[:en]SCRIPTURE: ROMANS 1
“I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith” (Romans 1:16-17)
INTRODUCTION:
Paul wrote this letter to the church in Rome in AD 56-57. The theme of this letter is righteousness. He declared that Jesus Christ is perfectly righteous and human beings are unrighteous. Faith in God will free us from the power of sin and makes us righteous to love life that is holy and pleasing to Him.
Paul identified himself as a servant of God called to be an apostle and set apart for the Gospel. The Gospel consists of the gospel of God (v. 1), the gospel of His Son (v. 9) and the Gospel of Christ (v. 16). He proclaimed the gospel as follows: It is the good news by God through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures promising us His Son, Jesus Christ to be born in human nature and became our Savior. He came to earth to die for our sins but resurrected from death so that through Him, we can receive grace by faith in Him.
PAUL LONGING TO VISIT ROME (vs. 8-17)
Paul’s declaration:
- I thank God for your faith (v. 8)
- I pray that God will open a way for me to come to you (v. 10)
- I long to see you to impart some spiritual gift to make you strong (v. 11)
- I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks to preach the gospel (v. 14)
- I am not ashamed of the gospel because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes (v. 16)
GOD’S WRATH AGAINST MANKIND (vs. 18-32)
Men know God from creation and through conscience but refuse to give thanks or glorify Him. They made images into gods and forsake the creator. So, God gave them over to the sinful desires of their hearts and let them suffer the consequences.
SUMMARY:
- There is no excuse for not knowing God because God had revealed Himself in them through conscience and creation (v. 20)
- Men claimed to be wise but they are fools because they exchange the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles (v. 22)
- People exchange the truth of God a a lie and worship and serve created things rather than the creator (v. 25)
- People gave themselves over to a depraved mind and filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed, depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossipers, slanderers, God haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful. They are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. They do not want to have knowledge of God and continue to do and practice unrighteousness. (vs. 28-32)
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