Romans

Scripture Texts: Romans 10:5-13

Introduction.

In chapters nine and ten of Paul’s letter to the Christians in the church in Rome, he is talking about salvation.  He presents it as a coin with two sides.  One coin, two sides.

In chapter nine Paul focused on God’s sovereignty over our salvation.  God is God and God choses according to the pleasure of His own will.  Chapter nine can be summed up in verse 18: “He has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.”

In chapter ten Paul turns the coin over and focuses on man’s role in his salvation and his responsibility to believe in God.  Chapter ten can be summed up in verse 13: “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Some try to say this is a contradiction.  But it is not, it is a paradox.  A paradox is something that on the surface appears to be a contradiction, but in reality it is not.  The reason it seems like a contradiction is because of our limited human understanding and perspective.

I can give you several examples of seemingly contradictory truths that we hold together as two sides of the same coin.

The nature of God as Trinity.  God is both one and three.  One God in three persons.  How?  That is the mystery, but we know both are true.  It is to be believed even if we can’t fully understand it.

The nature of Jesus.  Jesus is both fully God and fully man.  How?  Another mystery, but Scripture teaches both and holds both equally together as true.

The nature of the Bible.  The Bible is both fully divine and fully human.  God breathed through human authors.

The nature of salvation.  God is sovereign over all things, and we are free moral agents who are responsible for our choices and decisions.  Israel failed not because God failed, but because they failed to put their faith in Jesus.

Scripture Texts: Romans 9:30 – 10:4

Introduction.

Until now in Romans 9 the Apostle Paul has been addressing the Jew/Gentile issue from the perspective of heaven, from the divine point of view.  He has talked about God’s choosing, about God’s election from before the foundation of the world, about God’s plan and purposeful decision to choose Isaac and not Ishmael, Jacob and not Esau, the children of the promise and not the children of the flesh, vessels of mercy and not vessels of wrath.

Now Paul is going to end this chapter looking at these things from an earthly or human perspective.  We are turning from the initiative of God to the response of human beings, from the perspective of the sovereignty of God to that of the responsibility of man.  Both are true, both are taught in Scripture.

We are shifting from the sun at the center of the solar system exerting the powerful force of gravity, to the planets’ response to that gravity.

There are people who are seeking God and don’t find Him.

There are people who are not seeking God and do find Him.

Both these contrasting actions are considered from below, from the perspective of the attitudes and actions of men, the Jews rejecting Christ, and the Gentiles receiving Christ.

Scripture Texts: Romans 9:24-29

We have been working our way through this challenging chapter nine in Paul’s letter to the Christians in the church in Rome, a racially and ethnically mixed congregation of Jews and Gentiles.  If we could get ourselves into the minds of those Christians we would find this chapter a scandal to the Jews and a comfort to the Gentiles.

Vss. 24-26

First, Paul scandalized the Jews by saying not all Israel is Israel, not all the children of Abraham are true offspring.  Then, he doubled down and quoted God saying, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”  Then he said God has mercy on whom He choses to have mercy, on some but not others.

And now if all of that is not enough, what if God choosing to display His glory made vessels of mercy not out of the Jews but out of the Gentiles?  Say it ain’t so?  No way.  Impossible.

The Jews despised the Gentiles, that vast pagan horde, that uncircumcised, unclean, unbelieving, irreligious, law breaking, Sabbath breaking, idolatrous people.

In those days, if a Gentile became a God-fearer, a God-worshipper he was still a second class citizen and could only go into the court of the Gentiles.  He couldn’t get any closer to the Temple than that.

It is hard for us to enter into the scandal of God choosing to include Gentiles in the vessels of mercy.  And on top of that, there would only be a remnant of the Jews saved because the majority rejected their own Messiah, they denied Jesus.

To support this scandalous proclamation Paul turned to the OT prophets and quoted Hosea twice and Isaiah twice.  In other words, this should not have come as a surprise, it was right there in the Bible all along.  The glorious truth is the failure of the Jews and the inclusion of the Gentiles was always part of God’s plan to extend His salvation to the likes of Gentiles, to us.

Why did God harden so many of the Jews?  So that the Gospel would overflow to the Gentiles who would become objects of mercy and experience the riches of God’s glory and grace.  That the whole world would know the riches of the glory of God.

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Scripture Texts: Romans 9:13-24

You can tell by the questions asked and objections raised these words were a stumbling block to the Christians in Rome.  And they have been for Christians all the way to today.  Frankly we are kind of embarrassed by these words.  They don’t seem helpful to us especially when we want to witness to unbelievers.  We like to skip over this chapter.

Have you ever asked why this chapter is in the Bible?  Is this really necessary?  Why do you think God put these hard truths in Scripture?  This is in Scripture because God thinks we need it.  He wants us to know this about Him.

God knows our tendency to want to make Him in our own image.  We want to create our own designer God, and the God we would design would not say things like this.  You have heard people say, “Well my God would never be angry or have wrath or be unfair.  My God would never say, Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.  My God would save everyone.  That’s my God.”

God is not embarrassed about Himself, and He wants us to know Him as He truly is and to see the glory of His character and nature and ways.

We are in the middle of Romans 9, a chapter in which the Apostle Paul is explaining how in the world God could break His promise to His covenant children, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and turn his back on them and instead give the fulfillment of His promise to the unpromised, uncircumcised, uncovenanted dirty Gentiles.  This is scandalous, how could God break His Word?  But as it turns out Paul’s answer is even more scandalous.  Not all Israel is Israel.

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Scripture Texts: Romans 9:6-13

Well, friends, things are about to get intense.  We are in the front car of a roller coaster and we have just come to the top and are cresting a very high hill, about to plunge down.  So hang on.  We are jumping into the deep end of the doctrinal pool.

We have gone from Romans 8, the greatest chapter in the Bible, to Romans 9, the most intense and challenging chapter in Scripture.

We tun this morning to one of the most central truths of our Christian faith.  We have here the revelation of the fundamental and foundational truth of the ultimate purpose and plan of God.  God’s sovereign grace as it is revealed in the Gospel.  Don’t glaze over now, these really are great and glorious truths, that when understood are a tremendous comfort to our souls.

God is going to do what is impossible for anyone to do, He is going to exercise His sovereign grace and mercy by turning some sinners into children of God.  This is the heart of the Gospel.

Scripture Texts: Romans 9:1-6

Introduction.

We are halfway through Paul’s great letter to the Christians in the church in Rome.  We have gone through eight chapters of some of the highest and holiest deep truths of God.  Paul has proclaiming as clearly as he can the Gospel of Jesus Christ that eternal salvation comes through God’s grace alone by faith alone in Jesus, not our own works, efforts or righteousness.

Eight chapters of glorious doctrine, deep truth, real truth.  Now if you know anything about Paul’s letters you know that when he gets done writing about the deep truths of God he always turns to practical matters that flow out of the doctrine and applies it to us.

So that is what we would expect at this point in Romans, but that doesn’t happen until chapter 12.  In between we have three chapters, sort of bridge chapters.

One of the problems with taking an eight-week break after finishing Romans 8 is we don’t feel the intensity of Paul’s sudden shift in his thinking.

Paul had just concluded one of the greatest chapters in all the Bible with soaring words.

Scripture Texts: Romans 8:31-34

Introduction.

“What shall we say to these things?”  It is almost like Paul is struggling to find words.  These things are so great, so powerful and important.  We have to say something, we must grasp the implications of all of these things.

Do any of you struggle with confidence and courage and certainty in our Christian life?  Do you wonder and worry about whether you are loved by God, accepted by God?

There are two things in this life that discourage and defeat us, suffering and sin.  These two things in all our lives conspire to fill us with doubt, fear, anxiety, lack of faith.

When we are covered up by these two things, it is very easy to fall into unbelief.  After all if God is with us then why have these troubles come upon us?  Since we sin so much and every day, how can we have any confidence God is not angry with us and against us?

Taking all things into account, everything about our lives, our sin, our suffering, our adversity, our weakness, our unworthiness, it makes sense why we would despair of life, and be filled with anxiety, fear and depression.  Is God with us, does He care about us, does He love us or hate us?  Paul concludes this great chapter by answering the question does God love us and how much does God love us.

If I asked you how much does God love you, how would you answer on a scale of one to ten?  Does He love you?  How do you know He loves you?

Paul answers by asking five questions here at the end of Romans 8.  We will look at the first four this morning.

Scripture Texts: Romans 8:28-30

Introduction.

Do you remember that passage in Ecclesiastes 4 that is a favorite for weddings, a cord of three strands in not easily broken?  In our text we are given a cord of five stands that is impossible to break.  Remember these five words are called the Golden Chain of salvation.

I wasted a little time looking up the largest, strongest chains in the world.  They are mostly anchor chains on aircraft carriers and cruise ships.  Some of the individual links weigh 500 pounds each and lift 30 ton anchors.

This golden chain of salvation is stronger than anchor chains.  These five links give our souls eternal security as the children of God, they anchor our souls to God.  There is no weak link.

Those whom God foreknew He predestined.

Those whom God predestined He called.

Those whom God called He justified.

Those whom God justified He glorified.

Scripture Texts: Romans 8:29-30

Our new associate pastor had his ordination exam last Thursday evening before our classis.  He passed in flying colors.  During it Zac referred to the golden chain of salvation/redemption.  That phrase is used to describe these five unbreakable links in God’s working out our salvation.

Those whom God foreknew He predestined.

Those whom God predestined He called.

Those whom God called He justified.

Those whom God justified He glorified.

God is actively invested in and engaged in our lives and our salvation from eternity to eternity.  From eternity past (foreknown, predestined) to eternity future (glorified), God is actively ensuring no link in this golden chain breaks, no one falls out.

Before creation a plan was designed by God alone.

During our life on earth His plan was initiated and set in motion.

After our death His plan is fully realized in our glorification.

Here we are given a glimpse into the purposeful, personal work of our God on our behalf to secure our salvation.  In these verses we are allowed to see the undeniable design of our salvation.

Romans 8:28 says all things work together for good, for whom?  “For those who are called according to his purpose.”  This is a massive promise, but who are those?  Verses 29-30 answer what that means and how it came to be.  We will consider verse 29 this morning.

Scripture Texts: Romans 8:18-28

I am aware we have been over this passage in previous sermons, but I have a particular reason for wanting to return to this passage one more time.

I have been burdened by the number of significant prayer concerns we have had as a church family.  We have had several cancer related concerns we have been praying for.

Then there are more long-term health issues on our hearts.

As if our souls aren’t burdened and groaning enough, we have the groaning of creation in hurricanes, fires, floods, oppressive heat.

Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton have exposed us all to terrible tragedies and heartaches, families torn apart, children or parents swept away, trees falling on homes or cars taking lives so suddenly.

And that is just what we know about.  All of us have our secret groanings, our secret heartaches, pains, sufferings, trials and traumas.  There are those here who struggle daily to hold it together, who suffer from physical pain, or battle depression, anxiety, fear.

There are those who deal with disabilities and handicaps.  How many painful deaths have we experienced?  Children, young adults, parents.

None of us are alone in our groaning.  All creation groans, all mankind groans, all Christians groan, all marriages groan, all parents groan, all children groan, all of us groan.

I am a pastor who is groaning in prayer among a people who are groaning in prayer.

I want to offer as much hope and encouragement as I can this morning to our flock, for those we know and love and for those watching from a far.

We live in a world where suffering is viewed as negative, something to be avoided.  And the Christian Church is no better.  Suffering doesn’t fit with our goals of happiness, peace and feeling good.  Some Christian leaders even teach suffering is a sign you are out of God’s will or lack faith or have unconfessed sin.

It is no surprise America invented the health and wealth Gospel, name it and claim, believe it and receive it.

We need a well-developed theology of suffering.  And by we, I mean everyone of us, not just those over 70.  Darren, Nate and Brent should be a wakeup call to all of us.  The mere existence of Children’s Hospital should get all our attention.

We need a well developed theology of suffering and our text gives up one.

But please understand, no amount of good theology can take away the pain of suffering.  Suffering isn’t suffering if it isn’t painful, if it doesn’t hurt.  We weep and we weep with those who weep.  Paul wrote Romans 8 with a deep, personal understanding of the pain of physical suffering.

Good theology won’t take away the pain but it will enable us to endure well, to suffer well, with hope, without denying God or losing faith.

Let’s take this text and draw out of it the wisdom of God for our help and strength in the face of cancer and sickness and sin and death.

Scripture Texts: Romans 8:26-30

We have all been listening to the devastating effects of one of the worst storms to ever hit the US.  The destruction and loss of life are terrible.  This is just the most recent of the countless tragedies that fill our news cycle every day.

I don’t know if you have noticed but these sorts of events turn everyone into theologians.  Someone will post a comment saying our prayers are with you and someone else will hurl back a comment don’t bother, there is no God and He can’t do anything about it.  People question did God cause it or just permit it?  Could He have stopped it?  Or was it Satan’s doing?  Maybe God isn’t good after all or maybe He doesn’t even exist?

Of course, these questions intensify for us when the tragedy is personal, when it hits close to home, our family, our job, our school, our friends.  Where is God, what is He doing, why is He doing it?  Is He an active participant or a passive spectator?  And before long Romans 8:28 will be cited.

This morning, we are going to focus on this one verse which contains one of the most powerful promises in all the Bible.

If the Bible is the greatest book in the world, and if Romans is the greatest book in the Bible and chapter 8 is the greatest chapter in Romans, could verse 28 be the greatest verse in the greatest chapter in the greatest letter in the greatest book?  And Romans 8:28-39 the greatest section?

Someone described it this way.  “If the entire Bible was a necklace, then Romans would be the pendant on that necklace. Romans 8 would be the cluster of diamonds in the middle of the pendant. And verse 28 would be the brightest diamond in the center of the cluster” (James Jackson).

There is a good chance you have a pillow or coffee mug or T-shirt or a wall plaque or refrigerator magnet with Romans 8:28 on it.  But do we understand the depth and power of this promise?