Romans 1

Posted on Jun 14, 2017 in Bible (NT) in a Year |

Wednesday

Read: Romans 1

Have you ever wished that God would write you a letter? Well guess what… He has.

Through the Apostle Paul (and a couple of other people) we have several letters that were inspired by the Holy Spirit. So what good things does God have to say to us?
 

So before we delve into the theological aspect of this letter, let’s look at some background info.  It was written by Paul around 57AD while he was in Corinth. At this time Paul was preparing to go to Jerusalem to take the offering that was collected for them and then in a subsequent journey stop in Rome on his way to Spain. The Roman church was not founded by Paul and so he needs to spend some time introducing himself to them. But he also shares with them how eager he is to spend some time with them and then goes on to encourage them.

And then he goes on to present the facts of the gospel to them. Paul deals with issues like sin and how salvation is offered to everyone. He shares how God hates sin and about being made holy through the grace of God and justification through faith alone. He also relates how much God cares for his people. Paul talks about righteousness and the practical application of what is written in our everyday lives.

The beauty of the letter, which is inspired by the Holy Spirit, is ageless. Maybe customs and traditions have changed, but the message is still relevant for our lives today. God never changes, His is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.

I came across a quote from Martin Luther that I wanted to share with you. Luther said this about Romans: “It is the chief part of the New Testament and the perfect gospel….the absolute epitome of the gospel.” And John Wesley felt his heart “strangely warmed” after hearing Martin Luther’s preface to Romans. The book of Romans has within its pages the life changing truth of Jesus Christ. I hope you’ll follow with me the next few weeks as we explore more of what God has to say to us, through the apostle Paul.
 

Grace and Peace

Pastor Kathy