectively crucified with him to destroy our body of sin and we are now free from it. Jesus made this once-for-all sacrifice (v10) for sin but now he lives for ever. We must consider ourselves “dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus” (v11) and our bodies presented to God as “instruments of righteousness,” not “instruments of wickedness” (v13). Sin need no longer have dominion over us (v14) and by becoming “obedient from the heart” (v17) we can enjoy the gift of a holy life (sanctification) which is the start of eternal life in Christ (6v23). Our desire should be to become slaves to righteousness instead of slaves to sin (v18).
THE SPIRIT FILLED LIFE
We need to be slaves in the wonderful new life of the Spirit and not the old written commandments (7v6). Sometimes , deep down, we delight in the things of God (7v22), want to do good but then feel guilty because, in our flesh, evil always seems to be close at hand (v21). In Christ Jesus, there is no condemnation (8v1) for (v2) the “law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus” has set us free from “the law of sin and death.” So if we set our minds on the things of the Spirit (v5), the Spirit dwells in us and gives life to our mortal bodies (v11). If we are led by the Spirit we are children of God (v14) and have a spirit of adoption through which we can cry “Abba Father” (v15). Our spirit telling us that we are children of God and joint heirs with Christ. We have the first fruits of the Spirit but groan inwardly while we wait for our adoption, the redemption of our bodies (v23). Until our glory, the Spirit helps us in our weakness and prays for us (v26, 27) for God is building a large family (v29) conformed to the image of his Son.
Can any other part of the Bible better those most glorious statements of faith which can be found at the end of chapter 8:
V28 -we know all things work together for good for those who love God”
V31 “if God is for us, who is against us?”
V32 “He who did not withhold his own Son but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else”
V33 Who can bring any charge against us?
V34 “It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us”
V35 “Who can separate us from the love of Christ”?
V37-39 “We are more than conquerors through him who loved us”
GOD HAS PLANS FOR THE WORLD
Romans 9, 10 and 11 are full of old testament references from Moses, the Psalms and the prophets. They discuss God’s plans for the world and where Israel fits into them. Israel were at the heart of God’s plans (9v4): their adoption (God calls them his first born son in Exodus 4v22), their glory (a taste of his presence dwelt among them), their covenants (many great promises to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David and others), the giving of the law to Moses, the ritual worship, the promises (the land, the kingdom, the Spirit etc) and of course, the greatest of all the coming of the Christ.
There are some who see these verses as the basis for a Calvinistic belief in election which says people are chosen or “elected” by God and have no choice in the matter. For example, verse 15 “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy.” At it’s extreme, they say some are destined for heaven and the rest to hell, not by their own choice but by God’s choice. There are strong and deeply held arguments for this view which many good Christians have believed. My angle on this is slightly different and reflects on Paul’s statement in Timothy that God desires everyone to be saved ( 1 Timothy 2 v 4). I believe these verses in Romans could mean that God does indeed choose people, he chooses those who turn towards him in faith, like Abraham did. Take also verse 9v13 , “I have chosen Jacob, but I have hated Esau.” The reason for God making that choice was that Jacob, although sometimes sinful, had a heart that responded to God and in Jacob, God saw potential for kingdom growth. In verse 18 He hardens the heart of whomever he chooses and maybe, he hardens the heart of those who disobey him. Whether I am right or wrong, it does not matter, as God can do exactly what he wishes. We are the clay and he is the potter (v20).
One main message of these chapters is that the Gentiles can come to God on the same basis as Israel, righteousness through faith. Israel had tried to follow the law as a set of good works when they should have believed by faith (v32). The point is that either you submit to God’s way for righteousness (faith in Christ 10v4) or, in fact, you create your own way (v3).
God’s way is for you to have God’s word on your lips and in your heart (v8); confession with your lips and belief in your heart (v9). Strengthening my previous argument, verse 13 says, that “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” How can people call if they have never heard? so it is important that we have beautiful feet to take this good news to others (v15). Before you can have faith you need to have heard the word of Christ (v17).
Chapter 11 goes on to show how most of Israel had, continually, rejected God and God’s way is to reject those who reject Him and be kind if people continue in his kindness (v22). That does not mean that he will not accept Israel back if they do not persist in unbelief (v23). After disobedience of many Jews God gave opportunity to us Gentiles (v30) and, in turn, we will be used to encourage Jews to come back to him (v31). God’s heart is to be merciful to everyone (v32).
LIVING SACRIFICE
Just like the temple sacrifices were given over and dedicated as holy to the Lord, so should our own bodies be presented to the Lord in worship (12v1). We need to be different, not conformed to worldly things, and allow a supernatural transformation of our minds (v2). It is interesting that the only other place where we are also told not to be conformed (1 Peter 1v14,15) encourages us to be holy in all our conduct. By doing so, we walk in the best will of God for our lives (v2).
A CHANGE OF LIFESTYLE
Romans 12 goes on to explain how this should affect our life in the church body for we are part of the same spiritual body in Christ (v5). We should be humble and understand that God’s grace gives us other people who have spiritual gifts that we need. The gifts of grace mentioned here are prophecying, ministering, teaching, encouraging, giving, leading and compassion (6-8).
There should be a genuine and very positive love among us (v9-21), hating evil and honouring each other. We should be zealous, rejoicing, patient, prayerful, giving, hospitable, forgiving, sharing joys and sadness, living peaceably with others, humble and overcoming evil with good. Chapter 13 says we should be obeying government leaders, paying our taxes and not owing people anything. Loving our neighbours as ourselves and not committing adultery, murdering, stealing, coveting, revelling, drunkenness, quarrelling or jealousy. Instead put on the Lord Jesus Christ (v14) and his armour of light (v12).
BUILDING UP THE BODY
And chapter 14, not to judge other Christians for relatively unimportant differences in belief but focus rather on honouring and thanking God. We should pursue what makes for peace and build each other up (v19) for the kingdom of God is (v17) “righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Some Christians are stronger than others but, in a church, we should live in harmony with each other (15v5) and please others with the objective of having a unity in worship (v6). We should welcome others just as Christ has welcomed us (v7). Paul’s prayer is that we should be filled with all joy and peace in believing (v13); also, with all goodness, knowledge and the ability to instruct one another (v14).
For many years, Paul had longed to go and see the church in Rome but he had his own unique ministry to take the message to those who had not heard it before. Paul had plans to take money given by Greek Christians back to the poor in Jerusalem and then pop in to see the Romans on his way to Spain. He asked for prayer that he would be protected during his future visit to Jerusalem. Sadly, though, he would later arrive in a prison ship and, many believe, death was waiting for him in their city. We know from Acts though that, despite chains, he would have plenty of time to spend with these Christians who he longed to see.
The last chapter is full of the names of Christians living in Rome. The kingdom of God had been growing there, even without Paul. We know at Pentecost there were visitors from Rome; perhaps some had fled from Jerusalem during the persecutions at the time of Stephen or just travelled along the trade routes of the Roman empire. It looks likely that a number of different groups were based there. Prisca and Aquila hosted a church in their house (v5) and they were a couple who had taken great risks for the Lord. Among them was a man who was Paul’s first convert in Asia and several other hard workers and heroes in the Lord, of whom we only know names. Despite all these good people around, they should watch out for those causing dissension (v17).
A mystery, kept secret for ages (v25), was being revealed to show how the Gentiles could come to faith through Jesus Christ. In Colossians, Paul expands on this mystery(1v27)-“Christ in you, the hope of glory” and (2v2) “Christ himself”. Paul finishes this letter to the Romans in glorious praise (v27).