"The Purest Gospel" -- Romans 1:16-17

The Thirty-Eighth (and last) in a Series of Sermons on Paul's Epistle to the Romans

Martin Luther once described Paul’s letter to the church in Rome as “the purest gospel.” We have spent 37 Sundays going through this amazing epistle, and I thought that it would be appropriate to devote one final sermon to summarizing some of the things Paul has set forth in this letter.

One of the problems with a week by week study of a lengthy book such as Romans is that we can easily miss the big picture since it takes so many weeks to cover the entire book. Paul’s intent was that this letter be read in the various house churches we speak of as the “church in Rome.” Since this letter was originally intended to be read aloud in these various congregations, I can’t help but think Paul would chuckle a bit were he to learn that a congregation such as ours would spend so much time going through a letter which he intended to be read aloud in one sitting. And yet this letter is so profound and so densely-packed with important doctrinal matters, I think a good case can be made that we went through this letter far too quickly. So, a quick summary of several of the major themes of Romans should be a profitable undertaking and a fitting way to end our series.

Our fathers in the faith clearly understood the importance of the Book of Romans and we would be foolish to ignore their wise counsel. Luther thought understanding Romans so important to a healthy Christian life that he thought it should be memorized by every Christian. He also stated that Romans cannot be studied enough or too thoroughly. John Calvin thought that the Book of Romans was the key to understanding the whole of Scripture, since in this epistle Paul quotes more verses from the Old Testament than any other book of the New Testament. If we understand the Book Romans, says Calvin, we will be able to see the big picture of the redemptive drama so that we can make sense of details and understand the more obscure passages of the Bible. A number of writers have made the point that Romans has an uncanny power to bring life to Christ’s church whenever the church is in need of Reformation and renewal. But then the church always seems to be in need of Reformation and renewal.

Then there is the fact that many of the issues facing the church in Rome are issues which have re-surfaced in our own day. Just like the ancient Romans, Americans do not embrace the biblical conception of human sin and God’s grace. For Paul, true religion is based upon understanding God’s revelation of himself in the person of Jesus Christ, the central figure in our deliverance from sin, who is revealed on every page in the unfolding drama of the redemption. This why Paul cites so many Old Testament passages even though the messianic age has now dawned and the Old Testament promise of a redeemer is fulfilled. Much like ancient Roman pagans, modern Americans think they can find salvation by looking within. Paul’s letter to the church in Rome reminds us that this is not the case. If we look within for salvation we will only find sin and depravity.

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"The God of Peace Will Soon Crush Satan" -- Romans 16:17-27

The Thirty-Seventh in a Series of Sermons on Paul's Epistle to the Romans

At long last we come to the final verses of the Book of Romans. In this remarkable letter, Paul has described the human predicament (bleak as it is), before explaining the nature of the gospel and describing how it is that guilty sinners receive a right-standing before God based on the righteousness of God which is revealed in the gospel and received through faith in Jesus Christ. Paul goes on to describe how these same justified sinners also begin the life-long process of sanctification in which the remnant of our sinful nature (the flesh) is progressively put to death, while the new man is continually strengthened through word and sacrament. Paul then describes the role that Jew and Gentile will play in redemptive history, before giving a series of imperatives regarding our daily behavior as Christians. As Apostle to the Gentiles, Paul is concerned to shepherd this flock of Jesus Christ and so he leaves the Romans with a final pastoral warning as well as a wish and a prayer for God’s continued blessing upon the Roman church.

In his concluding remarks to the church in Rome, Paul explains his current situation–he desires to come and visit the church in Rome but thus far has been prevented from doing so. Before Paul can come to Rome for a visit on a hoped-for journey to Spain, Paul must first deliver an offering to the suffering Jewish Christians in Jerusalem. This offering for the poor had been collected from Gentile churches throughout Macedonia. The Jewish Christians in Rome were undergoing a very difficult trial. Having come to believe that Jesus is the Christ–Israel’s Messiah–Jewish Christians faced horrible persecution from those Jews who regarded the preaching of Christ crucified as a great threat to the religion of Israel. But Jewish Christians also had a hard time accepting the Gentile mission to which Paul had so whole-heartedly devoted himself because Christ had called him to do this very thing. Gentiles were not familiar with the Old Testament. They had never heard of Moses, nor did they know the commandments of God. They ate things which Jews found offensive and they tended to engage in sexual immorality. So not only would the offering Paul be bringing to Jerusalem provide relief from their very real suffering, it would have encouraged the Jewish Christians to be more accepting of the Gentile Church.

Paul has just told the Romans that his calling is primarily to preach the gospel in those areas where it had not yet been preached. It has long been Paul’s desire to labor in mission fields to the west (Spain) since the gospel had not yet been preached in this area. Rome would make a good base of operations for Paul, which is probably why he informs the Romans of his long-standing desire to come and visit so that there might be mutual encouragement both for the shepherd and for the sheep. Paul asks for their prayers for the success of his trip to Jerusalem, but he also prays for the church that they will be refreshed and encouraged by Paul when he finally comes to this visit congregation he has heard so much about.

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"What Christ Has Accomplished" -- Romans 15:14-16:16

The Thirty-Sixth in a Series of Sermons on Paul's Epistles to the Romans

Having finished the main body of his letter to the church in Rome, and completed his discussion of a number of lofty doctrinal themes, Paul now turns to more mundane matters as he wraps up his epistle to the Romans. Paul informs his reader of his earnest desire to visit the church in Rome, but explains that thus far has been prevented from doing so. Then, there are some practical matters to which Paul must attend–the commendation of Phoebe, the woman who will deliver this letter to Rome, as well as personal greetings to be extended to a number of friends and acquaintances living in the city. Lest we forget Paul’s letter to the church in Rome is not a lecture on Christian doctrine, but a pastoral letter to church which Paul has never visited although, as we will see, he is certainly familiar with many of its members.

We now come to the final section of the Book of Romans–Paul’s concluding remarks–as the apostle wraps up his theological discussion and exhortations regarding some of the pressing pastoral problems facing this particular church. Having completed this discussion, Paul describes his personal situation and discusses his plans for the future, specifically as they relate to the church in Rome. This final section is in many ways an expansion of the remarks made back in Romans 1:8-15 when Paul opened this epistle by expressing, in part, his reasons for writing. Now Paul goes on to express his confidence in the members of this church because the maturity of the Roman Christians will enable them to capably handle some of the difficult issues he has raised. Indeed, the very nature of this discussion requires Paul to explain his role as apostle to the Gentiles as well as offer the reason as to why it is that his apostolic duties have prevented him from visiting Rome thus far, although it is certainly his earnest desire to do so if he is able to make a future visit to Spain.

But before he can go on to Spain and stop in the city of Rome on the way, the apostle must return to Jerusalem with the proceeds of an offering for the poor Jewish Christians in that city collected from among the Gentile churches in Macedonia and Achaia. In the midst of this discussion of his future plans, we find yet another Pauline prayer-wish–a prayer in which Paul exhorts the Christians in Rome by allowing them to overhear that for which he is praying. Next, in the opening verses of chapter 16, Paul goes on to mention a woman named Phoebe, who serves as the bearer of this letter to the church in Rome. Then in verses 3-15, Paul extends his greetings to a list of individuals in the Roman church with whom he is familiar before exhorting them to great one another in the Lord. Finally, in verses 17-27 (our subject the next Lord’s Day), Paul gives one final piece of pastoral advice to the church, before warning the Roman Christians to be on their guard against false teachers and exhorting them to live up to their outstanding reputation among the churches.

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"By the Power of the Holy Spirit" -- Romans 15:1-13

The Thirty-Fifth in a Series of Sermons on Paul's Epistle to the Church in Rome

Having made the case that God justifies the wicked through faith in Jesus Christ, at some point in this epistle Paul must address the subject of Christian liberty. The issue is simply this: Since we justified by the merits of Christ, who fulfilled the righteous requirements of the law by his perfect obedience, this means that we are not bound in any sense to those things not commanded in God’s word. But how do we relate to those who still think it wrong to do certain things, even when such things are not forbidden in Scripture? Paul discusses this matter using the categories of weak and strong, the weak being those who have scruples about things not forbidden in Scripture.

The fact that there are both weak and strong in the church in Rome is the reason why in Romans 14, Paul pronounces all foods clean. Paul must prevent the weak (the Jews) from trying to force Gentile converts to Christianity to live as Jews and keep a kosher diet, in effect, speaking of good things as though they were evil, something the apostle forbids. The feuding between the weak and strong is also why Paul exhorts the Christians in Rome to keep the particulars of their Lord’s Day observance as a matter between themselves and God, before going on to exhort them not to judge their brothers and sisters when it comes to any disputable matter. Since we all belong to the Lord, who alone is judge of all things (including our personal behavior), let us not bicker about such things as food and drink, or what we do or do not do on the Lord’s Day. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of food and drink, but a matter of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.

In Romans 12, Paul began the so-called practical section of this letter by exhorting Christians to stop being conformed to the pattern of this world and to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. As we learn to think like Christians and stop thinking like pagans, our conduct will change accordingly. As Paul has pointed out, this change in our behavior will manifest itself in a number of ways: genuine humility, love for our brothers and sisters, submission to legitimate governing authorities, prompt and full payment of our debts, and a biblical sexual ethic in which fornication and adultery are regarded as sins. Paul speaks of this change in our thinking as clothing ourselves in Jesus Christ. While are already clothed with Christ by virtue of our baptism and union with Christ, we also are to clothe ourselves with Christ on a daily basis. We do this by putting to death the deeds of the flesh and as we daily rise to newness of life. As we are clothed with Christ we will begin to manifest the kind of behavior described throughout these final chapters of Romans.

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"We Belong to the Lord" -- Romans 14:1-23

The Thirty-Fourth in a Series of Sermons on Paul's Epistle to the Romans

In the first eleven chapters of Romans, Paul defined the gospel in terms of the revelation of a righteousness from God received through faith alone. In these same chapters, Paul also described how those who receive this righteousness will also die to sin and rise to newness of life. Beginning in Romans 12, Paul exhorts us to be renewed in mind and to stop being conformed to the pattern of this age. Paul then moves on to describe how the righteous status that is ours through faith, is worked out in nitty-gritty details of daily life. Now in Romans 14, Paul discusses Christian liberty which is directly connected to justification and essential in understanding how Christians are to relate to one another.

Far too many Christians consider the subject of Christian liberty to be only incidentally related to the gospel. But this is not the case–Christian liberty is absolutely essential to the gospel. If we say that we believe the gospel of justification by grace alone through faith alone based upon the imputed righteousness of Christ and yet deny Christian liberty, do we really understand the gospel? I’m not so sure that we do! For the apostle Paul, freedom in Christ was the wonderful fruit of a right-standing before God and therefore something absolutely necessary to fight for. To lose Christian liberty through apathy (not defend it) or through a misunderstanding of justification (through efforts of legalists, such as the Judaizers) is to seriously undermine the gospel.

The importance of this freedom can be seen in Galatians 5:1, where Paul writes–“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” To divorce Christian liberty from justification, or to deny that Christian liberty necessarily flows from our justification, is to live inconsistently with the truth of the gospel. This subject is so important that it provoked one of the few disputes among the apostles recorded in the pages of the New Testament. As he recounts the story in Galatians 2:11-21, Paul thought the matter of Christian liberty so vital that he confronted the Apostle Peter directly to his face, telling Peter that his actions in withdrawing from fellowship with the Gentiles while at the same time allowing the Judaizers to force Gentile converts to live as Jews, was not only cowardly, even worse, Peter was not acting in accordance with the gospel. Thus justification sola fide without Christian liberty, is not justification sola fide. It is something else, something completely distorted from its biblical ideal.

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"Love Is the Fulfillment of the Law" -- Romans 13:8-14

The Thirty-Third in a Series of Sermons on Paul's Epistle to the Romans

In the first eleven chapters of the Book of Romans, Paul made the case that a righteousness from God is revealed in the gospel and that all those who by faith alone trust in Jesus Christ receive that righteousness freely offered them. But Paul has also argued that all those justified by faith alone will put to death the deeds of the flesh and begin to live a new life of obedience to the commandments of God. In Romans 12-15, Paul exhorts these same justified sinners to be renewed in mind and to stop being conformed to the pattern of this age. This renewal of mind, the putting to death the deeds of the flesh, and the new life of obedience (“sanctification”) will manifest itself in the daily lives of the members of the church in Rome. Thus Paul concludes this letter by discussing the specific situations facing the Christians in Rome and how they should respond.

In the straight-forward and direct language of Paul, sanctification is not merely theoretical but practical. The righteous standing we have been given in Jesus Christ is worked out in daily life through the concrete actions Paul now describes. The renewal of our minds means that Christians are not to think more highly of ourselves than we ought. It means we must regard the church as the body of Jesus Christ with each member being equally important. Thus Christians should use the gifts and abilities God has given to us for the edification of the church as a whole. To be renewed in mind also produces the actions defined in the vivid language of Romans 12:9-14. “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.”

Having forbidden Christians from seeking revenge upon those who have wronged them–an important pastoral matter in a church facing increased persecution from the Roman government and hostile pagan culture–Paul discusses the Christian’s attitude toward civil government in the opening verses of Romans 13. But Paul now moves on to address the subject of the Christian’s attitude towards those outside the church. Christians are not only to be good citizens because government is ordained by God to promote the public well-being and punish evil doers, Christians are also to be characterized by their love for others, including love for those outside the church who may be persecuting them. Being good citizens and loving your neighbor will not only soften the anger non-Christians have for members of the Roman church, distinctly Christian behavior also eliminates a number of obstacles people have to believing the gospel. Christians will not only demonstrate before the watching world that God is creating a new society, but the presence of Christian virtues undercuts the false accusations that Christians are subversive and are somehow a danger to the state because they refuse to worship caesar.

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"The Authorities Are God's Servants" -- Romans 13:1-7

The Thirty-Second in a Series of Sermons on Paul's Epistle to the Romans

In Romans 12, Paul exhorts Christians in the church of Rome to be renewed in their thinking, and to avoid being conformed to the pattern of this world. Thinking like a Christian is the outworking in everyday life of that righteous status we have been given through faith in Jesus Christ. Because Christians are not to think like pagans, Paul tells the Romans that they are to regard others more highly than themselves. They are to live in peace with those outside the church, even in the face of increasing persecution from the Roman authorities. And it is this latter exhortation from Paul which raises the question, “how are Christians to relate to civil government?” especially a government which is centered in the worship of its emperor.

Thus in Romans 13, Paul turns his attention to this very important topic. For obvious reasons, these seven verses have exercised a tremendous influence upon Christian political theory throughout the ages. As is the case with many of these profound discourses in Paul’s letters, this section of Romans is the subject of a great deal of scholarly debate. Some of the debate centers on the question as to how this particular section of Romans relates to the preceding, especially given Paul’s exhortation in Romans 12:19 that Christians are to refrain from taking revenge upon our enemies. Does Paul introduce the discussion of the state at this point because he views the state as the divinely-appointed avenger of the oppressed and downtrodden? Or, does this discussion continue Paul’s line of thinking as to how non-Christians are to relate to those outside the church, but who are now persecuting the church?

Another reason debate arises about this section of Romans is due to the Old Testament background as to how the people of Israel were to relate to the pagan kings around them. Jews viewed all Gentile nations in light of Israel’s divinely appointed mission–Israel was God’s chosen nation and the object of God’s care and affection. And then we must also consider the political situation in Rome when Paul writes this letter, because we cannot understand Paul’s comments without some knowledge of those circumstances that the Christians in Rome were actually facing.

As for the Old Testament background to Paul’s discussion of the Christian’s relationship to the state, there are two points we need to consider. The first is that as God’s chosen covenant community, the nation of Israel was not to submit to any pagan king. In Deuteronomy 17:15, we read “be sure to appoint over you the king the LORD your God chooses. He must be from among your own brothers. Do not place a foreigner over you, one who is not a brother Israelite.” Israel’s king must be a Jew. Thus it would be very difficult for Jewish converts to Christianity to adopt a Christian view of state, especially now that Israel’s role as God’s divinely chosen nation had come to an end with the dawn of the messianic age. Israel’s national purposes were now fulfilled, even if God’s purposes for the Jews as a people are not. There is no more role for Israel as a nation during the future course of redemptive history. This would be a difficult thing for Jews to accept.

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"In Christ, We Who Are Many Form One Body" -- Romans 12:3-21

The Thirty-First in a Series of Sermons on Paul's Epistle to the Romans

We have come to the so-called “practical” section of Romans (chapters 12-15) in which Paul discusses the application of those doctrines set forth in Romans 1-11 to specific situations in everyday life. Paul has spoken of the Christian life as “life in the Spirit.” Now he will show us what life in the Spirit looks like. Paul has told us as justified sinners to reckon ourselves dead to sin but alive to God. Now we will find out how this process of reckoning ourselves dead to sin and alive to God manifests itself in the life of the church.

As we saw last time, in Romans 12:1-2 Paul exhorts the Christians in Rome to renew their minds while at the same time to avoid conformity to the pattern of this present evil age. According to Paul, Christians are to put on the mind of Christ (a fruit of regeneration), while at the same time they must stop thinking and acting like the pagans they once were. This means that there is an intellectual priority in the Christian life. The renewed mind (intellect) leads the way while the heart (emotions) must necessarily follow. But in order to obey the will of God, we must know the will of God. And to know the will of God, we must know God’s word– wherein his perfect will is revealed. And knowing God’s will, we cannot help but offer ourselves as living sacrifices to the God who created us and redeemed us. This, Paul says, is our spiritual act of worship, the response of a renewed mind and a heart filled with gratitude, to what God has done for us in Jesus Christ. This our duty and the sign that sanctification is taking place.

As we work our way through this final section of this epistle, we come to Romans 12:3-16, where Paul discusses the Christian’s attitude toward other Christians, an issue especially important to the church in Rome, where very likely Jewish and Gentile Christians experienced some degree of strife within the church.

The presence of such strife is why Paul lists Christian humility as the first characteristic of the Christian mind which is being transformed by the word of God and which is no longer being conformed to the pattern of this age. In verse 3, Paul writes, “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.” While some argue that Paul’s words are aimed at those who hold office in the church–they are not to lord their authority over those they serve–there is no reason to think this is the case. Paul intends this exhortation to be heeded by all Christians, since humility should be the attitude of all those who are justified by grace alone, through faith alone, on account of Christ alone. People who understand that they are justified only because God has been merciful to them in Jesus Christ are hardly in a position to boast about their own righteousness. If the righteousness which justifies is Christ’s, and if our own righteousness only renders us guilty before God, then how can we boast and think of ourselves as better than others? We cannot.

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"This Is Your Spiritual Act of Worship" -- Romans 12:1-2

The Thirtieth in a Series of Sermons on Paul's Epistle to the Romans

In Romans 12 we come to the so-called “practical” section of the Book of Romans. At the end of his famous epistle, Paul now addresses some of the specific issues facing the Christians in Rome. But he does so only in the light of the many important theological themes he has developed in the first eleven chapters of this book. In fact, we can’t understand the so-called “practical section” of Romans properly if we don’t see this section as the direct application in daily life of those specific theological points Paul has already made, especially the fact that through faith in Jesus Christ, we have already been reckoned righteous before God.

Growing up in fundamentalism, I rarely recall hearing a sermon on the first eleven chapters of Romans, although we frequently heard sermons from chapters 12-15. And I suspect that there will be some of you reading this series who are glad to finally get to the useful stuff–the practical section of Romans. While there is much here that is very practical and quite beneficial for us in our daily lives, let us keep in mind that everything that Paul tells us in this section is the application of those doctrines he has set forth in the previous chapters. The reason why so many of us find Reformation theology so liberating is precisely because it puts practical Christian living in its proper perspective–the Christian life is the working out in our everyday lives the righteous status that God freely gives to all of those who by faith, trust in Jesus Christ, and not in their own good works.

One writer has identified the theme of this section of Romans–as “God’s righteousness in everyday life.” Another points out that this section of Romans summarizes what “the Christian’s response to God’s grace should be.” Paul’s understanding of the Christian life is clearly expressed in terms of living out our justification as we observed in Romans 6:11: “In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” In Romans 12-15, Paul will discuss how putting the flesh to death and rising to newness of life as mentioned in Romans 6, is made manifest in lives of those whom God has justified through faith alone. Recall that in Romans 7:6, Paul spoke of the Christian life as “life in the Spirit.” Well, in Romans 12-15, Paul describes what life in the Spirit looks like as it is worked out in daily life.

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"And So All Israel Will Be Saved" -- Romans 11:16-36

The Twenty-Ninth in a Series of Sermons on Paul's Epistle to the Romans

At the end of Romans 8, Paul’s reflection upon the grace of God moves him so deeply that he composes one of the grandest doxologies in all the Bible. “In all these things,” Paul writes, “we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” But in the next chapter when contemplating the present condition of his own beloved people, the Jews, Paul’s mood darkens dramatically. “I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race, the people of Israel.”

Having gone from the heights of joy to the depths of despair, the very thought of God redeeming his ancient people, the Jews, brings Paul back to the heights of doxological praise. And so as this three chapter discussion of the fate of his people comes to an end in Romans 11:33-35, Paul writes: “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! `Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?’ `Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him? For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.”

What is it that can bring Paul from the heights of doxology to the depths of despair and then back again to the heights of doxology? Paul’s hope that Israel’s present unbelief will give way to faith at the end of the age, when, as Paul puts it in Romans 11:26, “all Israel will be saved.”

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