Previously, we've been entrenched in the darkness of our sin and our distance from God's righteousness. Last week we were left with every mouth stopped and the whole world guilty before God. But in this week's text, Paul lifts our eyes to God's salvation. Come, see the glorious gospel! Let this awesome text render you speechless as you behold the saving righteousness of God by faith.
Spring 2024 Equip Class: Was Jesus a Regular Baptist?
Spring 2024 Equip Class: 1 & 2 Thessalonians
We are often sure of ourselves and blind to the error of our ways. In Romans, Paul portrays our desperate need for righteousness by describing our utter sinfulness. He brings the final charge, the indisputable evidence, and the dreaded verdict: we are all guilty before God. To be truly ready for the good news of God’s righteousness by faith, we must stop defending ourselves and admit our guilt.
Spring 2024 Equip Class: 1 & 2 Thessalonians
Spring 2024 Equip Class: Was Jesus a Regular Baptist?
"How do you know you are saved?" Whatever you say, the question reveals what gives you confidence in your salvation. The Apostle Paul recognizes that the Jews might be tempted to find false confidence in their identity as God's chosen people. He reminds them that confidence in religious performance only reveals how far their hearts are from God. Our hearts are prone to the same false confidence.
We’ve all been shocked by the sinful actions we see around us. And we are right to be shocked - even repulsed by sin. But when we pretend to be better than we are by judging others and efforts to outperform others, we only further condemn ourselves before God's righteousness. Instead, we must remember that salvation is by grace through faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus for our sins.
It's disappointing when you are excited about something, and others are not. We all have things that excite us and things that we are apathetic to. Sadly, for many Christians, the gospel falls into the category of the latter. It's fair to say that every Christian is less amazed by the gospel than they should be. Growing our appreciation for the gospel is a lifelong - even an eternal endeavor.
It's easy to develop these sinful attitudes. They lurk below the surface of our Sunday smiles. But in Romans, Paul writes to the Romans with deep, heartfelt love and joy. Maybe it's because he never met them! No, it's a love produced by the gospel. As we read about Paul's love for the Romans, we will see that we all need to let the gospel shape our love for all people.
What is my life purpose? Through our new series in the book of Romans, we will see how the gospel answers that question. The gospel not only saves us, but it also shapes our lives. The gospel comes with a "calling." The Book of Romans opens with the man, Paul, who had a clear sense of his calling. As he explains his calling, he also shows that the gospel of Jesus Christ brings a "calling" with it.