The Deep Spiritual Lessons Revealed in the Book of Romans Part 1
INTRODUCTION AND THEME OF THE BOOK TO THE ROMANS
The Apostle Paul had not yet been to Rome. This book was written in Corinth and he was able in this manner to reach the many believers in Rome. He wrote this epistle in about 57AD to them to explain many deep spiritual lessons they desperately needed. The believers in Rome were Jews or Jewish proselytes who had been converted while attending the biblical feasts in Jerusalem for the most part. No other Apostle or evangelist either, had made the trip to Rome at time of the writing. Roughly thirty years after the resurrection of Christ that divided all history, Paul sent this message to Rome. Paul weaves together the Old Testament and new understandings in developing a correct theology for the new believers in Rome. Nearly eighty Old Testament verses are quoted in the book of Romans.
Acts 2:10 NKJV 10 "Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes...
They visited Jerusalem from Rome during the holy days and learned about Jesus but truly needed more information about the sect which later was called Christianity. They all thought of themselves as Jews. Paul directed his letter to all believers in Rome.
Romans 1:7 NKJV 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.
Paul's theme is that ALL in Rome both Jews and gentiles need grace and a further understanding of these issues regarding the sacrifice of Jesus.
RELIGIOSITY CANNOT SAVE US
Paul warned the Roman believers that they could not smugly look down on their pagan neighbors and assume that only they were saved because they knew the true God of the Bible. He had a word of caution for them.
Romans 2:10-13 NKJV 10 but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 11 For there is no partiality with God...13 (for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified;
Paul further explained that just being an insider who knows the Bible is not enough. One must be a doer of the word not just a hearer. Should the gentile proselytes be forced to be circumcised to become full members of the congregation? This was a big concern among many. Paul explains that God is really interested in our heart our level of true conversion. True circumcision is that of the heart not the flesh.
Romans 2:25-27 NKJV 25 For circumcision is indeed profitable if you keep the law; but if you are a breaker of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. 26 Therefore, if an uncircumcised man keeps the righteous requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision? 27 And will not the physically uncircumcised, if he fulfills the law, judge you who,... are a transgressor of the law?
Paul is saying if you are a circumcised Jew who is disobeying the righteous laws of God while proclaiming your ritual markings (circumcision) you are a hypocrite. Paul is leveling the playing field. It is our heart or, level of conversion that really counts. A city like Rome would have the potential problem of converting many gentiles. This issue needed to be really understood.
Romans 2:28-29 NKJV 28 For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; 29 but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.
All of us need to appreciate that God can see our hearts so just being in the church is not enough we must be deeply repentant. Circumcise our hearts! All mankind is in the same sinking boat. All of us start out as sinners in need of a pardon.
A ROBUST UNDERSTANDING OF GRACE
Since all are guilty of sin Paul ask what advantage has the Jew? He explains much in every way since they possess the words of God.
Romans 3:1-2 NKJV 1 What advantage then has the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision? 2 Much in every way! Chiefly because to them were committed the oracles of God.
Many forget that all the NT and the OT were written by Jewish prophets. They preserved the Bible and the calendar etc. Israel is the root from which the truth is grounded and gentile believers need to appreciate this.
Romans 11:23-24 NKJV 23 And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?
Believers are clearly grafted into the foundation of the Old Testament and Israel. Yet Paul explains that in spite of this all are guilty Jews ,gentiles and in need of forgiveness. Some were even falsely accusing Paul's message of grace to mean that if their words and actions accentuated the goodness of God why not keep misbehaving.
Romans 3:8 NKJV 8 And why not say, "Let us do evil that good may come"? --as we are slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say. Their condemnation is just.
Paul goes on to explain that even those who live with knowledge of the law are also guilty of sin and cannot save themselves by the law. All are sinners!
Romans 3:20-21 NKJV 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. 21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,
No one can be justified by our feeble human efforts at legal perfection. We of course, should try and obey God but none can do it well enough to JUSTIFY themselves. We need to shift our focus from what we do to what Christ is doing for us. Something new has been added-the saving blood and sacrifice of Jesus to cover our sins. Then we repent and get help thru the Holy Spirit.
Romans 3:30-31 NKJV 30 since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. 31 Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.
Paul asks and answers the question, do we make void the law through faith and grace? It is a clear 'certainly not'! God expects us to try and obey but keep our focus on what Jesus does for us not what we can do. What we do is put the Christian way of life in perspective realizing that we are confirming the law. If no law existed for us to break we would not need grace. Abraham also was saved by grace before he was circumcised. This was an important point for Paul to make to the Judaizing Party to help them see the truth and prevent them from blocking large numbers of gentiles from entering the truth. This knowledge would be very vital in a large gentile city like Rome.
Romans 4:9-10 NKJV 9 Does this blessedness then come upon the circumcised only, or upon the uncircumcised also? For we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness. 10 How then was it accounted? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised.
No one earns salvation not even the father of the faithful Abraham. All need grace. Abraham was not perfect but he did try to obey God and that explains his being a friend of God. He loved God and rejected idols as well and he was very special to God.
Genesis 26:4-5 NKJV 4 "And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; 5 "because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws."
One of Abraham's descendants was Jesus and through him all nations will be blessed. All peoples can become sons of Abraham through faith. Abraham trusted God all the way. He was even willing to give his long awaited son to God because Abraham believed in the goodness of God, assuming that God would bring Issac back to life. Such strong, resolute faith even in the face of tremendous possible heartache, was truly a sign of deep faith and trust and love of God as well as deep conversion. Abraham set us an example of trying to obey God's laws and being saved by grace knowing that we cannot save ourselves.
Romans 4:20-21 NKJV 20 He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.
Be strong Jesus will get us to the kingdom and family of God.
