Through The Bible - The Book of Romans

For the past couple of months I have been doing a series of sermons in our Sunday evening services entitled "Through the Bible". We began in Genesis and have worked our way through each book of the bible until tonight we reached the book of Romans.

For the record ... I love the Book of Romans!!!!!

Let me give you the thumbnail version:

Romans 1-3: Paul builds the case that all men are guilty before a Holy God. The pagan man, the moral man as well as the religious man. Romans 3 tells us: Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. (vs. 19&20) For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (vs. 23)

Romans 4-5: Paul goes back to the OT example of Abraham to drive home the point that salvation was and always will be by grace though faith. Abraham look forward to the promises of God and we look back to the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. I love Romans 4:21&22 speaking of Abraham: And being fully convinced that what He (God) had promised He (God) was also able to perform. And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.” From here Paul speaks of our peace with God because Jesus met the righteous demands of a Holy God and then draws a comparison between the first Adam and the second Adam, Jesus Christ.

Romans 6-8: Paul now builds the case that we, being in Christ, are dead to sin and that sin no longer has any power over us. "Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace." (vs. 11-14) Paul builds on this the fact that in reality as he in living the Christian Life that this is still very hard to perform. In chapter 7 Paul writes: "For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? (vs. 15,21-24) Paul begins Romans 8 with no condemnation from God and ends it with no separation from God.

Romans 9-11: Here is the history of Israel past, present and future. Paul talks about how God has set Israel aside for a while as He deals with the gentiles in the church age. This time of being "set aside" is just for a time and then God will turn His attention back to His special people.

Romans 12-16: This is the practical section of the Book of Romans, chapter 12 deals with Christian living, chapter 13 deals with our attitude toward government, chapter 14 deal with the weaker brother and getting along with one another. Chapter 15 covers bearing others burdens and glorifying God together, and chapter 16 is very personal as Paul names more folks in this one chapter than he does in any other place in the scriptures.

I love the Book of Romans!!!!

Trust this was a blessing for you!

I Remain,
Pastor Steve