Most do not understand the Gospel or "Evangel" good news as it really is portrayed
to us in Romans. Here is part I - A study of Romans to help clear up what the Gospel really is.
What it is, is totally of God. We really have no say other then what God causes us to have.
“The Roman Road” is an evangelism tool used by many churches today. It is an attempt to delineate how one can be saved, using Romans as a basis. The formula goes like this:
• All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23)
• The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23a)
• But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6:23b)
• God demonstrates His own love for us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us (Romans 5:8)
• Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved (Romans 10:13)
• If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. (Romans 10:9,10)
The problem is that the “Roman Road” as presented by most Christians today is an offer resulting in an eternal destiny of heaven for those who accept the terms, or hell for those who do not.
But the real “Roman Road” is far more glorious than that! None are righteous, and none are even seeking out God ... but God provides the solution entirely of Himself so that no man can boast. Salvation in this present age comes not by works of any kind, but through faith that it may accord with grace. Those able to believe in this age of faith recognize the grace and the love of God, and are a part of the “ecclesia” ... those “called-out” from humanity to serve a particular purpose in the plan of God. God has conciliated the world to Himself, not counting man’s sins against him ... and the message of Christ’s Ambassadors today is “Be conciliated to God.” (2 Corinthians 5)
We do not present an offer to mankind resulting in an eternal destiny of heaven or hell. We present a proclamation of what God has done, and what He is in the process of doing. Ultimately all will be saved, even those not recognizing God in this present age. All will be reconciled to God when He becomes All in all.
With this in mind, let us begin our walk down the true Roman Road, where we will see the fulness of God’s grace, power and love.
Introduction
ROMANS 1:1
Paul begins by announcing himself as the author of this letter.
“Paul,
a slave of Christ Jesus,
a called apostle...” (1:1)
“Apostle” of a different kind
The Greek for apostle (apostello) is translated “commission” when in verb form. An apostle is one who has been commissioned by God.
When God worked thru the Jews as His instrument there were twelve apostles ... no more, and no less. Just as there were twelve tribes in Israel, there were twelve apostles. When Judas departed, there was a need to replace him with just one to bring the number back to twelve.
Not so with Paul, who is a different kind of apostle. The Twelve were commissioned to proclaim the evangel (gospel) to the Jews ... the twelve tribes ... relating to the coming of the Messiah to reign on David’s throne, and the restoration of the kingdom upon the earth. Paul was the first commissioned to go to the Gentiles, and his message speaks of the “Body of Christ” (Jew and Gentile alike with no barrier or preference), Christ’s return to “snatch away” the Body (1 Thessalonians 4:13), the Body’s destiny in the heavenly realm (Ephesians), justification and reconciliation.
“The Roman Road” is an evangelism tool used by many churches today. It is an attempt to delineate how one can be saved, using Romans as a basis. The formula goes like this:
• All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23)
• The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23a)
• But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6:23b)
• God demonstrates His own love for us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us (Romans 5:8)
• Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved (Romans 10:13)
• If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. (Romans 10:9,10)
The problem is that the “Roman Road” as presented by most Christians today is an offer resulting in an eternal destiny of heaven for those who accept the terms, or hell for those who do not.
But the real “Roman Road” is far more glorious than that! None are righteous, and none are even seeking out God ... but God provides the solution entirely of Himself so that no man can boast. Salvation in this present age comes not by works of any kind, but through faith that it may accord with grace. Those able to believe in this age of faith recognize the grace and the love of God, and are a part of the “ecclesia” ... those “called-out” from humanity to serve a particular purpose in the plan of God. God has conciliated the world to Himself, not counting man’s sins against him ... and the message of Christ’s Ambassadors today is “Be conciliated to God.” (2 Corinthians 5)
We do not present an offer to mankind resulting in an eternal destiny of heaven or hell. We present a proclamation of what God has done, and what He is in the process of doing. Ultimately all will be saved, even those not recognizing God in this present age. All will be reconciled to God when He becomes All in all.
With this in mind, let us begin our walk down the true Roman Road, where we will see the fulness of God’s grace, power and love.
Introduction
ROMANS 1:1
Paul begins by announcing himself as the author of this letter.
“Paul,
a slave of Christ Jesus,
a called apostle...” (1:1)
“Apostle” of a different kind
The Greek for apostle (apostello) is translated “commission” when in verb form. An apostle is one who has been commissioned by God.
When God worked thru the Jews as His instrument there were twelve apostles ... no more, and no less. Just as there were twelve tribes in Israel, there were twelve apostles. When Judas departed, there was a need to replace him with just one to bring the number back to twelve.
Not so with Paul, who is a different kind of apostle. The Twelve were commissioned to proclaim the evangel (gospel) to the Jews ... the twelve tribes ... relating to the coming of the Messiah to reign on David’s throne, and the restoration of the kingdom upon the earth. Paul was the first commissioned to go to the Gentiles, and his message speaks of the “Body of Christ” (Jew and Gentile alike with no barrier or preference), Christ’s return to “snatch away” the Body (1 Thessalonians 4:13), the Body’s destiny in the heavenly realm (Ephesians), justification and reconciliation.
Prayer
Paul notes that he is “making mention of you, always, in my prayers...” (1:8) We see many references to prayer in Paul’s letters. Here we see him thanking God for the faith of the saints in Rome, and his beseeching God to be able to come to Rome if that be God’s will. The frequency of Paul’s mention of prayer should cause us to make prayer a key element in our own lives.
“To be consoled together...” (1:11)
Paul’s desire to come to Rome is for the purpose of “sharing some spiritual grace” with them, for the saints in Rome “to be established.” But there is also mutual benefit when Paul meets with the saints ... “to be consoled together among you through one another’s faith, both yours and mine.”
There is benefit to be derived when saints meet together.
The evangel introduced
ROMANS 1:14
“Thus this eagerness of mine to bring the evangel
to you ... For not ashamed am I of the evangel...” (1:15)
God’s power and righteousness revealed
While Paul has not yet told us the details of this evangel he is proclaiming, he does introduce the evangel as follows:
“it is God’s power for salvation to everyone who
is believing...” (1:16)
“in it God’s righteousness is being revealed...” (1:17)
Out of faith, for faith
In the evangel God’s righteousness is being revealed
“out of faith for faith...” (1:17)
Out of whose faith? And for whose faith? Romans 3:22 sheds light.
“a righteousness of God through Jesus Christ’s faith,
for all, and on all who are believing...” (3:22)
God’s righteousness is revealed thru “Jesus Christ’s faith,” and it is “on all who are believing.” So God’s righteousness is “out of” Jesus Christ’s faith, and it is “for” the faith of the believer.
“according as it is written: Now the just one by faith
shall be living.” (1:17 ... from Habakkuk 2:4)
The just one (the one reckoned righteous because of the faith of Christ, and having been chosen by God and given the ability to see and believe) shall be living by faith (shall be living in accord with his belief.)
Do we CHOOSE to believe?
Before we proceed, let me ask you to consider something. Was it Abraham’s choice to believe, or was the ability to believe granted to him by God in order that God’s purposes might be fulfilled thru Abraham? Did God speak equally to all men, giving all the same chance, but only Abraham believed ... or did God speak to Abraham in a way that he had not spoken to others, because Abraham was chosen by God?
Consider these passages:
“For you it is graciously granted, for Christ’s sake, not
only to be believing on Him...” (Philippians 1:29)
“... the god of this eon blinds the apprehensions of the
unbelieving so that the illumination of the evangel of the
glory of Christ, Who is the Image of the invisible God, does
not irradiate them.” (2 Corinthians 4:3)
And consider Paul’s conversion. Paul did not choose to believe and become a follower of Christ. As a matter of fact Paul was the premier opposer of Christ. Yet he was chosen outside of his own “free will.” Paul was directly spoken to in a way that others had not been spoken to, because he was the one chosen for this special commission.
So it would seem that the “saints” at Rome, the “called of Jesus Christ,” were those chosen by God and given the eyes to see and believe in order that God’s purposes might be fulfilled thru them.
Is salvation only for Believers?
Let us remember what Paul says elsewhere in his writings:
“God, Who wills that all mankind be saved and come into
a realization of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4)
“Christ Jesus, Who is giving Himself a correspondent
Ransom for all...” (1 Timothy 2:6)
“God, Who is the Saviour of all mankind, especially of
believers.” (1 Timothy 4:11)
So God’s will is that all mankind be saved. And Christ gave Himself as a ransom for all, not just those that believe. And God is the Saviour of all mankind, especially (but not exclusively) of believers. “Especially of believers,” for they recognize God’s power for salvation and His righteousness in this present age while others do not. But while God is the Saviour of believers in a “special” way ... this does not preclude the fact that He is the Saviour of all mankind, and that Christ Jesus gave Himself a correspondent Ransom for all.
This evangel is God’s power for salvation, and we who believe can see this power and glorify God for it! This is an evangel not to be ashamed of, and one that Christ’s ambassadors should be eager to proclaim.
God’s indignation revealed
ROMANS 1:18
Whereas God’s righteousness is being revealed in the evangel, here we see the crucial need for the evangel ... because God’s indignation is revealed upon man’s natural state apart from the grace of God.
God has revealed Himself to mankind
“that which is known of God is apparent among them,
for God manifests it to them.” (1:19)
But man does not glory or thank God
“knowing God, not as God do they glorify or thank
Him...” (1:21)
So God causes man’s reasoning to be vain
“vain were they made in their reasonings, and
darkened is their unintelligent heart. Alleging
themselves to be wise, they are made stupid...” (1:21)
Man continues to turn away from God
“and they change the glory of the incorruptible
God into the likeness of an image of a corruptible
human being and flying creatures...” (1:23)
And God gives man over to his base, fleshly nature
“Wherefore God gives them over, in the lusts of
their hearts, to the uncleanness of dishonoring their
bodies among themselves...” (1:24)
“to dishonorable passions...” (1:26)
“...females, besides, alter the natural use into that which
is beside nature.” (1:26)
“Likewise also the males, besides, leaving the natural
use of the female, were inflamed in their craving for
one another, males with males effecting indecency,
and getting back in themselves the retribution of
their deception which must be.” (1:27)
And man’s mind is made to be “disqualified”
“And according as they do not test God, to have Him
in recognition, God gives them over to a disqualified
mind, to do that which is not befitting...” (1:28)
We see the impact on man’s behavior
“filled with all injustice, wickedness, evil, greed,
distended with envy, murder, strife, guile, depravity,
whisperers, vilifiers, detesters of God, outragers
proud, ostentatious, inventors of evil things,
stubborn to parents, unintelligent, perfidious,
without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:”
(1:29)
Such men are deserving of death
“recognizing the just statute of God, that those
committing such things are deserving of death...” (1:32)
And this also includes men who endorse such behaviors
“... not only are doing them, but are endorsing, also,
those who are committing them.” (1:32)
This, then, is the sorry state of man, before the revelation of God’s solution ... a righteousness from God which is announced in the evangel. We see in this description of mankind the extreme need for a righteousness from God, as there is certainly no righteousness to be found within man.
One final note. We see in 1:32 that the behavior of man is deserving of death ... the same sentence pronounced upon Adam for his sin. Eternal torment (hell) is not the penalty, but death.
God Will Judge
ROMANS 2:1
Man is not qualified to judge
Despite the fact that God’s indignation is revealed upon mankind, when a man judges another he condemns himself
“for you who are judging are committing the same
things.” (2:1)
Man’s judgements, therefore, are hypocritical. Not so when God judges.
“the judgement of God is according to truth.” (2:2)
Why does God permit man’s wicked acts to continue? Why does God not judge the wicked immediately?
“Or are you despising the riches of His kindness and
forbearance and patience, being ignorant that the
kindness of God is leading you to repentance?” (2:4)
Man wants to judge immediately, despite the fact that he is guilty himself. God is delaying His judgment, showing great patience and kindness, allowing man the opportunity for repentance.
God will judge
Despite God’s great patience and kindness, He will not delay judgment forever. He will judge
“in the day of indignation and revelation of the
just judgment of God...” (2:7)
Many today say that God cannot be just as they observe events in the world around them. But we have not yet seen God’s just judgment. We see today only His patience and forbearance.
In accord with acts
But in the “day of indignation” what will God’s just judgment look like?
“Who will be paying each one in accord with his acts:
to those, indeed, who by endurance in good acts are
seeking glory and honor and incorruption, life eonian;
yet to those of faction and stubborn, indeed, as to the
truth, yet persuaded to injustice, indignation and fury,
affliction and distress...” (2:6)
Without the evangel Paul brings, this would be the nature of God’s judgment upon all mankind .... based on acts (not faith), and with the sentence being either life eonian (life in the eons to come) or indignation, fury, affliction and distress.
Fortunately our destiny is not determined by our own actions and abilities. God provides a “rescue” as we will see in reading on.
This passage is not referring to “eternal life” for those who believe in this lifetime, and “endless torment” for those who do not. Note that the judgment and reward here is dependent upon acts, not faith. And eonian life refers to life for the eons, not that which follows the conclusion of the eons.
We must remember that the Greek “aion” refers to a time period with a beginning and an end ... not endlessness. No passage of Scripture, even when talking of judgment, will supercede the final outcome declared by God. Death will one day be abolished, and all will be “vivified” (given life) when God becomes All in all (see 1 Corinthians 15:22-28).
No partiality in God’s judgment (2:11)
All mankind will be judged by God without partiality.
“Whoever sinned without law, without law also shall
perish...” (2:11)
“and whoever sinned in law, through law will be
judged.” (2:13)
When those of the nations do that which the law demands, even though they have no law, they “are a law to themselves” as they are displaying actions of “the law written in their hearts.”
God’s impartial judgment will come to light
“in the day when God will be judging the hidden
things of humanity...” (2:16)
Man cannot judge because he does not see the entire picture. Man can only observe the outer, visible things ... but God observes the hidden things of humanity.
http://www.graceevangel.org/
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