Recipients of Grace
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Dismiss Children for children’s ministry.
If you will, please open your Bibles with me to Romans 1. This week, we are jumping into the letter to the Roman church as we take a break from our sermon series through Matthew. We will alternate sermon series as we work through both books of the Bible.
As we begin in Romans, I was reminded of this. (Hold up pearl and ask congregation if they know what it is). This is a pearl from one of my wife’s bracelets. A pearl is valuable. Why? You have to dive to the bottom of the ocean and search through thousands of oysters to simply find one. It is no easy task, but it is a rich reward upon being found.
The book of Romans is much the same. I would argue that this is Paul’s pearl of the letters written within the Bible. While all of Scripture is written by God, the book of Romans is rich in theological truth. Yes, we could skim the surface. Yet, to do so would be to miss out on the pearls that are found within the text. Therefore, in our sermon series through Romans, we will plunge into the depths of this letter to find the pearls of God’s Word that apply to our lives.
Romans was written to a largely Gentile audience in an area where Jew and Gentile relations were strained. Paul writes to provide these believers with an in depth theology that impacts Christian life. Over these next 6 weeks, it is my prayer that we will dive into this letter and discover the rich theological truths found within this letter.
1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 2 which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3 concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh 4 and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, 5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, 6 including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ,
7 To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Pray.
Main idea: Christians are servants of Christ and recipients of grace which produces obedience.
Today, we will identify three realities for the believer from Paul’s greeting to the Roman church.
The believer rests in God’s authority.
The believer rests in God’s authority.
Paul opens the letter to these Roman believers with a testimony to God’s work in his life and an appeal to God’s authority above his own. Paul writes:
1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,
Paul identifies himself as the writer of this letter. He is writing to a predominantly Gentile audience. In writing to them, he is seeking to provide an overview of his theology for them to understand. Likewise, this was to help with Jewish and Gentile relations in the Roman church. As he writes, he begins not by appealing to his own authority. Instead, he characterizes and describes himself under the authority of God.
Paul uses the greek word, doulos, which means slave to describe himself as a slave of Christ Jesus. This is oftentimes over looked and left out because of the connotation that is associated with the word. However, it is exactly how Paul views himself. He was a slave to sin. Now, in Christ Jesus, he is a slave to Jesus. Unlike earthly slavery, the master Paul serves is One of grace and love. It is a Master that One would love to serve. It is a Master that first served us. Jesus took the form of a servant coming to earth in the likeness of man in order to become the God-man to give His live on the cross and be raised from the grave.
James Montgomery Boice writes:
“Slavery to Christ is a special kind of slavery, of course. It is a slavery in which we actually become free. Nevertheless, to become a servant or slave of Christ Jesus is a proper description of what it means to be a Christian.”
As Paul describes himself in verse one as a slave of Christ, he is speaking of himself as one who loves His Master, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is giving his whole life to him. He will serve Him until death. As a servant of Christ, Paul is wholly submitted to Him above anything and anyone else.
10 For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Paul not only describes himself as a slave of Christ Jesus but also as called to be an apostle. The greek word for apostle is apostolos which is a messenger or a sent one. Paul was a servant of Christ who is called by Christ to be a messenger or a heralder for Him. He is to proclaim the message of Jesus Christ. This refers to Paul’s calling to the apostolic office which is God given authority. This office no longer exists within the church today as the Word of God is complete. As an apostle, Paul was writing the Word of God that was given to him by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. He had authority from God to speak into the church of Jesus Christ.
God had effectively called him to salvation in Jesus Christ. Paul was formerly known as Saul who went about persecuting Christians. He went from place to place seeking to drag out Christians to be beaten and imprisoned. He was even present at the stoning of Stephen in the book of Acts. Yet, Jesus met him on the road to Damascus where he was headed to persecute more Christians. In God’s providence, He drew Saul to salvation through Jesus’s appearing to him on the road and calling him to repentance. Saul would later repent and believe in Jesus resulting in his salvation.
The formerly calloused persecutor was now the faithfully called proclaimer.
He is called to distribute the message. What is that message?
He continues pointing out that he was set apart or appointed for the Gospel of God. The Gospel is the good news of Jesus Christ who has come to take away sins and redeem a people for His possession, the Church, through His death, burial, and resurrection. This is the message in which Paul was set apart to proclaim. It is not his message. It is God’s message. As a slave is provided with the master’s possessions to do the master’s work, Paul the slave of Christ Jesus is provided with the tool to carryout God’s work.
However, notice the order in which Paul lists these descriptors. He begins by describing himself first as a servant.
Thomas Schreiner points this out stating:
“By using the word doulos (servant) before mentioning his apostleship, Paul emphasizes that the authority he exercises is a derived authority.”
Paul did not choose these titles or tasks. God chose Paul for them. In doing so, Paul’s authority is not in himself. Paul’s authority comes from God. That is why he is able to write to the church in Rome with an explanation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Because he has been appointed by God.
Application: We do not call others to salvation based upon our authority. We rest in God’s authority. We go to God’s authority. God’s authority is rooted in His Word. We take people to the Word. We preach the Word. We live the Word. The Word is the authority of God. It is finished, completed, alive, active, and sharp. The Word of God is what we as believers cling to and the tool that we use to call sinners to salvation in Christ alone. A craftsman is ineffective without tools. Christians without the Bible are without authority and without effectiveness. We must know the Word and take the Word to those around us. Notice though, Paul had a high view of Scripture which was the root of his authority. The church, meaning the church universally, is diminishing in authority because she is diminishing in her devotion to the Word. Do we want to see lives changed by Christ? Do we want to see churches stronger in fellowship, discipleship, and evangelism? Do we want to see churches stronger taking a stand in the public square against sinfulness that is being permitted by our government? If so, we must be people of the book, not a book. The book, The BIBLE. The Word of God is our authority. It is the very Word of God that provides authority to the church. Churches die when they get away from the Word. Pulpits that do not proclaim the Word of God are not pulpits. Christians are to be people of the Bible. This calls for us to not venture or turn away from the Bible but to turn toward it. It is God’s authoritative Word and it is what the Christian is to live by and proclaim. Likewise, the Word is what gives churches authority.
The believer recognizes Jesus as Lord.
The believer recognizes Jesus as Lord.
Paul continues in his opening greeting to the Roman church. He has outlined God’s calling upon his life. Now, Paul turns to provide more detail regarding the Gospel of God which he is set apart to proclaim.
2 which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures,
The Gospel of Jesus Christ, as Paul points out, was promised beforehand by the prophet in Scripture. The word for Gospel is euongelion, which means good news. Paul was to proclaim Good News. This is not just any Gospel. It is the Gospel of God that was the plan all along from all of eternity. Paul is saying that the Old Testament was pointing to Jesus and His arrival. Paul is pointing us back to the authority of God and Scripture by calling us back to the Old Testament. The prophets were telling of the coming King and Messiah which is Jesus Christ who was promised to come and save a people for His possession all along. It was God plan from the beginning and it is good news.
3 concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh 4 and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,
Now, Paul continues. The Gospel is concerning Jesus, the Son of God. He is descended from David. We saw this in the Gospel of Matthew as Matthew describes Jesus as the Son of David. Jesus is humanly descended from the lineage of David. This points to Jesus being fully man and the promised King that the prophets were testifying about in the Old Testament.
Furthermore, Paul points to Jesus’s divine or God nature as well. He says that Jesus was declared to be in the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by His resurrection. Paul is not saying that Jesus became God’s Son upon His resurrection. Paul is pointing out that the resurrection of Jesus declared in a powerful way that Jesus was and had always been God’s Son.
As God’s Son, Paul reveals Jesus as Lord at the end of verse 4. This is important for us as believers to understand.
John MacArthur writes, “He is Jesus because He saves His people from their sin. He is Christ because He has been anointed by God as King and Priest. He is Lord because He is God and is the sovereign ruler of the universe.”
Jesus is the Lord of the Christian’s life. That is exactly why Paul would describe himself as a servant of Christ Jesus in the greeting. We must be inclined to do much the same. Jesus came as the suffering servant to give His life for His people. Jesus came as the promised Messiah to establish His eternal kingdom. He came as Lord because He has sovereign rule over everything. Now, we as Christians belong to Him and serve Him alone.
Application: There are many things in life that seek to be our lords. Coming off of election week, politics seek to be the lord of our lives. Sports and the draw of being well-known as an athlete can draw us away and become our lord. Our finances and the pursuit to be wealthy can lead us toward greed and become our lord. Social media can distract our minds and place false pictures in front of us being presented as reality. The drive to be picture perfect can become lord and lead us toward vanity, pride, and jealous. The longing for fulfillment can become a lord that leads us toward unending pursuits of education, relocation, and acceptance. Tradition and status quo can become lord within the church so much so that we seek to hinder the church from moving forward. The desire for things to be the way that they always have been can lead us to worship tradition and bow down to its altar instead of seeking to constantly reform toward biblical truth.
Each of these things are not sinful in and of themselves. Yet, when they take the place that Jesus Christ should have within our lives, we have handed ourselves over to idolatry. Even today, there is a push to make God in our own image because we have forgotten that we as humanity were made in His image. Instead of letting such things become Lord of our lives, we must understand that Jesus is Lord of our lives and Lord of everything. In that, He must be Lord of everything within our lives. Our thought lives should be in submission to Christ. We must think on things that are pure and holy. Our social life should be committed to Jesus Christ. When we socialize, Christ is at the center of how we talk, interact, and point others to Him. Yes, our political life should be submitted to Christ. It is time we stop saying that we can separate politics from Christianity. You can’t. Our Christian witness must impact the way in which we vote. Call me whatever you want to. Our calling is to make disciples in all the world which requires for us to have a witness that extends to a watching world and one way that we can extend our witness is by voting the right way on issues that the Bible is clear on. He is Lord of our family lives and the way in which we raise our children. When we place our faith in Jesus Christ, He is our Lord and has authority over every single aspect of our lives. He is our Lord. We must submit to Him.
The believer responds in obedience as a recipient of grace.
The believer responds in obedience as a recipient of grace.
Paul continues in his greeting to point out the way in which the Christian has received grace.
5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, 6 including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ,
In Christ Jesus, Paul points out that the Christian has received grace and apostleship. Grace is the unmerited favor of God. It is a free gift that we do not deserve and could not earn. Grace is Jesus Christ crucified and resurrected for us to be saved from sin. Apostleship was the office given to Paul as one who was sent out to spread the Gospel and pen Scripture. This was given to bring about the obedience of the faith for the sake of making Christ known. Paul was given grace in Christ as He was saved by Him. Then, Paul was given apostleship to go about sharing Christ Jesus. And these were given all for the sake of making Christ’s name known among the nations and producing obedience that is rooted in faith.
Faith controls our obedience. Our faith in Jesus Christ’s finished work beckons us to be obedient to the Word as He is Lord of our lives. Paul was making it quite clear that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the Gospel of God which produces the salvation of sinners. It is not any Gospel. It is the Gospel. The Gospel is preached by Paul and those hearing are to respond in obedience. They way in which one responds in obedience is to respond with faith.
Responding in disobedience would be responding with rejection and remaining in sin.
James Montgomery Boice says:
“We are commanded to turn from our sinful disobedience to God and instead obey him by believing in and following the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior.”
The command is to follow Jesus. The command is to repent and believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who came down from heaven, lived a holy and perfect life, died on the cross bearing our sins, rose from the dead after three days, ascended to the right hand of the Father, and is coming again. Obedience to the Gospel is a command from God. The Gospel demands obedience and a failure to do so results in condemnation for sin.
James Montgomery Boice is so powerful in pointing this out.
“By failing to present the gospel as a command to be obeyed we minimize sin, trivialize discipleship, rob God of his glory, and delude some into thinking that all is well with their souls when actually they are without Christ and are perishing.”
The Gospel is not something that we can be passive about. The Gospel is the good news of Jesus Christ which demands obedience of faith. It is a command that we must follow with repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus. The neglect to do so is tragic and eternal. To respond with disobedience results in eternal separation from God in hell.
But for those who repent and believe, it is life and freedom from the bondage of sin. Upon repentance and faith, we are recipients of grace and peace.
7 To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Through repentance and faith in Christ Jesus, we are loved by God with a saving love. We are no longer called sinners. We are saints. We are greeted with grace from God and peace. No longer are we at enmity with God. We are at peace with Him because of what Jesus has done on our behalf.
10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.
In our sin, we were God’s enemies. But through Christ Jesus, we have receive forgiveness, mercy, and grace. We have been reconciled to God. Once we were alienated and hostile toward God, Jesus stepped in and saved us.
21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him,
All of us were hostile toward God because of our sin. Yet, God in His grace and mercy sent Jesus Christ to die on the cross and be raised from the grave. In doing so, Jesus reconciled sinner to God. Through repentance and faith, you will be saved and Jesus will present you as holy and blameless before Holy God because of His great grace.
Conclusion
Believer: Will you continually follow Jesus as Lord? What in your life is seeking to take the place of Jesus as Lord? Will you get rid of it?
Non-believer: The command of the gospel is for you to respond in faith. Will you place your faith in Jesus Christ today?