AM Service 5/5/02
Posted by: jmichaelwalls <jmichaelwalls@...>
Romans 1:14-17
Introduction: This epistle was written to the Christians that were in the
capital of the Roman empire- Roman itself. Rome was one of the most
wicked cities in the world. There was pagan worship on every corner. The
chief religion was the worship of the Emperor.
Of all the epistles that Paul wrote, this is perhaps the most important.
Paul wrote epistles that we have in our Bibles to seven churches. It is
interesting to note that John wrote to seven churches in the Book of
Revelation. Here are some notes that I have in my oldest Bible on the
book of Romans. The book of Romans is "A miniature Bible". The book of
Romans is "The greatest document on our salvation". The book of Romans is
"The cathedral of the Christian Faith". (In fact that is what I am
calling this particular series.) The book of Romans is "The grand summary
of Christian faith and practice".
The central subject of the Book of Romans is the righteousness of God. By
the time we get to chapter sixteen, there should no doubt in your minds
of the righteousness of God and also the unrighteousness of man. The word
"righteousness" is mentioned in thirty-three times.
The key phrase of this book is "of God." It is found seventy one times in
this book.
There are several other words that mentioned many times in the Bible. The
law is mentioned fifty two times. The word "all" is in this epistle
forty-six times. The word "sin" or "sins" is mentioned forty-one times.
Other key words are "death", "in Christ", "flesh", "God forbid",
"therefore" and "impute" or "imputed". I challenge you to read through
this book this week.
This book has quotations from fourteen Old Testament Books in it. The
Book of Psalms and the Book of Isaiah was quoted most often.
The Book of Romans made a difference in my life. On the night I was
saved, which was almost thirty years ago, my pastor used the book of
Romans to lead me to the Saviour. What a night that was in my young life!
I remember hearing him read Romans 10:13 to me and making it personal.
"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." He
read it to me this way: "For Mike shall call upon the name of the Lord
Mike shall be saved." That night I did just that and God did His part. He
saved my soul.
It also made a difference in my life in another way. I was saved in May
1972. In September 1972, I was in my first revival meeting as a saved
person. One night the evangelist gave the invitation two fold. He opened
the invitation to people being saved. He also mentioned that young people
to surrender to the ministry. That night God spoke to my heart in regards
to preaching. I talked with the evangelist that night after services. He
referred me to Romans 12:1-2. ("I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the
mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy,
acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not
conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your
mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect,
will of God.") He told me that I needed to present as a living sacrifice
to the Lord, which was to be my reasonable service. In retrospect, almost
thirty years later, it is more reasonable today than it was that day and
time of my life. I have not been all I should have been but thanks be
unto Calvary, I am His to be used by Him for His reasonable service.
The Book of Romans has been used countless times by folks to lead people
to Christ. It has made the difference in many folks' lives also. It was
the book of Romans that changed John Wesley so completely that he was
used by God to bring about the Great Awakening in England that saved
England from the same fate as the French in the French Revolution. The
conditions were similar in England as France unto the Great Awakening.
Martin Luther, the Catholic monk, was saved when he read the Book of
Romans. In fact, Martin Luther said this in his lectures on the Book of
Romans. "This Epistle is really the chief part of the New Testament and
the very purest Gospel, and is worthy not only that every Christian
should know it word for word, by heart, but occupy himself with every
day, as daily bread of the soul. It can never read or pondered too much,
and the more it is dealt with the more precious it becomes, the better it
tastes."
Many of the doctrines of the faith are found in the pages of this book.
We see the doctrine of condemnation of sin in this book. We see the
doctrine of justification from sin in this book. We see sanctification
against sin in this book. We see the glorification from sin in this book.
Not only is it a book of doctrine, it is a book of daily living for the
Christian. Romans chapters 12-16 gives practical guidelines to many
portions of life for the Christian.
God allowed Paul to give his heart for the Jewish people. God still loves
the Jewish people. He can and will save any Jewish person who trusts
Jesus Christ as Saviour.
I will never to completely do this book complete justice. I will be
preaching from key passages that are needed in the months ahead. It is
good if you will pray that the Lord gives understanding as I study this
great book and also that He use me to illuminate some passage to your
heart as we go through this book together.
In our scripture we find some precious truths that serves as an
introduction to the Book of Romans. Let's start our journey. Let me get
you read this passage once again with me. I want to underline or
highlight seven key words in our text. These seven words give you the key
to the whole book. The words are "gospel", "ashamed", "power",
"salvation" "believeth", "just" and "faith". These words will help you in
your study and reading of this treasure chest of God's Word.
Paul makes some bold statements in our text. He says, "I am a debtor" in
verse fourteen. He tells us "I am ready" in verse fifteen. The he
proclaims in verse sixteen "I am not ashamed."
If any other man had made these bold statements, I would have said he was
bragging. But we know Paul was no braggart.
Let me give you four thoughts about Paul in this introductional message.
I. PAUL'S ACCOUNTABLITY
Vs. 14
"I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise,
and to the unwise."
Paul realized that he was a debtor to the Lord Jesus. In the past, he had
persecuted Christians but now he goes every where preaching. He knew he
had an obligation to reach all he could. The interesting part he won
people to Christ without modern conveniences, computers, cars, gospel
literature or even a completed Bible.
He knew he was accountable to try to win all he came into contact. A
person position in life did not matter to Paul. He preached to the poor.
He preached to prisoners and he preached to princes. He felt his
obligation. He knew he was accountable.
Let me give you the first of many practical applications that we will
find in this book. We are also debtors. We can no more pay for our
salvation than Paul could. It was a debt of love. It is our obligation
and accountability that we are to try to reach our friends and family and
those around us. We are also accountable for our missionaries reaching
folks also.
Let me try to illustrate this with a portion that I hear on "Christian
Classics" this past week. They are reading the book on the life of
Jonathan Goforth. Jonathan Goforth and his wife were missionaries to
China. At the departing service for the Goforths, there was another
couple going to Africa. This couple was going to a place that was called
the "white man's graveyard". It was the diseases that killed most of the
white men. This man, his wife and young child left and asked that the
church pray for them as they went to this dangerous portion of Africa.
The church promised to pray faithfully for their missionaries. After
about a year, the missionary's wife and young child died. Then the
missionary got a disease that was going to be the death of him. He left
Africa and returned to Canada. He did not let the church know that he was
coming home in that he would be home before the letter would get there.
He showed up on Wednesday night prayer meeting after the services
started. He sat in the back. The message was preached and the church had
its prayer meeting without one mention of any missionaries. As the pastor
was getting ready to dismiss the church, this man stood and made this
statement: "No wonder I failed on the mission field, you failed to pray
for me."
That was a rebuke to that church and should be to us also. I believe we
are accountable for ourselves but our missionaries also. We are debtors.
We see his obligation.
II. PAUL'S ASSIGNMENT Vs. 15
"So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are
at Rome also."
This word is the same as a word that we find in Acts 17:11. It described
the church is Berea.
Acts 17:11
"These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received
the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily,
whether those things were so."
Paul tells us he was ready. That word "ready" in the Greek means
predisposed or willing. It has the meaning of eagerness on his part. Paul
was obedient to his assignment given by the Lord. He was not deterred by
fear. Remember what I said was the chief object of worship in Rome. It
was Emperor worship. Paul was faithfully proclaiming the Lord Jesus
Christ was the King of kings and Lord of lords. Most people were afraid
to preach this because of fear of the Roman government and its long arm.
But Paul was not indifferent for their welfare but he was under God's
direction. He was willing, eager and ready to give these folks the gospel
just like he had in Antioch, Ephesus, Athens and Corinth.
We must be ready and eager to give the gospel to those we come into
contact. We have many tools that were not available to Paul the apostle.
We have many gospel tracts at our disposal. We have Christian radio
stations. We have a completed Bible at our disposal. We have many Bible
programs in our computers. We have good transportation at our disposal.
But are we eager, willing and ready to preach the gospel to those around
us?
What is the gospel? The best commentary on the Bible is the Bible itself.
Let's let it answer that question.
1 Corinthians 15:3-4
"For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how
that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he
was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the
scriptures"
This is not a social gospel either. A social gospel wants to change the
outside of a person first. Or change his environment. That is putting the
cart before the horse. The gospel message changes men from sinners to
children of God. 2 Corinthians 5:17
"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are
passed away; behold, all things are become new."
Paul was obedient to the assignment God gave him. The question is, are
we?
III. PAUL'S ATTITUDE Vs. 16
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God
unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to
the Greek."
It was seen in that he was not ashamed of the Gospel. He demonstrated a
real openness to giving the Gospel. His attitude showed that he was not
ashamed of the power of the gospel. 1 Corinthians 1:18
"For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but
unto us which are saved it is the power of God."
It is the Gospel that brought light to our poor, blind minds. It is the
power of the gospel that transformed us from dead sinners of Satan to
living sons of God. Many times we do not show this openness and have a
poor attitude to the gospel. The preaching of the Gospel cost Paul. He
was stoned in one city to death. He was cast into prison for preaching
the Gospel. He was beaten on numerous occasions.
You would think that he would have gotten gun shy of the gospel. But his
openness was seen in every situation of his life.
His attitude was that salvation was opened to all men both Jew and
Gentile. Salvation is the deliverance from sin, the safety from the wrath
of God, soundness of true Bible living and the spiritual healing from the
guilt, guile and godless of sin.
Are we timid or should we say we are ashamed of the Gospel? We can give
it to anyone. We must have this attitude of openness of giving the
gospel.
What gave Paul this attitude? It was the power of God. The Greek word is
translated like our word dynamite or better yet a dynamo. Dynamite is a
one-time deal. Boom and the deed is done. A dynamo is a constant source
of power and strength.
Creation was mere finger-play to God but redemption required nothing less
than the mighty arm of God!
Isaiah 53:1
"Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD
revealed?"
Creation cost God very little; redemption cost God His only Son. It took
the power of God to transform Saul (the chief persecutor) into Paul (the
chief apostle). It takes the power of God to save and transform any
sinner.
When Paul penned that word "everyone", he was revealing that Gods gospel
was not a select few. It is for everyone who will believe. Our human
responsibility in salvation is to believe. Everyone who believes the
gospel is saved.
IV. PAUL'S AFFIRMATION Vs. 17
"For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as
it is written, The just shall live by faith."
This verse several observations of Paul and he affirms as truth. What are
these truths?
The righteousness of God is revealed. I will not spend a lot of time on
this because it covered in next week's message more thoroughly. When you
see God's righteousness, you see your unrighteousness more clearly. You
hold up two items that are white and you will know which is the true
white by its brightness. Our righteousness is as filthy rags when
compared with the righteousness of God. We can not hold a candle to the
righteousness of God. Man lacks righteousness. Man needs righteousness
and he needs Gods righteousness.
The second part of Paul's affirmation that is observed is found in these
words "THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH." Martin Luther added a word in his
Bible that is implied. The word is alone. "THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH
alone." Too many people try to live by another way. Martin Luther was a
former Catholic monk and he wanted his Catholic friends to know that
salvation was faith in salvation alone. It was not in religion, church
membership or such. It is a faith in the Lord Jesus alone. Ephesians
2:8-10
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it
is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are
his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath
before ordained that we should walk in them."
I want to deal with a word rather quickly. It will be the subject of
chapter three. It is the word "just". We are made just by salvation in
Jesus Christ. The word "just" means that in the mind of God it is just
like we have never sinned. The blood of Saviour erases our past. We are
only accountable for the life from that day that we have trusted Christ
as Saviour.
Are we affirming allegiance by our observation of these truths found in
these words?
Conclusion: Are we living in such a way that we will be able to give a
good accounting of our lives to the Lord one day?
Are we true the assignment given by our Lord? We must be ready to preach
the gospel to those we come in contact. If you are not saved, then you
cannot preach the gospel. You need the gospel. The greatest proof of the
Gospel is a changed life.
What is our attitude to the gospel? Is it only good for some and not
others? It is the basis for our witnessing for the Lord.
Are we affirming that we are justified in God's sight by our faith in Him
alone? If you are trusting religion, rituals or reformation to get you to
heaven, then you are mistaken when the Bible plainly tells that salvation
is by faith in Jesus Christ alone.
Pastor Mike Walls
Freedom Baptist Church Smithfield, NC
All scriptures are King James Bible
Isa. 41:10