Eloquent Good News

[Editor's Note: Under Roman Numeral II. and Letter C., you will find a great 3 point outline on the promised Savior. Great thoughts at Christmastime.]

Introduction

Romans 1:1-8

While in the city of Corinth on his third missionary journey, the Apostle Paul wrote the epistle to the Romans in the Spring of A.D. 58, approximately 28 years after the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ and about 20 years after his own conversion on the Road to Damascus. He was writing to encourage the believers at Rome who found it difficult there in the center of the Pagan Roman culture. He also wrote to express his love for them and to instruct them in the faith because, to this point, no one had given them firm doctrinal writings to protect them in the midst of that pagan culture. What Paul penned has been described by Martin Luther as "the chief part of the New Testament and the very purest Gospel." When Augustine read only two verses of Romans he was converted from a life of sin to a life of service to God. Martin Luther discovered in Romans the secret he had been looking for concerning salvation: Justification by faith alone. John Wesley said that his heart was "strangely warmed" when he heard a person read Luther's preface to the Book of Romans, describing the change that God works in one's heart when they trust in Christ alone for Salvation.

Romans will captivate the mind of a great theologian and at the same time it will bear the greatest meaning to the most humble soul and to the simplest mind. It will knock you down, and then lift you up. It will strip you naked before God and then it will clothe you in a new Robe of Righteousness. It answers more questions than the human mind is capable of forming. Romans speaks morally, socially, intellectually, psychologically, theologically and spiritually, but its main reason for speaking is TO BRING GOD TO US. And, this Great Book was written by a man totally sold out to God, even to the point that he could tell others to be "imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ" 1 Corinthians 11:1.

I. Romans Deals With Several Points of BAD NEWS

A. Sin Has SELFISHNESS At Its Core

Man is so selfish that he thinks every DESIRE is now a RIGHT. People now love things and use people instead of loving people and using things.

B. Sin Produces GUILT

Guilt is God's warning that something is wrong. Guilt produces anxiety and fear which people attempt to suppress with money, sex, drugs and material things.

C. Sin Produces MEANINGLESSNESS

Sin is man's way of trying to fill a void only God can fill. Futility and despair are the result.

D. Sin Also Produces HOPELESSNESS

Death becomes the ultimate bad news, but the essence of Paul's letter is that there is GOOD NEWS.

Romans begins with GOOD NEWS in 1:1 and ends with the GOOD NEWS in 16:25-26.

II. Romans Deals with Good News

Now, let’s begin our journey through what has been called the "Cathedral of the Christian Faith." Look at Romans 1:1-7. We will examine FOUR BASIC ELEMENTS of the Book of Romans:

Paul's Purpose, v.1;

God's Promise, v.2;

God's Provision,.v.3-4;  and

Our Privilege, v.5-7.

A. Paul's Purpose...v.1

SERVANT, doulos, bondslave, Voluntary servitude to Christ out of love for him.

Exodus 21:5-6 - slaves' ear pierced with an awl - speaking of voluntary, permanent service resulted.

Paul considered himself nothing more than a table waiter, (diakonos) and an under-rower (huperetes).

An APOSTLE, Apostolos

CALLED - kletos, a forceful divine call to service. The called are the saved. Apostolos refers to 13 men: the twelve with Matthias replacing Judas; and Paul. Note several distinctives about them: They encountered Jesus. Had direct revelation of God's word. They had the gift of healing. They Possessed power to cast out demons. No Apostle exist today.

SEPARATED, aphorizo - the horizon.

Aphorizo refers to three things:

Set apart of the first born. Setting apart of the first fruits. Separating the sacred from the profane. Everything Paul saw was dominated by Christ.

UNTO, eis - direction toward something; the object being the main concern.

GOSPEL, euangelion - glad tidings. The GOOD NEWS is that God delivers his people from the possessing power of sin. It is the Gospel of God; He is the source of it. No one knew better than Paul just how GOOD the Good News is. All Paul's energies were directed toward delivering the Good News.

B. God's Promise V.2

"HAD PROMISED BEFORE" - proepaggelomai - to proclaim or promise beforehand.

Paul points out that the Gospel was not something new, but had existed with God from the foundation of the world. God's prophets had foretold the events of the life of Jesus.

The Old Testament has approximately 332 prophecies of Jesus; most fulfilled with his first coming. The Gospel is God's Promise. It originated with Him. It was proclaimed by His Prophets. It was announced in His Word.

C. God's Provision V.3-4

1. His Son

huios (v.3) - speaks of His divinity. JESUS, iesous - Joshua; Savior. CHRIST, christos - anointed; Messiah. LORD, kurios - master owner; equivalent to O.T. Jehovah.

2. His Seed

sperma - (v. 3) progeny, posterity "WHO WAS MADE," ginomai - to begin to be; to come into existence or into any state. OF, ek - out from; descended from. SEED, sperma - progeny; posterity.

3. His Strength V.4

DECLARED...horizo...horizon; boundary; when speaking of persons (constitute; appoint.)

POWER dunamis intrinsic power; physical or moral. BY ek out from.

RESURRECTION anastasis to return to life from death.

D. Our Privilege V. 5-7

GRACE charis Free, unmerited favor; stresses the benevolence of the giver.

APOSTLESHIP apostole to send; dispatching or sending forth. Remember, Grace always preceeds service. FOR eis motion toward and unto an object; the object being the main consideration. Second "FOR" huper in the interest of; on behalf of.

Verse 7 BELOVED OF GOD agapetoi chosen by God for salvation.

CALLED kletos called; invited; appointed - called (converted).

Conclusion

Jesus is the Good News and it is our Privilege to be a Child of God!