SERMON TITLE: Romans Recap
SCRIPTURE: Romans 1-8 (ESV)
SPEAKER: Josh Hanson
DATE: 9-15-24
Sermon Discussion Guide
Take notes here
It’s good to be with all of you this weekend at Gateway Church. And if you’re worshiping with us for the first time — are joining us at our North Main Campus or are with our friends in Bucyrus — I want you to know that God loves you and that I love you too.
We’re returning to the book of Romans this weekend. For those who may be newer to Gateway — and especially for our friends in Bucyrus — Romans is a book we’ve been slowly working our way through since 2017. But it’s been two years since we were last in Romans. You can find all of the previous sermons on our website — gatewayepc.org/sermons.
And the section of Paul’s letter — that we’re about to begin — is the most controversial section of Romans. Chapters nine through eleven are controversial because they cover doctrines — or theological beliefs — that challenge what we naturally believe about God, ourselves, and how things in this world work. And my hope is that — as we allow God’s Word to be our authority on these topics — we’ll submit ourselves to his Word and see how these doctrines have huge implications for our lives.
But knowing that it’s been two years since we’ve been in Romans — let’s begin with a recap of all that we encountered in the first eight chapters. So — today — we’ll recap the first half of Romans — and next week — we’ll begin chapter nine.
Paul tells us what Romans is all about early on — in verses sixteen and seventeen of chapter one — where he writes…
Romans 1:16–17 (ESV)
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it (the gospel) the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”
These verses show us where Paul’s headed — these words reveal to us his thesis — his purpose — in writing this letter: he’s going to show us how the power of God is at work in the salvation of all who believe — and how this salvation plays itself out in the life of those who believe. For salvation changes a person — in fact — you can’t help but be changed by God’s power when one believes the gospel. The change doesn’t come all at once — but there is a change.
If you believe the gospel — what’s called the Good News — that Jesus came to live, die, and defeat Satan, sin, death, and Hell on your behalf — if you believe this — how have you been changed?
Paul then goes on to demonstrate the difference between those who believe the gospel and those who don’t. For example, he shows us how creation reveals to us that God exists — and yet — this truth is suppressed by those who don’t believe the gospel. God’s creation points us to him — the Creator. Whether it be the Grand Canyon or the Himalayas, the constellations in the night sky or the world full of life in the depths of the sea — all of creation is directing us to look to the One who has created it all. That’s one difference between those who believe the gospel and those who don’t.
Here’s another. Instead of following God’s law and moral standards — those who don’t believe the gospel chase after whatever their heart desires. And Paul goes on to list what the unbelieving heart’s desire produces.
And Paul lays all of this out as a foundation to contrast how God’s people are to live because they’ve experienced the power of the gospel in their salvation. For — those who believe the gospel — have the power of God — his Spirit — living in us. And the Spirit has set us free to be greedy no more — haters no more — envious no more — no more gossiping and quarreling and lacking mercy and being full of pride or indulging in sexual desires that are shameful. We’ve been set free from our enslavement to sin — from our allegiance being solely to that of sinful living — and have been set free to live for God’s glory according to his commands which outline his will for our lives.
It’s not that those who believe the gospel don’t stumble — we do — Paul gets to that later in his letter — but those who believe the gospel repent when they sin. Unbelievers don’t repent — believers do — this is evidence — a change brought about by the power of the gospel in the lives of those who receive and believe it.
Is this change evident in your life — do you repent — not of sin generally — and not only of sins from your past — and not only when you’re caught — but is repentance of specific sin a part of your present life?
That’s chapter one of Romans — and now you see why this recap is needed — because that was a lot to cover from one chapter! In chapter two — Paul goes right for his readers’ pride when he writes…
Romans 2:1 (NET)
1 Therefore you are without excuse, whoever you are, when you judge someone else. For on whatever grounds you judge another, you condemn yourself, because you who judge practice the same things.
What Paul is describing is something so evident in our world today. Those who are proud judge others for being proud. Those who are greedy judge others for being greedy. Judging others — itself — isn’t wrong — being a hypocritical judge is what’s wrong. Sinlessness isn’t required — but honesty — the ability to acknowledge sin in your own life is needed — before you play judge and jury of others. Thus Paul warns them…
Romans 2:3 (NET)
3 And do you think, whoever you are, when you judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself, that you will escape God’s judgment?
The implied answer being, “You will not.” Their danger — and the danger for many today — was being blind to their own sin — thinking they were right with God — all while they were doing the very things they judged others for doing.
Now — much of what Paul is writing has been directed at Jewish converts to Christianity. And an issue the early church had to figure out is what faith in Jesus — the promised Jewish Messiah — what faith in the Messiah required for Gentile converts? Meaning how Jewish did Gentile believers in Jesus need to become? Was circumcision still a requirement? What about some of the other Old Testament regulations? This is all being worked on in real time when Paul is writing this letter. So Paul — and others — are figuring out what unity in the church looks like when people — coming from all kinds of different backgrounds — Jews and Gentiles — are all believing in Jesus. And — it’s in the midst of this that Paul writes statements such as…
Romans 2:28–29 (NLT)
28 For you are not a true Jew just because you were born of Jewish parents or because you have gone through the ceremony of circumcision. 29 No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by the Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people.
And the question now becomes, “So…who’s really a Jew?” Meaning, just being born an ethnic Jew — Paul says — doesn’t make someone a true Jew. A true Jew — again — according to Paul — who was ethnically Jewish — according to Paul a true Jew is someone who’s had a change of heart. And a change of heart is a work done by the Spirit of God.
In the Old Testament we catch glimpses of this idea — of there being a true Israel within the nation of Israel — of there being a true people of God within the larger Jewish people who are collectively called God’s people. But — now — what we only catch glimpses of in the Old Testament — is becoming more clear.
Then — in chapter three — Paul starts a train of thought that he gets sidetracked from. And he doesn't pick up his thought again until chapter nine — which is where we’ll get to next week — I promise. But we won’t understand what Paul’s talking about in chapter nine unless we remember what he’s written back in chapter three. And — we looked at chapter three way back in 2018 — and I don’t even remember what I preached back then — so I don’t expect any of you to remember either. But — back in chapter three — Paul writes…
Romans 3:1–4 (NLT)
1 Then what’s the advantage of being a Jew? Is there any value in the ceremony of circumcision? 2 Yes, there are great benefits! First of all, the Jews were entrusted with the whole revelation of God. 3 True, some of them were unfaithful; but just because they were unfaithful, does that mean God will be unfaithful? 4 Of course not! Even if everyone else is a liar, God is true. As the Scriptures say about him, “You will be proved right in what you say, and you will win your case in court.”
Notice how — in verse two — Pauls says, “first of all.” He’s starting an argument that’s going to have multiple points — and this is his first point. Well he doesn’t get to his other points until chapter nine! As I said — he goes off in another direction for a few chapters before getting back to his list of points. But what he’s trying to stress is that the unfaithfulness of the Jewish people — as a group — not every individual Jew was unfaithful but as a whole they were as they rejected Jesus as God’s Messiah — Paul’s point is that their unfaithfulness did not stop God from accomplishing his plan of salvation. In fact, God used their unfaithfulness to accomplish his plan of salvation.
But — after saying that there are Jews and there are true Jews — Paul wants to make clear that this doesn’t mean God’s original plan has failed. For God’s plan — a plan he made before time began — was a victorious success.
Paul continues his thought with the words…
Romans 3:5–8 (ESV)
5 But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.) 6 By no means! For then how could God judge the world? 7 But if through my lie God’s truth abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner? 8 And why not do evil that good may come? — as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just.
This thought — too — will be picked up in chapters nine through eleven. Paul’s argument is this: If God used the unfaithfulness of the Jewish people to accomplish his plan — is God fair in judging them for being unfaithful? And what’s his answer? He declares that God is absolutely just and fair in judging them for their unfaithfulness. Paul says, “If I lie — and God uses my lie to spread his truth — does that excuse my lying?” Of course it doesn’t!
Or to take a biblical story you may be familiar with: Part of God’s plan was that Solomon would be the last king of a unified Israel. Yet Solomon came about because of both sexual sin and the murder of his mom’s first husband. Does the fact that Solomon is part of God’s plan excuse David’s sin? Absolutely not! — to borrow Paul’s favorite answer to these questions. David’s morally responsible for his sin even though one outcome of his sin — Solomon — is part of God’s plan. And I know that this isn’t neat, and clean, and tidy — and we like neat, clean, and tidy theology — but this is the tension we find in Scripture: Mankind is morally responsible for our choices and God is orchestrating everything to accomplish his will.
Then Paul makes a sweeping statement about the spiritual condition of humanity — which again — will connect to our chapters later in his letter. And Paul’s words about us are offensive to our ears. He writes…
Romans 3:9–18 (NLT)
9 Well then, should we conclude that we Jews are better than others? No, not at all, for we have already shown that all people, whether Jews or Gentiles, are under the power of sin. 10 As the Scriptures say, “No one is righteous — not even one. 11 No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God. 12 All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one.” 13 “Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave. Their tongues are filled with lies.” “Snake venom drips from their lips.” 14 “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.” 15 “They rush to commit murder. 16 Destruction and misery always follow them. 17 They don’t know where to find peace.” 18 “They have no fear of God at all.”
What a sweeping statement of humanity — regardless of ethnicity, gender, upbringing, political leaning, education, or all the other many ways we like to justify who are the good guys and who are the bad guys — according to Scripture — no one is righteous — a word that means right with God.
We’ll come back to many of these ideas in future sermons.
This is the state — or the condition — of every human being unless the Spirit of God awakens their heart to God’s love for them in Christ Jesus. The news Paul starts with isn’t good news to our ears — but it leads to the Good News when one recognizes how true these words are of them. For then — and only then — can one repent — or turn from — these patterns and behaviors as they turn to Jesus in faith — the theological term for this is called conversion. A turning from sin — repentance — and a turning to Christ — faith — are the two parts that make up conversion — or a person being saved. But the awakening by the Spirit of God must come first. For — if there is no seeking of God on our part — as Paul says — then God must be the One who first seeks us out — calling us to him — drawing us to him — giving us new life — a new birth of our hearts and desires — what some call being born again — this comes first and is the reason why we then repent of sin and turn to Jesus in faith and — thus — are saved. This is the power of the gospel in our salvation.
Paul then continues to show us what he means by the power of the gospel. Paul’s trying to get his original readers — and us — to elevate our understanding of what we mean when we say we believe in Jesus Christ and are saved. So he takes us back to Abraham — whose life will be brought up in chapter nine. And — it’s through Abraham’s example — that Paul makes a case against works-based — or an earned — salvation of any kind. Regardless if the work earning salvation is now — or at some point in the future upon which God foresees — Paul makes it clear that it’s not our works that save us — for the power of God unto salvation is a power that’s solely a work of his.
Here’s how Paul says it in chapter four.
Romans 4:4 (ESV)
4 Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due.
Is salvation a gift from God or is it something he owes to those who’ve earned it?
Romans 4:5–8 (ESV)
5 And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, 6 just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works: 7 “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; 8 blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.”
This is Good News. Salvation is not given to those who’ve earned it. For — if it were only given to those who’ve earned it — then we’re all in trouble because we’ve all sinned — we all curse, are bitter, divisive, don’t seek God, and so on. But — the gospel isn’t given because of our works — it’s given because of God’s grace — which Jesus earned for us.
And did you see what a gospel of grace means for us — for you — if you believe and receive the Good News? It means God counts you righteous apart from — not because of — but apart from your works. A gospel of grace means that all of your lawless deeds have been forgiven — all of your sins are covered and have been paid for — the theological word is “atoned for.” And — Paul says — “Blessed is the man or woman whom the Lord does not count their sins against them.” And our heart’s response to this wonderful news should be, “Yes! What wonderful news to my longing heart!”
But is this news for you and me? For — remember — Paul was writing to Jews. So is this Good News — good news for us who aren’t Jews? Yes and no.
This Good News is for anyone — regardless of ethnicity — so that’s our yes. But — in a sense — the answer is also no. For all who truly believe the gospel become children of Abraham — they become part of the “true Israel of God” for they are united to Jesus Christ by faith — and he — Jesus — is the true Israel of God.
Here’s how Paul says all of this.
Romans 4:9–12 (NLT)
9 Now, is this blessing only for the Jews, or is it also for uncircumcised Gentiles? Well, we have been saying that Abraham was counted as righteous by God because of his faith. 10 But how did this happen? Was he counted as righteous only after he was circumcised, or was it before he was circumcised? Clearly, God accepted Abraham before he was circumcised! 11 Circumcision was a sign that Abraham already had faith and that God had already accepted him and declared him to be righteous — even before he was circumcised. So Abraham is the spiritual father of those who have faith but have not been circumcised. They are counted as righteous because of their faith. 12 And Abraham is also the spiritual father of those who have been circumcised, but only if they have the same kind of faith Abraham had before he was circumcised.
Abraham is the spiritual father of all who believe — the ethnic Jew who believes in Jesus and the Gentile who believes in Jesus all have Abraham as their spiritual father. Thus both ethnic groups are now one spiritual group — are one spiritual family — and — being united to Jesus — they are the true Israel.
Yet Paul knows the struggle his readers — and us — have when it comes to the Good News being all about God’s grace. For we all — and this isn’t a new phenomenon — this has been our struggle as humans since the beginning of time — we all desire to be our own savior. We all desire to add some contribution to our getting out of this mess we call sin. The lie we tell ourselves — and so easily believe — is that grace surely can’t be enough — surely we must do something to ensure our salvation. And this line of thinking always leads to one destination: a lack of peace.
Thus — in chapter five — Paul writes…
Romans 5:1 (ESV)
1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
The peace within our souls that we’re so desperate for — a certainty in knowing that you have peace with God — is found only by grace alone through faith alone in the gospel of Jesus Christ and it alone. When we add just the tiniest bit of our works to the gospel we’re left unsettled, in a constant state of disarray, wondering if today we’ve done enough to earn — or keep — our salvation — or if we lost it all.
What a burden to carry — an impossibly heavy burden that crushes all who try to add what they do to what Christ has already done. Against this heavy burden — Paul contrasts God’s gospel of grace with these words.
Romans 5:8–11 (NLT)
8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. 9 And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. 10 For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. 11 So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.
Essentially Paul is saying, “Look at all that God did for you before you believed in Jesus? Isn’t it marvelous? Isn’t it wonderful? Isn’t it unexpected and — yet — hope giving? Life giving? Purpose giving? If God did all of this for you — before you believed — what hope you now have that you believe the gospel!”
And now we’re to chapter six — where Paul starts what’s really a two chapter explanation of the Christian’s struggle against sin. He first makes it clear that — prior to experiencing the power of the gospel in our lives — our relationship with sin was an enslavement. And he describes it as an enslavement to death — and the only cure for death is resurrection. Thus Paul points us to Christ — to his death and resurrection — and says something about what the power of the gospel does to those who believe. He writes…
Romans 6:3–14 (NLT)
3 Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? 4 For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. 5 Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. 6 We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. 7 For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. 8 And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. 9 We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. 10 When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. 11 So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus. 12 Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. 13 Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. 14 Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.
What Paul’s saying is that baptism visibly points to our being united with Jesus — being made one with him in his life, death, and resurrection. And not just metaphorically. Our being united to Christ actually means something — it guarantees something — and what it guarantees is wonderful news: Being united to Jesus Christ — through our faith — means we died in his death. So that pesky thing we’re all scared of — our death — has already happened. In Christ — you’ve already died.
Wasn’t so bad, now was it? Thus — no need to fear the death that’s before you — for the day of your death has been planned by your Father in Heaven — and it’s your homecoming day — the day he’s specially planned to welcome you into his arms.
Not only this — we’re also united to Christ in his resurrection — in his defeat of death. And Jesus was resurrected to everlasting life — which is now ours because we’re united to him — eternal life for you doesn’t begin some day in the future — it began the day you believed in Jesus. Therefore — as Paul would say, “You’ve died to sin. It’s no longer your master. You’re no longer a slave to it. You’re no longer a slave to believing what you do is what will save you. You’re free to now live a resurrected life by the power of God’s grace.”
And — I don’t know about you — but I’m like, “Yes! I love this! But — Paul — I’ve gotta question. Umm…if I’m free — why do I still sin? And — do so — like all the time?” The issue — Paul tells us — is that though we’re free from being a slave to sin — until we find ourselves in the eternal presence of God in Heaven — in this life — our freedom includes the choice to obey God or disobey him. And the triple whammy of our flesh, our enemy, and the presence of sin in the world all are working to get us to disobey — while the triple support of God’s Spirit, God’s Word, and God’s people are working towards our obedience.
Paul describes it this way in his own life…
Romans 7:15–25 (NLT)
15 I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. 16 But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. 17 So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. 18 And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. 19 I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. 20 But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. 21 I have discovered this principle of life — that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. 22 I love God’s law with all my heart. 23 But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. 24 Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? 25 Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.
If you can relate to Paul’s words — of there being an internal war going on in you — where you want to do good, to live a godly life, to obey Scripture, to read your Bible, to be a man or woman of prayer — if you have godly aspirations while also experiencing the agony of being defeated by temptation, the shame of having just burst out in anger at your kids — again — or are tired of being so judgmental, or racist, or greedy, or a people pleaser or — whatever it is for you that you know is ungodly and yet you just can’t seem to stop doing it — know that this is part of the ongoing spiritual war that God’s people are in. A war whose Victory Day is guaranteed — yet the daily carnage of fighting against our flesh, sin, and the Devil are real.
To which — Paul unexpectedly proclaims in chapter eight…
Romans 8:1 (ESV)
1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
No condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus — none! Though we know the fickleness of our hearts — how easily we go from chasing after God to chasing after this world — because of the power of the gospel — because of what Christ has done — for those who repent and turn to him in faith — there is no condemnation.
And — here in chapter eight — a chapter that took eighteen sermons for us to get through by the way — we learned of the wonderful gift that is God’s Spirit who lives in us — interceding on our behalf, empowering us in our weakness, and who gives confident assurance to our spirits that we are God’s children.
Here we find a promise I like to quote often.
Romans 8:28 (ESV)
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Which leads to Paul’s next words that he’ll expand on in the coming chapters.
Romans 8:29–39 (ESV)
29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. 31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised — who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
And I can’t think of better words to end on than these. Dear Christian, as we’ve journeyed back through the first half of Romans — my prayer and hope for you — is that you will rest in and receive these wonderful promises that are yours. No condemnation. You are a conqueror. Nothing can separate you from the love of Christ.
And — if you’re not yet a Christian — may these promises attract you to the Promise Making and Promise Keeping God. And know that — for the next few months while we’re in chapters nine through eleven — know that resting in and receiving great big promises and truths from God are going to be all that we’re to do. I know we American Christians love stuff to do — but in chapters nine through eleven — there aren’t many commands — in fact — there are only three — which we won’t even get to until chapter eleven.
But come prepared each week to have your view of God, yourselves, and of salvation refined by God’s Word with the help of his Spirit as we begin the last half of Paul’s letter. And may you come prepared to be showered with his grace, his promises, and the hope he’s made possible through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Let’s pray.
Heavenly Father, as we’ve remembered what we’ve previously encountered in your Word to us — we marvel at the breadth, length, height, and depth that is your work of salvation in our lives. So vast is your love for your people that nothing can separate us from it. Words that — honestly — seem too good to be true even as we believe them to be true.
Spirit of God, this is why we’re thankful for your indwelling presence in our lives. For often we encounter wonderful truths — and so desire to believe them — and yet are too weak on our own to fully believe. So Spirit, help us in our weakness to believe your promises to us.
And — Jesus — to you our Savior — the One who gave your life in love for us — what hope we have because of you. What joy. What life. What strength. What salvation. What an eternity. Jesus, thank you for being our loving Savior. And may you save many more by the power of your gospel. And we pray all of this in your name. Amen.
May you go with heart’s assured because of God’s promises to you if you believe in his Son: there is no condemnation for you — and nothing can separate you from his love. Amen.
God loves you. I love you. You are sent.
Stories, news, and resources for things happening at Gateway Church.
