(4) We know Him instinctively – Romans 1:18-23

18 But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who push the truth away from themselves.  19 For the truth about God is known to them instinctively.  God has put this knowledge in their hearts. 20 For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God.

 21 Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. 22 Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. 23 And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles.

Paul’s transition between verse 17 (last week) and verse 18 is abrupt and intentional.  Paul needed to lay out why it is important to believe in the sanctifying grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ.  We are sinful by nature, and if we are left to our own thoughts and judgment, we will sin. 

Is God an angry God?  We see people, that don’t agree with our lifestyle, as being intolerant, opinionated, and bigoted. Our response to their offensive objections is usually defensiveness.  We are all born with a knowledge of right and wrong, and when we lean towards wrong, we are literally “pushing God’s truth away” from ourselves.  Sin is a conscious rebellion against God.  It is not something that we do accidentally.  God’s judgment against our sin is perfect. What we interpret as anger is God’s perfect, righteous indignation.  We deserve to be punished for our rebellion, and God makes no apologies by saying that if we choose to separate ourselves from Him, that is exactly what we will get.  That is spiritual death. 

We shake our fists at heaven and ask how a loving God could send anyone to hell, especially someone who has never heard of Jesus Christ.  But Paul explains that God has revealed Himself to everyone through His creation.  How can anyone look out their window and not get the sense that something greater than us had a hand in creating everything that we can see?  The answer to that question is simple:  We know that if we acknowledge God, then we must acknowledge His moral standards.  We want to live by our own moral standards, and the only way we can justify doing that is by rejecting God. 

I find it interesting that it takes an intellectual act to not believe in God.  We don’t simply, “not think” about it, we have to choose not to believe it.  God placed on our hearts an instinctive knowledge of His presence.  We look at things around us – God’s creation – and we know in our hearts that He is real.  To say that there is no God requires a conscious act, and as Paul wrote, we have to push this thought out of our heads.

Throughout recorded history, every civilization has known there is a God.  They may not have known Him, or understood Him, but they knew He was present.  Some cultures believe in many gods because it was easier to understand a god of the sun, and a god of the rain.  A god of the crops, and a god of the sea. 

In the Book of Acts chapter 17, Paul found himself in Athens, waiting for Silas and Timothy.  As he wondered the city he was deeply troubled by the number of alters of sacrifice that he found erected to pagan gods.  He began a debate with some Epicurean and Stoic philosophers, teaching them of Jesus Christ.  The philosophers were intrigued by this “new religion” and wanted to hear more.  They asked Paul to join them at the Council of Philosophers at the Areophegous.  Paul stood before the council and addressed them as follows:  “Men of Athens, I notice that you are very religious, for as I was walking along I saw your many alters.  And one of them had this inscription on it – “To an Unknown God.”  You have been worshiping Him without knowing who He is, and now I wish to tell you about Him. (Acts 17:22-23 NLT) 

These were some of the most brilliant men of their time.  They knew there was a God, but they couldn’t fully reason Him in their minds.  They knew that God was more than they could contain in a number of temples, and that all of their gods combined couldn’t answer all of their questions.

My hope is that, God willing, there are some seekers of God’s truth among you that share in this study – some of you that do not believe, but are interested in knowing more.  You may even consider yourself an Atheist, or an Agnostic.  That’s OK – no judgment will be passed in this forum.  What I do ask is that you take the position of the first century Greek philosophers and be open to what the Word of God has to say.  I guarantee that you will not be disappointed.

Paul wrote that God placed this knowledge of Him on our hearts, as opposed to placing it in our heads.  To some, that may sound like a trivial play on words, but there is much more to it than that.  Knowing that all of this type of activity physically goes on in our brain, it appears that God has designated a portion of our brain as the “heart section”.  I can’t answer metaphysically what part of our brain contains this knowledge of God and our inherent sense of right and wrong, but wherever it is, it is in a place that can never be erased or overwritten.  It is always there.  We can fill the rest of our brain with all kinds of knowledge and theories, but our inherent sense of right and wrong is always there.

A good friend of mine, who I consider a brilliant mind by worldly standards, once said that if we could just measure God – that is, if we could find that God is this big, and that God travels at this speed – my friend could more easily accept His existence.  But, by definition, if we could measure God, He would be no God at all.  In order to be God, you have to be infinite and eternal.  You can’t be restricted by space or time.  And because of that, we can never fully understand Him.  It is impossible to contain something that is infinite in a finite space.

So, we fashion God into our own image.  Paul explains in verses 21 and 22 that we began to rely on our own intellect.  We began to think up ways to make God fit into our lifestyle, rather than us living by His.  The result – we became even more confused.  We believe that we are so smart.  We look around at the accomplishments of man and pat ourselves on the back.  But, we forget that it is God that gave us this intellect.  It is God that made all of this possible.  We worship the things He created – our minds, our skills, our accomplishments, but we don’t worship the Creator – or even give Him thanks for making us who we are.

We replace God with something less.  We say things like, “My god would never do this, or that..”  “My god would never send a good person to hell.”  “I’m a spiritual person, I believe god is in everything.”  “God has revealed himself as different things to different people.  To some he is Buddha, to others Alah, to others Chrishna… it’s all the same god.”

Then before we know it, as Paul pointed out in verse 23, God begins "...to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles."

We need to understand that God is God.  He is nothing like us.  We are a little like Him since we were created in His image, but we are nothing compared to God.  God is perfect, holy and righteous.  God is eternal and infinite.  He is not limited by space or time.  He can see both the end and beginning with perfect clarity, as well as everything in between. 

And still we try to fit God into a box.  We ask ridiculous questions like, “Could God create a rock so big that He couldn’t lift it?”  Of course not!  The simple fact that anything created is finite, and knowing that God is infinite negates that question.

So put away the clay and the carving tools, and start to see God for who He truly is.  He is the holy, perfect, righteous creator of all things.  He is the one that loves with complete perfection.  The one that knows us so intimately and longs for us to know Him as well.  He is the one that sacrificed Himself to pay for our sins so that we could be made right with Him.  He is the one that blesses those that call on His name, in this life, as well as the life to come.

But He is also the perfect, righteous judge.  And as any good judge, He cannot let sin go unpunished.  If you choose to separate yourself from God, He will not stand in your way.

Think of it this way:  Every sin that ever was and that ever will be was paid in full by the blood of Jesus Christ – God in the flesh.  Right now, as you are reading this, every one of your sins is just sitting there with a claim check that reads, “paid in full”.  And all you have to do is ask for it, and that claim check is yours.  So what is stopping you?  Ask Christ for forgiveness.  Ask Him to come into your life.  Turn from your sins and follow Him.

What a shame it will be at the final judgment, when we will all stand before God, and we will see our sins.  It breaks my heart to think of all of the sins that will be laying there with their claim checks still attached.  And God the Father will ask the question, “I gave you my Son to pay for your sins, why didn’t you accept Him?”

Study Questions:

Have you “pushed the truth of God away”?  This is more than just the question of whether you believe in God or not.  What do you believe about God?  Do you see Him as the infinite, eternal, creator God of the universe, or is He something that you fashioned into your lifestyle? 

Can you see God in nature?  Psalm 19:1 reads, “The heavens declare the glory of God.  The skies display His marvelous craftsmanship.”  Most of us live in suburban areas where, when we look out our windows, we see more man-made things than nature in its perfection.  Have you ever wondered what it is that draws people to the great outdoors?  We love camping, and fishing, and skiing.  We love to get out into nature.  We find peace.  We find God.

What does God look like to you?  Even as Christians, we struggle with understanding God.  Often times we forget that he is God.  We think of Him as something less – as another human – just like us only more powerful.  Is that your perspective?  Start seeing God as the loving, creator of all things, and rest in knowing that He has the power to make all things possible in our lives.

(3) It’s all about faith in Christ Jesus – Romans 1:8-17

8 Let me say first that I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith in him is being talked about all over the world. 9 God knows how often I pray for you. Day and night I bring you and your needs in prayer to God, whom I serve with all my heart by spreading the Good News about his Son.

 10 One of the things I always pray for is the opportunity, God willing, to come at last to see you. 11 For I long to visit you so I can bring you some spiritual gift that will help you grow strong in the Lord. 12 When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours.

 13 I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, that I planned many times to visit you, but I was prevented until now. I want to work among you and see spiritual fruit, just as I have seen among other Gentiles. 14 For I have a great sense of obligation to people in both the civilized world and the rest of the world, to the educated and uneducated alike. 15 So I am eager to come to you in Rome, too, to preach the Good News.

 16 For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile. 17 This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”

Paul knew how the Christians were being persecuted under Emperor Nero.  Yet, even through it, their faith in Christ never faltered.  Their courage was talked about, and their stories were told around the known world.  One of Nero’s favorite forms of torture was to impale a person in such a way that they wouldn’t die immediately, then after placing the pole in the ground so that the person is hanging upright, they would be covered in tar and lit on fire.  The person would slowly burn to death while at the same time, lighting a pathway so that friends of Nero could find their way to his palace at night.

Prayer was a huge part of Paul’s life.  He talked to God constantly, and prayed about everything.  Paul had a relationship with God.  He loved God with all his heart.  In his letters, he talks about how he trusts God completely, and how he listens for God’s response.  Can we have this kind of relationship with God?  Of course we can.  This same God that Paul loved is the same God that Moses loved.  In Exodus 33:17, The Lord replied to Moses, “I will indeed do what you have asked, for I look favorably on you, and you are my friend.”  This is the same God that knows us today, and wants us to know Him.  How do we get to know Him?  Through His Word, and through prayer. 

Paul’s heart went out to the people in Rome, and so he prayed.  Did he think that God didn’t know what was going on there, and he felt he had to bring it to God’s attention?  No.  Later, Paul wrote in his letter to the Philippians, “Don’t worry about anything, but pray about everything.”  Think of it this way; if God already knows what you are going to ask before you even ask it, it stands to reason that your words and your petition are not as important as your faith in knowing that God is sovereign in all things.  In other words, prayer is an act of faith.  It is our outward expression of love and trust in our Heavenly Father.  It is the key to our relationship with Him. 

It is often said that prayer is our way of aligning our will with the will of God.  Too often, we think of God as a genie-in-a-bottle.  He never even crosses our mind until we need Him.  Then, in our time of need, we summon Him and ask Him to grant our wish.  We try to get God to change His direction and come into alignment with ours.  But faith is a journey, not a destination.  And, every journey takes thousands of steps.  The way that we grow in faith is by praying at every step, and not waiting until we are standing at the edge of a cliff, not knowing how we got there.  When we pray at every step, our will begins to come into alignment with God’s will for us, and even if we find ourselves standing at the edge of a cliff, we will know exactly how we got there, and we will know which way to turn.

His Heavenly Father was the first thought in Paul’s mind.  No matter what the situation was, Paul always turned to God first.  And, in faith, Paul was content in waiting on God’s perfect timing.  Paul knew that when the time was right, God would make the way for him to visit Rome.  We need to do the same. 

Paul was the Christian Missionary that set the mark for the future of mission work in the field.  Paul loved to meet face-to-face.  And, because of his education and thorough understanding of sacred scripture, Paul was able to speak to, and encourage, all people.  He longed to be with the Christians in Rome, and did eventually arrive two years later – as a prisoner in chains, through a shipwreck, after spending the winter on the island of Malta, and all the while knowing that he would stand trial in front of the Emperor Nero himself.  I’m sure that this was not exactly what Paul had in mind when he prayed that he could someday visit Rome, but God proved again that His plan and timing are perfect.  Although incarcerated, Paul was moved to a house where he was allowed to have regular visitors, and he was allowed to preach the Good News about Jesus Christ.  (see Acts 28:17-31)  Paul wrote “the prison letters” to the Ephesians, the Colossians, to Philemon, and to the Philippians all during his incarceration.

Getting back to our study, Paul said in verse 11 that he would bring “some” spiritual gift that will help them grow strong in the Lord.  Paul didn’t know what gift the Spirit was going to lay on them, but he did know that a gift (or gifts) would be given, and that it would be exactly what they needed.

Paul often spoke about spiritual gifts.  In his first letter to the Church in Corinth (1 Corinthians 12:4-11), Paul cleared up some misunderstanding about these gifts.  The bottom line is that when we come to faith in Christ, the Holy Spirit indwells us, and it is the Holy Spirit that chooses the perfect gift to work through us as a means of helping the entire church. 

Paul rebuked the Corinthians for misunderstanding the purpose of these gifts.  Some in the church were saying that their gift (healing the sick, performing miracles, etc.) was more important than that of another’s (special faith, special knowledge, speaking in tongues).  And since it was more important, they must be better Christians.  Paul knew this wasn’t true.

I believe that the misunderstanding starts with the term “gift”.  When we think of a gift, we think of some item of value that was given to us to use as we please.  We didn’t pay for it, but when it was given to us, the ownership was transferred to us forever.  Anyone that has kids has heard them say “mine” from an early age.  The concept of ownership doesn’t need to be learned, it’s just understood. 

When we think of spiritual gifts, we think of a special skill that the Holy Spirit endows us with so that we can go out into the world and use this skill to the Glory of God.  But, it doesn’t work exactly that way.  A spiritual gift is the power of the Holy Spirit working through us.  It is not us doing anything, it is all Him.  We are just the instrument that He chooses at exactly the right time to do exactly the right thing that is exactly what a group of believers needs at exactly that moment in time.  A spiritual gift will always be used for the good of the church.  The “church” being the group of believers in Jesus Christ.

It appears that Paul wanted to make sure that the Church in Rome understood that it was not enough to simply say that you are a Christian – you need to show that you are a Christian.  In first century Rome, they wanted to live as Christians, but were afraid of what others might say.  Things were a little different for them – if they were found out, they would be killed.  But what are we afraid of?  What’s the worst that could happen to us?  Someone might put us on the spot and ask us about our faith.  We might even have to put into words why we call ourselves Christians.  We might find out that we don’t know why we call ourselves Christians.  We might find out that our faith is dead and useless.

Paul knew what the Roman Christians were risking, but still asked them to be bold in their faith.  He is asking us to do the same.  Not all of us are cut out to be evangelists.  I’ll admit that it is still hard for me to talk about my faith.  But, you know, it’s not always about preaching Jesus Christ to strangers. 

Paul explains over and over in his letters to simply live with Christ in our hearts and let our actions do the talking. 

So how do we demonstrate our faith?  Most of the time, all we can ever hope for is to make a positive impression on someone, a momentary act of kindness that gives them hope in a situation that seemed hopeless to them.  A kind word or a simple unselfish act could change the course of a person’s life.  That’s spiritual fruit.  The Holy Spirit will take it from there.

So, how do we show our faith?  Jesus said, “I am the vine and you are the branches.  Those who remain in Me, and I in them, will produce much fruit.  For apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5 NLT)   “My true disciples produce much fruit.  This brings great glory to My Father.” (John 15:8 NLT)  “You didn’t choose Me.  I chose you.  I appointed you to go and produce fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using My name.”  (John 15:16 NLT)  Paul mentioned this same spiritual fruit in verse 13.  So what is this spiritual fruit? 

In biblical terms, fruit metaphorically speaks of something good that is produced by an action.  It was easy for people to understand the life cycle of a plant, and parallel it with their own life.  As a plant starts with a seed, we start as a baby.  The seed and the baby are both helpless and need nurturing.  Soon enough, with proper care, they become stronger.  As the plant continues to grow, it becomes independent, and eventually produces fruit.  The people understood that it wasn’t easy for a plant to grow and produce fruit, but it was the natural course of events – it was the reason that the plant lived.

James wrote in his letter, “Dear brothers and sisters, what’s the use of saying you have faith if you don’t prove it by your actions?  That kind of faith can’t save anyone.  Suppose you see a brother or sister who needs food and clothing, and you say, ‘Well, goodbye and God bless you – stay warm and eat well’.  But then you don’t give that person any food or clothing.  What good does that do?  So you see, it isn’t enough just to have faith.  Faith that doesn’t show itself by good deeds is no faith at all – it is dead and useless.”  (James 2:14-17 NLT) 

It is absolutely no wonder why God chose Paul to be an Apostle.  Paul was born to teach, and God had it planned from the beginning.  God used every part of Paul’s life, up to and including the persecution of Christians to preach the Good News.  Would it have been better if Paul would have come to faith at Pentecost with the 3000 other Jews?  Sure!  The sooner we come to faith in Christ the better it is for all of us.  But the Father, who knows the beginning as well as the end, will use every part of us for His glory. 

Paul knew that God had groomed him for this work, and Paul felt an obligation to use what God had given him to spread the word to all people.  Paul preached boldly.  He was not ashamed to say that he was once a Jewish Pharisee that is now a Christian.  He was not ashamed to say that he once thought that he was without sin by keeping the Jewish law, but now realizes that he is a sinner in need of a savior. 

In verse 16, referring to the Good News about Christ that saves everyone who believes, Paul said, “…the Jew first, and also the Gentile.”  Paul had a keen awareness of the lostness of the Jews – after all, he was one of the most devout Jews of his time.  The Jews always were, and always will be God’s chosen people.  It broke his heart to think that there were so many Jews that refused to see Jesus as the fulfillment of all of the prophecy that they had learned from childhood.  Everything that Jesus did, He did for the Jews.  Through God’s amazing grace, the door was opened for anyone who believes, but Paul’s message throughout his letters was that the world was saved through the Jewish Messiah.  It had to be as much of a frustration as a blessing to see the Gentiles come to faith in Christ, while the Jews wouldn’t.

Paul concludes verse 17 by laying the theme of his entire letter to the Church in Rome:  It’s all about faith in Jesus Christ.  Paul quotes the Prophet Habakkuk,  “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.” (Habakkuk 2:4)

Study Questions:

Where is your faith?  Paul speaks a great deal about faith in his letters.  Faith is the key.  But, faith can have so many meanings.  There is faith that is absolute trust.  There is faith that would mean a confident hope that what was promised will be delivered.  There is blind faith, that has no backbone, that without some outward signs (fruit) is dead and useless.  For faith to have any power, it must first be placed in someone or something that has power.  Paul’s faith is in the promises of God.  So, where is your faith?  Is it in your own abilities?  It is in another person?  Is it in our government?  Do any of these carry the same power as God?

What is your gift?  Everyone has a God-given ability.  Some are teachers, some are thinkers, some are speakers, some are listeners, some are givers, some are lovers.  We all have something that we are naturally good at.  God has planted that ability in our DNA.  As believers, we are given gifts that will build up those around us.  Gifts that will bring glory to God.  The Holy Spirit gives and takes these gifts according to His purpose.  To the non-believers, I challenge you to think about the abilities that God has given you.  What are you good at?  What has God created you to do in this life?

(2) We are all slaves – who is your master? – Romans 1:1-7

Romans 1:1

This letter is from Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, chosen by God to be an apostle and sent out to preach his Good News. 2 God promised this Good News long ago through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures. 3 The Good News is about his Son. In his earthly life he was born into King David’s family line, 4 and he was shown to be the Son of God when he was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is Jesus Christ our Lord. 5 Through Christ, God has given us the privilege and authority as apostles to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done for them, so that they will believe and obey him, bringing glory to his name.

 6 And you are included among those Gentiles who have been called to belong to Jesus Christ. 7 I am writing to all of you in Rome who are loved by God and are called to be his own holy people.

   May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.

Have you ever been in a crowded room with dozens of people carrying on different conversations, all at the same time?  We’ve all experienced this at one point or another.  Everyone is talking over the next person, and no one is hearing very well at all.  But then, someone speaks up and says something that catches everyone’s ears, and the room is silent.

Paul began his letter to the Church in Rome by introducing himself as a slave.  In first century Rome, it was absolutely unconscionable for a Roman citizen to choose to be a slave. 

The bible never condoned slavery, but it was a part of the culture.  We in the 21^st century conger up images of the oppression of African slaves brought to America and forced to work against their will.  They were beaten and treated badly.  It was a horrible time in our history.

For the most part, slaves in first century Rome became slaves because they owed a debt that they couldn’t pay.  They were sentenced to a term of slavery until the debt was fully paid, and then they were released.  Think of how many slaves we would have in America today, if it weren’t for debt consolidation and bankruptcy court.

Some were enslaved to harsh masters that treated them with cruelty, but many slaves had kind and loving masters.  When their term was over, they would ask the master if they could stay.  If the master agreed, he would take the slave outside to the front door post, in full view of the neighbors, and drive an awl through the slave’s ear.  The slave would then wear an earring that would signify that they chose to stay.  They were no longer a slave, but were now a Bond slave, or sometimes referred to as a Bond Servant.

For Paul, being chosen by Christ to be an Apostle was of critical importance.  Paul didn’t choose Christ, Christ chose Paul.  And, because of this perspective, Paul felt he had no choice but to follow God.  Paul was purchased by a new master.  And his new master is Jesus Christ.  Purchased by the blood of Christ, that was shed on the cross.  God chose Paul, and Paul chose to stay.  As an Apostle of Jesus Christ, Paul was not only given the authority, but also the privilege, of bringing to the world the Good News of what Christ has done for us – so that God will be glorified.

You can imagine the hush that fell over the congregation when the church leaders read this to the people for the first time.  He got their attention.  “A slave?”, they must have thought to themselves, with the Jewish Christians saying, “I was not born into slavery like my ancestors.”, and the non-Jews thinking, “We are Roman Citizens, we own slaves – they don’t own us.”

But, Paul quickly explains that he is Christ’s slave because he was chosen by God.

Keeping in mind that the Jews had always considered themselves God’s chosen people, Paul first addresses the Jewish Christians by confirming that the Good News was promised long ago in the scriptures, and that Jesus is the fulfillment of the scriptures.  Paul, being a Pharisee and an expert in Jewish religious law, knew the key points that the Jewish Christians needed to know:  the fulfillment of the prophecies in scripture, the fact that Jesus was born into the royal family line of King David, and that the Holy Spirit of God powerfully raised Him from the dead.

Paul then turned to the Gentiles and explained that through Christ they can also be brought into the family of God, simply by believing in Christ.  “God loves you” was Paul’s message to the Gentiles.  And that through Christ, they too are called (or chosen) to be His very own people.

Paul is pointing out that since they are all chosen by Christ, and purchased by His blood, He is now their new master.  Paul will continue to look back at this theme of slave and master throughout his letter. 

Study Questions:

Who is your master?  The first of God’s Ten Commandments is that we would have no other gods before Him.  Is there something in your life that is more important than God? 

Who is your master?  Is it really Christ Jesus, or could it be the things of this world?  Things like money, prestige, and power?  Or could it be an addiction to drugs, alcohol, gambling, or maybe pornography?  Or could it be, simply, the overwhelming need to be accepted?  Don’t feel alone.  Even Paul recognized that, even though he knew Christ was his master, sin was still a part of his life.  The old master never stops calling us back. 

Take a minute and decide who your Master is.  Pray the prayer below.

(1) Introduction

Thank you for joining me in this study through the Book of Romans.

The Apostle Paul was born, Saul, to a prominent family in Tarsus.  Having a unique duel-citizenship - Roman by birth, but Jewish by faith, Saul was given the finest of educations.  Studying under Greek philosophers, he learned what the world had to offer.  Then under the greatest of Jewish scholars, Gamaliel, he learned the Jewish faith.  Like Gamaliel, Saul became a Pharisee - a teacher of Jewish Law.  

Saul hated the Christian Faith.  He saw it as a direct enemy of his Jewish faith.  Saul launched an all-out campaign to rid the world of all Christians.

Accompanied with a battalion of temple guards, Saul made his way North, towards Damascus in Syria, with the intent of arresting Christians and bringing them back to Jerusalem for trial.  But, Saul was stopped in his tracks by none other than Jesus Christ Himself.  This "man" that Saul had seen dead on a Roman cross, was standing in front of him - alive!  "Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" Jesus asked.

Saul's eyes were opened to the truth of Scriptures, and he believed.  He came to faith in Jesus Christ, changed his name to Paul, and became the greatest missionary for Christ.

The Apostle Paul's letter to the Church in Rome is unique among the thirteen letters that he penned to various churches, leaders, and friends. Unlike his other twelve letters, Paul did not personally know his audience in Rome. He had never visited or instructed the Roman Church.

He had heard of this growing church, and had also heard of some confusions that were causing arguments among the believers. The Roman Church was made up of a good mix of Jewish Christians, as well as, Gentile (non-Jewish) Christians. The Jewish Christians saw their faith as the fulfillment of thousands of years of God working through them as His own chosen people. They felt compelled to continue to follow the Jewish ceremonial and dietary laws, believing that without them, they could never be right with God. The Gentile Christians, on the other hand, never had any moral or dietary laws to follow. They continued to live immoral lives as they always have. Both groups believed in salvation by faith in Jesus Christ, through the grace of God, but didn't know what to do after that.

On top of this internal confusion was the constant threat of persecution by order of the Roman Emperor Nero. In Nero's mind, he was not just the emperor, he was god, and hated the Christians because of their allegiance to Jesus Christ – the Lord God Almighty. If they were caught, they would be executed – often in the most horrible ways imaginable.

Paul's letter to the Church in Rome is, arguably, his greatest theological accomplishment. With expert precision, as if it were the closing arguments of a trail attorney, Paul presents an air-tight case for the lostness of humanity, and humanity's need for God's intervention.

It is everything that we, as Christians, need to know about coming to faith in Christ, living in faith in Christ, and reflecting Christ's light into the world we live in. It is “Christianity 101 – Foundations”

This study will take us chapter and verse, from Romans 1:1, all the way through the end of this amazing book.

Each post will begin with the next group of verses, followed by commentary, and ending with study questions that challenge you to understand how the teaching applies to your life today.

The study will be automatically archived, so you can catch up at any time.

Again, I thank you for joining me in this study.

God's blessings on all of you and your families.

Joe