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Memory
verses for this week: Mat
16:25 For whosoever
will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life
for my sake shall find it. Introduction: We begin a new study on the book of Romans this
week. This book was
authored by Paul and written to the people there in Rome.
We see in Chapter one the doctrine of which the apostle Paul
wrote, set forth the fulfillment of the promises by the prophets. It
spoke of the Son of God, even Jesus the Saviour, the promised
Messiah, who came from David as to his human nature, but was also
declared to be the Son of God, by the Divine power which raised him
from the dead I.
The Salutation Rom 1:1
Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle,
separated unto the gospel of God, Rom 1:2
(Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy
scriptures,) Rom 1:3
Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of
the seed of David according to the flesh; Paul
speaks of himself as being a servant of Jesus Christ. There truly is no greater opportunity that we can have on
this earth than to bring our lives under subjection and be a servant
to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul learned this early after his conversion on the road to
Damascus, and lived his life dedicated to God.
Before Paul was saved, he was a servant to sin and slave to
Satan. Now Paul
was a servant of Christ because he belonged to God. 1
Cor 6:19 What? know ye
not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you,
which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 1
Cor 6:20 For ye are
bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your
spirit, which are God's. Every
man and woman who has been saved is a servant of Jesus Christ and is
called to take up his cross and follow Jesus everyday.
(Luke 9:23) We
have truly been set free from sin to serve God, and should say as
the Psalmist, “O LORD, truly I am thy servant; I am thy servant,
and the son of thine handmaid: thou hast loosed my bonds.”
Psalm 116:16 Paul
had been called to be an apostle unto the Gentiles. Acts
9:15 But the Lord said
unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my
name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: Acts
9:16 For I will show
him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake. Gal
1:15 But when it
pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me
by his grace, Gal
1:16 To reveal his Son
in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I
conferred not with flesh and blood: Gal
2:8 (For he that
wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision,
the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:) In
verse 1, the gospel is referred to as the “Gospel of God.”
The same gospel is referred to in other verses as the
“Gospel of the Son” and the “Gospel of Christ” in verses 9
and 16 of this chapter. The
Gospel was not a new law or a new code of morals.
It was not a creed to be accepted or a system of religion. It was a divine message concerning the “Divine Person”.
The gospel was the good news of the coming of Christ and had
been spoken by the prophets before Christ ever came on the scene.
The promise of the birth and death of Jesus Christ recorded
in the bible was in Genesis Chapter 3. Gen 3:15 And
I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed
and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his
heel. Moses
spoke of Christ in Deuteronomy. Deu
18:15 The LORD thy God
will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy
brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken; Deu
18:16 According to all
that thou desiredst of the LORD thy God in Horeb in the day of the
assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my
God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not. Deu
18:17 And the LORD said
unto me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken. Deu
18:18 I will raise them
up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put
my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall
command him. Christ
came according to the flesh from the seed of David. Luke
1:26 And in the sixth
month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee,
named Nazareth, Luke
1:27 To a virgin
espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and
the virgin's name was Mary. Rom 1:4
And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to
the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead: Rom 1:5
By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience
to the faith among all nations, for his name: Rom 1:6
Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ: Rom 1:7
To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus
Christ .Jesus
is identified in verse 4 as the “Son of God”.
Jesus was divine in nature and was the only begotten Son of
God. It is through
Jesus Christ that Paul had received grace and apostleship.
These in Rome were blessed to have this apostleship extended
towards them. Those
there in Rome were being called to be saints by the same person that
had called Paul, Jesus Christ. II.
Paul’s Thanksgivings
Rom
1:8 First, I thank my
God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of
throughout the whole world. Rom
1:9 For God is my
witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that
without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers; Prayer
was very important and a vital part of Paul’s ministry.
If we want to have power with God, we must learn to pray
every day about even the small things of life.
The bible says to be instant in prayer all the time.
The Christians there in Rome had great faith, and in verse 8
Paul says that their faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.
This was something that Paul rejoiced about.
When we hear of others standing up for the Word of God, we
rejoice today. It is a
blessing to be a part of sending out missionaries to foreign lands
that teach and preach the truth.
In verse 9, God is Paul’s witness that he prayed
continually for them. III. Paul’s Desire to See those of Rome Saved and Fruitful Rom 1:10
Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a
prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you. Rom 1:11
For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some
spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established; Rom 1:12
That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the
mutual faith both of you and me. Rom 1:13
Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes
I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might
have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles. Paul
had a desire to see the saints in Rome and had heard much about them
that caused him to desire to be with them and to worship with them.
Paul said his desire was to see them comforted together with
their mutual faith. He
desired to seem them bring forth fruits. All Christians who are true disciples of the Lord
can be identified by their fruits.
Mat
7:18 A good tree cannot
bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good
fruit. Mat
7:19 Every tree that
bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Mat
7:20 Wherefore by their
fruits ye shall know them. Paul
said he had desire to come unto them but was hindered by Satan. 1 Th 2:18 Wherefore we
would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan
hindered us. IV.
The
“I am’s” of Paul Rom
1:14 I am debtor both
to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the
unwise. “I
am debtor.” Paul was
a debtor because he had something many others did not have, which
was his salvation. God
had given Paul the gospel and made it his duty to give to others.
Each of us who are saved are likewise obligated to tell
others about Jesus Christ. If
you don’t think you can witness, just tell people what Jesus did
for you when He saved
your soul. You
will be surprised how effective a personal testimony can be. Rom 1:15
So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to
you that are at Rome also. “I
am ready.” The word
ready connotes a dual meaning.
He was prepared and willing.
We may be prepared and know the word of God, but we have to
be willing to go forth. God
never forces us to witness to others, but provides many great
opportunities if we will be a useful servant in His service.
Paul was both prepared and willing to take the gospel to
Rome. Rom 1:16 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. “I
am not ashamed of the gospel.”
The gospel of Christ is the power of God unto salvation to
everyone that believeth. 1 Cor 1:17 For
Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with
wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none
effect. We
see that the gospel has nothing to do with baptism. Baptism is a church ordinance that we willing submit to
after salvation. It is
our entry way into the new testament church, and is the first
command that God gives every true believer after they are saved.
A clear definition of the gospel is written in Chapter 15 of
1 Corinthians. 1
Cor 15:1 Moreover,
brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you,
which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 1
Cor 15:2 By which also
ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless
ye have believed in vain. 1
Cor 15:3 For I
delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that
Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 1
Cor 15:4 And that he
was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the
scriptures: The
gospel was a stumblingblock to the Jew, and foolishness to the
Greek. 1
Cor 1:23 But we preach
Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the
Greeks foolishness; 1
Cor 1:24 But unto them
which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and
the wisdom of God. 1
Cor 1:25 Because the
foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is
stronger than men. The
gospel is not complicated, and there are not many versions of the
gospel as we see being preached by various denominations in churches
today. There is only
one Lord, one faith, and one baptism.
There is not another true gospel, just he one that both John
the Baptist preached as did Christ and now Paul. Gal
1:6 I marvel that ye
are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of
Christ unto another gospel: Gal
1:7 Which is not
another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the
gospel of Christ. Gal
1:8 But though we, or
an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that
which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. Gal
1:9 As we said before,
so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than
that ye have received, let him be accursed. Gal
1:10 For do I now
persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet
pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. Gal
1:11 But I certify you,
brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. Gal
1:12 For I neither
received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation
of Jesus Christ. Rom 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. It
is easy to live for God when things are going good. But we must live by faith in God no matter what comes our
way. When we trust God,
come what may, we honor and glorify the Lord. Internet
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But the path of the just is as the shining light, that
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