Romans # 2

     Were going to continue our teaching in the book of ROMANS. Last week we covered (ROM 1:1-15). Today we're going to start with (V 16) and go on from there.

     I. ROM 1:16

              A. Paul said that he was not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ. He took joy and pleasure in the Gospel of God.

                        1. He was proud of that Gospel, in a good sense.

                        2. Paul makes the statement that the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation.

                                  a. The Gospel of salvation is the Word of God. And there is power in the Word of God.

                        3. The word “Power” in this V is the Greek word “dunamis” which means “Inherent Power” or the very “miracle working power of God.”

                                           i. LUKE 4:30-32

                                  a. As he has already said that the Word of God is the power of God unto salvation.

                                           i. But this Greek word for “Power” is different it’s the Greek word “exousia” It has more of a meaning of “Authority," but it goes beyond that.

                                           ii. It would be more like a policeman who has authority. If he tells you to stop the car, you stop, even though he could not stop that car in his own power, you still stop the car. But all of the police force and even the judicial system is the power behind the man.

                                           iii. When you and I use that Word of God, all of heaven's power is behind the Word.

                                  b. But the Word of God also has convicting power.

                                           i. When you speak the Word of God out the H.S. will use that to convict someone of sin and wrong doing.

                                  c. There is also a devouring power in the Word of God.

                                           i. In (JER 5:14) It talks about the Word of God being a consuming fire.

                                           ii. There’s more power in the Word of God then you can imagine.

                                d. There’s creative power in God’s Word. HEB 11:3

                                           i. And we see that in (GEN 1). It says 9 times, “And God said and it came to pass.”

                                e. There’s deliverance power in the Word of God. MATT 8:16

                                  f. There’s fighting power in the Word of God. EPH 6:17; HEB 4:12

                                  g. There’s healing power in the Word of God. MATT 8:8 (PSA 107:20) Says, “He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.”

                                  h. There’s sustaining power in the Word. HEB 1:3

                                           i. (COL 1:17) Tells us that by Jesus, who is the Word, All things consist.

                                  i. And there’s cleansing power in His Word. EPH 5:25-26

                                           i. There is power in the Word of God.

              B. Go back with me to ROM 1:16 (read)

                        1. Praise God it says “to everyone that believeth.”

                                  a. It doesn’t mean just the Jews or any other race, it doesn’t say to only those that are good enough.

                                           i. It says “to everyone that believeth.”

                                           ii. (ROM 10:13) Says, “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

                        2. We need faith to be saved, you could call it saving faith.

                                  a. Jesus said in (JOHN 11:25), “He that believeth in me, though he were dead, shall live.”

                                            i. How are we to believe in Jesus, and what are we to believe about Him?

                                           ii. (ROM 10:9) says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”

                                  b. We have to believe in Him for our salvation, put our trust in Him for salvation.

                                  c. We also have to believe that He is raised from the dead.

     II. Let’s go on with ROM 1:17

              A. Where is the Righteousness of God revealed?

                        1. 1st of all he’s saying that it is revealed in the Gospel or the Word of God.

                                  a. And we can see His righteousness through His Word, and you do have to see it through the eyes of faith. You can’t see God, you just have to receive it by faith.

                        2. But It’s also revealed in us. We are products of the Gospel of God, Now it’s only going to be revealed through us from faith to faith or as the Dake’s Bible puts it, only as we receive the Word of God and walk in that light.

                                  a. (1JOHN 1:7) says, “If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the Blood of Jesus Christ His son cleanseth us from all sin.”

                                           i. That’s righteousness.

                                           ii. If we CONTINUE to walk in the light (by faith) that we have received then were going on from faith to faith. (That light is God’s Word)

              B. He makes the statement that the “Just shall live by faith.”

                        1. This is a quote from (HAB 2:4).

                                  a. The Wuest translation puts it this way, “The one who is just on the principle of faith shall live.”

                                 b. This is telling us that only those that put their faith in God for salvation are justified, and those are the ones that will live or have eternal life.

                        2. Paul said in (2COR 5:7), “We walk by faith, not by sight.”

                                  a. Our life is a continual faith walk, trusting the Lord for our salvation, healing, deliverance from bondages, safety, for our needs to be met, for our prosperity, for our prayers to be answered, for our safety, everything.

                                  b. (PRO 3:5) Says, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.”

     III. ROM 1:18

              A. There is the Wrath of God.

                        1. The last part of that V might be a little unclear. It says in the KJV, “Who hold the truth in unrighteousness.”

                                  a. That doesn’t mean, “Hold the Truth of God in their hearts," it means that “The Wrath of God will be poured out upon those who are holding down the Truth of God by their unrighteousness.”

                                           i. The NIV translation says, “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness.”

                                  b. Those that are in unrighteousness are holding down the truth, and God’s Wrath will be poured out upon them.

                        2. In this V Paul said that the “Wrath of God is against all ungodliness.”

                                  a. That word “ungodliness” means “showing no reverence toward God.”

                                  b. The wrath of God will come upon all those that have not received the Lord Jesus Christ, and even those who do not reverence Him.

              B. V 19-20

                        1. (V 20) explains (V 19).

                                  a. All invisible things, even the eternal power and Godhead, are clearly seen by the visible things of creation.

                                  b. In other words there is no excuse for people to be ignorant of invisible things.

                                  c. There is no excuse for people not receiving the Lord Jesus Christ.

                        2. What about those people in Africa that never heard about Jesus?

                                  a. He said there is no excuse.

                                  b. If God does send them to Hell, He is just by doing it.

                                  c. It’s not God’s fault that those people didn’t hear, it’s ours for not winning more to the Lord and for sending missionaries out.

              C. V 21-24

                        1. Since men chose to give up God, the creator, and worship the creation, God could do nothing but give them into the control of the sinful things they preferred.

                                  a. God will not violate man’s will and force him to do something he did not want to do.

                        2. The word “Uncleanness” in (V 24) means “Sexual impurity.”

                                  a. He’s talking about fornication.

                                           i. Any sexual relations outside marriage brings dishonor to your self.

              D. V 25

                  1. People try to put God aside and live their own way. But those that are doing that are living a lie.

                            a. Everything that is contrary to the Word of God is a lie.

                            b. People that are living without God are worshipping the creation, not the creator.

                                     i. Even through their promiscuous live styles.

                                     ii. Their sexual partners become their God.

                                     iii. Homosexuals sometimes have 200-1000 partners. That is a God to them.

                        2. Let’s go back to ROM 1:25

                                  a. The word “blessed” here means refers to “Praise.”

                                           i. Our God is to be praised forever.

                                  b. But this word also has another meaning, it means “Well doing” and when it speaks of God or the Lord Jesus Christ it refers to “Perfection.”

                                           i. Our God is blessed forever and ever. Amen.

TFC November 21, 1990 and WOLCC 6/8/95 Thursday PM