#5 10-15-06 AM – HCBC
Romans 1:16-17
We have looked at an overview of Paul’s letter to the Romans:
Who is it for?
Who is it from?
What does it say?
What shall we do?
Paul and the gospel. 1:1-7
Paul and the Romans. 1:8-13
The heart of God’s servant. 1:8-13
The paid and the unpaid debts. 1:14-15
THE DEBT THAT IS PAID IN FULL John 19:16-30
When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” Tetelestai
Our sin debt was paid in full!
THE DEBT THAT IS UNPAID Rom 1:14-15
Two ways to be in debt…
It is the second sense that Paul is in debt.
He has not borrowed anything from the Romans which he must repay.
But Jesus Christ has entrusted him with the gospel for them.
I am obligated!
Good news is for sharing! We are under obligation to share it with others!
Obligation calls for obedience!
I am eager!
Paul was eager to discharge the debt the Lord had given him!
Paul and evangelism 1:14-17
The gospel is a debt to the world v. 14-15
The gospel is God’s power for salvation v. 16
The gospel reveals God’s righteousness v. 17
8 Reasons NOT to be Ashamed of the Gospel
1. The Gospel is Good News. Vs 16
Isa 52:7 How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring
good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim
salvation, who say to Zion, "Your God reigns!"
Isa 61:1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has
anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind
up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release
from darkness for the prisoners,
Mt 4:23 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues,
preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and
sickness among the people.
Lk 2:10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news
of great joy that will be for all the people.
When Philip met the Ethiopian eunuch:
Acts 8:35 Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him
the good news about Jesus.
Peter, at the house of Cornelius:
Acts 10:36 You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling
the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.
Christians who had been scattered by the persecution in connection with
Stephen:
Acts 11:20 Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to
Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news
about the Lord Jesus.
In a place called Lystra, where folks who had been worshipping worthless
idols had heard the gospel from Paul and Barnabas and began to
worship them:
Acts 14:15 "Men, why are you doing this? We too are only men, human like
you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these
worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea
and everything in them.
When Paul was preaching the good news in Athens:
Acts 17:18 A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to dispute
with him. Some of them asked, "What is this babbler trying to say?"
Others remarked, "He seems to be advocating foreign gods." They said
this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the
resurrection.
Not only does Paul say that he is not ashamed of the gospel,
he also exhorts Timothy to take the same attitude toward the gospel.
James Montgomery Boice:
“We can understand how one might hesitate to communicate bad news,…”
But aren’t we usually eager to tell others about good news?
2 Tim 1:8 So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his
prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God,
We should not be ashamed of the gospel because it is good news!
…good news
2. The Gospel is the Power of God. Vs 16
1 Cor 1:18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are
perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
Ps 20:6 Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed; he answers him from
his holy heaven with the saving power of his right hand.
Ps 68:34 Proclaim the power of God, whose majesty is over Israel, whose
power is in the skies.
Ps 111:6 He has shown his people the power of his works, giving them the
lands of other nations.
Ps 145:6 They will tell of the power of your awesome works, and I will
proclaim your great deeds.
Mt 22:29 Jesus replied, "You are in error because you do not know the
Scriptures or the power of God.
Rom 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust
in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy
Spirit.
1 Cor 5:4 When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am
with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present,
Php 3:10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the
fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,
Col 2:12 having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him
through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.
2 Tim 1:7 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power,
of love and of self-discipline.
We should not be ashamed of the gospel because it is the power of God!
…good news.
…the power of God.
3. The Gospel is the Way of Salvation. Vs 16
As we will soon see in Romans 1:18 – 3:20, apart from the “good news,”
we are in desperate trouble with God.
We are like swimmers drowning in a vast sea of cold water,
or like astronauts lost in the black hostile void of outer space.
But the gospel is our way out! The gospel is our salvation!
God has intervened and provided a way of salvation through the work of His
dear Son.
1 Cor 1:30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become
for us wisdom from God--that is, our righteousness, holiness and
redemption.
This great salvation has saved us from sin, its penalty and its power.
Love Lifted Me:
I was sinking deep in sin, Far from the peaceful shore,
Very deeply stained within, Sinking to rise no more;
But the Master of the sea Heard my despairing cry,
From the waters lifted me, Now safe am I.
Souls in danger, look above, Jesus completely saves;
He will lift you by His love Out of the angry waves;
He’s the Master of the sea, Billows His will obey;
He your Savior wants to be, Be saved today.
We should not be ashamed of the gospel because it is the way of salvation!
…good news
…the power of God
…the way of salvation
4. The Gospel is God’s Way of Salvation. Vs 16
The Gospel is God’s way of salvation, not man’s way!
Mankind has plenty of schemes and ways.
“There are many paths to God”
All of man’s ways of salvation has man reaching up to grasp the hand of God.
God’s way of salvation in the only way that has a holy God condescending to
reach down to helpless man.
Rom 8:3-4 For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by
the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of
sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man,
4 in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully
met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according
to the Spirit.
1 Cor 1:21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did
not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was
preached to save those who believe.
We should not be ashamed of the gospel because it is God’s way of salvation!
…good news
…the power of God
…the way of salvation
…God’s way of salvation
5. The Gospel is for Everyone. Vs 16
Salvation is for everyone who believes.
The gospel is for everyone.
Paul says: “First for the Jew, then for the Gentile.”
That’s everyone!
John MacArthur:
Salvation has no national, racial, or ethnic barrier but is given to every person
who believes…”
Jn 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that
whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Acts 2:21 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'
Rev 22:17 The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say,
"Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let
him take the free gift of the water of life.
Jesus said: “Go ye into all the world!”
We should not be ashamed of the gospel because it is for everyone!
…good news
…the power of God
…the way of salvation
…God’s way of salvation
…for everyone
6. The Gospel is Righteousness from God. Vs 17
The single greatest thing about the gospel is that it brings God’s righteousness
to man!
We were so unright with God that only the righteousness of God could save
us!
Isa 64:6 All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous
acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind
our sins sweep us away.
This is the heart of the gospel: We are unrighteous – only the righteousness
of God will remedy our situation!
The idea of righteousness is spoken of in the Bible 545 times, 32 in Romans.
Rom 3:22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ
to all who believe. There is no difference,
Rom 4:3 What does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was
credited to him as righteousness."
Rom 4:5 However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who
justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.
Rom 4:13 It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the
promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the
righteousness that comes by faith.
Rom 4:22 This is why "it was credited to him as righteousness."
Rom 4:24 but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness--for us who
believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.
Rom 5:17 For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that
one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant
provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through
the one man, Jesus Christ.
If there is only one hope, and that to receive the righteousness that is credited
by God, why would we be ashamed of it?
We should not be ashamed of the gospel because it is the righteousness of
God!
…good news
…the power of God
…the way of salvation
…God’s way of salvation
…for everyone
…righteousness from God
7. The Gospel is Revealed. Vs 17
When Paul says that the gospel of God is revealed, he is saying that it is only
by revelation that we can know it.
It is not something that we could ever have figured out for ourselves!
James Montgomery Boice:
“How could we have invented such a thing?
When human beings invent religion they either invent something that makes
them self-righteous, imagining that they can save themselves by their
own good works or wisdom – or they invent something that excuses
their behavior so they can commit the evil they desire.”
Ps 98:2 The LORD has made his salvation known and revealed his
righteousness to the nations.
Ps 147:19 He has revealed his word to Jacob, his laws and decrees to Israel.
Isa 40:5 And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all mankind
together will see it. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken."
Isa 43:12 I have revealed and saved and proclaimed-- I, and not some foreign
god among you. You are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "that I am
God.
Isa 65:1 "I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me; I was found by
those who did not seek me. To a nation that did not call on my name, I
said, 'Here am I, here am I.'
Mt 16:17 Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was
not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.
Jn 17:6 "I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world.
They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your
word.
Next week we will look at “general revelation” which is seen in creation.
Here we are taking about “specific revelation” which is seen in the Bible and
the person of Jesus Christ.
General revelation reveals the existence of God.
Specific revelation reveals the way of salvation and sanctification.
We would never have known either, if God had not revealed them!
We should not be ashamed of the gospel because it is revealed!
…good news
…the power of God
…the way of salvation
…God’s way of salvation
…for everyone
…righteousness from God
…revealed
8. The Gospel is by Faith. Vs 17
From first to last = from beginning to end!
We turn on the faucet, cross a bridge, or get on an airplane trusting that the
result we desire and expect will happen.
This is natural faith, human faith, temporal faith!
Unlike what Paul is speaking of here.
Paul has in mind here a supernatural faith that is produced by God – a faith
that is not of ourselves but the gift of God.
The means by which this gift is received is faith!
Rom 3:28 For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from
observing the law.
Rom 3:30 since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by
faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.
Rom 4:13 It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the
promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the
righteousness that comes by faith.
Rom 9:30 What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue
righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith;
Hebrews 11
By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command,
By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did.
By faith Enoch was taken from this life,
By faith Noah built an ark to save his family.
By faith Abraham obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he
was going.
By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future.
By faith Jacob blessed each of Joseph's sons.
By faith Joseph spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave
instructions about his bones.
By faith Moses refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter.
By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land.
Because it is by faith, we should not be ashamed of the gospel!