Unashamed

[Introduction]

We’re going to focus on the book of Romans today. It is considered one of the greatest theological documents ever written. The writer is the apostle Paul and most Scholars believe it was written sometime between AD 55-58 as Paul was finishing up his third missionary journey. They believe Paul was probably in the city of Corinth, in Greece.

This is a letter to the Roman Christians. Like Paul’s other letters to Christian groups in other regions, much of the time he is clearing up confusion. Confusion within the church about salvation and how to live. Roman Christians were in a unique phase, around AD 49, Emperor Claudius had all Jews, both Christians and non Christian Jews, expelled from Rome. Sometime later when Claudius’s decree had gone away, Jews started coming back to Rome. Since Jewish-Christians had been gone for awhile, the Gentile Christians had taken a lead in the Christian community, they were now the majority, and they didn’t have as much knowledge or regard to the Old Testament teachings, at least not like the Jewish Christians had. So this obviously can stir up some frustration and confusion. You see stuff like this even in our day, how many different denominations are there now? Different perspectives can create completely different thoughts, especially when things aren’t completely understood. Everything in the word of God is valuable, it’s important to understand the Word as a whole and not base everything off of one verse. Which is why the value of cross-referencing and knowing context is so important to understanding the word. We could read the word everyday for the rest of our life and there will still be plenty more to learn. The important thing is without a doubt that Christ is the central focus, our salvation is through Him and Him alone.

[Body]

So now we know who wrote Romans, who it was written to, and some reason on why it was written.

We’re going to focus on the Introductory verses today, Chapter 1:1-17

We’re going to start by just reading 1-7 though.

Romans 1:1–7 NLT

This letter is from Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, chosen by God to be an apostle and sent out to preach his Good News. God promised this Good News long ago through his prophets in the holy Scriptures. The Good News is about his Son. In his earthly life he was born into King David’s family line, and he was shown to be the Son of God when he was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is Jesus Christ our Lord. Through Christ, God has given us the privilege and authority as apostles to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done for them, so that they will believe and obey him, bringing glory to his name. And you are included among those Gentiles who have been called to belong to Jesus Christ. I am writing to all of you in Rome who are loved by God and are called to be his own holy people. May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.

In these opening verses we get not only a brief introduction from Paul to the Christians in Rome, who he is, his mission, and the reason for his mission. We also get a very concise summary of the Gospel:

The prophets foretold the messiah that was going to come, all found in the old testament

the messiah, who was Jesus Christ and the Son of God came to live on the earth

He fulfilled the prophecies

He died and was risen from the dead

Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior

Without all that, we would not be here today. We would not have these scriptures. We would not have hope. All packed within Romans 1:2-4. Just three verses. There is so much packed within the scriptures that show God’s love. And it’s all free. It never gets old to read or hear from the word. Even when it’s something we’ve gone through a thousand times.

I don’t know about you, but I enjoy hearing the words “I love you”. No matter how many times you hear those words, it’ll never get old. Whether it’s from our spouse, family member, or a friend, hearing “I love you” is always special. The only reliable source of feeling and hearing “I love you” every second of everyday, no matter how we’ve acted, what we look like, what we feel like, 100% guaranteed is from our Lord Jesus Christ. The Word is like God’s love letter to us. This is what we rely on, no matter where you’re at in life, and reading about the life of Jesus, and then his death and resurrection, the greatest demonstration of love for the whole world, will never get old.

Let’s move on to the rest of this letter opening.

Romans 1:8–17 NLT

Let me say first that I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith in him is being talked about all over the world. God knows how often I pray for you. Day and night I bring you and your needs in prayer to God, whom I serve with all my heart by spreading the Good News about his Son. One of the things I always pray for is the opportunity, God willing, to come at last to see you. For I long to visit you so I can bring you some spiritual gift that will help you grow strong in the Lord. When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours. I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, that I planned many times to visit you, but I was prevented until now. I want to work among you and see spiritual fruit, just as I have seen among other Gentiles. For I have a great sense of obligation to people in both the civilized world and the rest of the world, to the educated and uneducated alike. So I am eager to come to you in Rome, too, to preach the Good News. For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile. This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”

Give thanks for the Christians in Rome

As Paul often does in his letters, he opens up with thanks for the people he’s writing to and/or praise to God. In 10 of his 13 letters the opening includes thanks and praise.

I’m going to rapid fire through these verses in his openings

Romans 1:8 NLT

Let me say first that I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith in him is being talked about all over the world.

1 Corinthians 1:4 NLT

I always thank my God for you and for the gracious gifts he has given you, now that you belong to Christ Jesus.

Philippians 1:3 NLT

Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God.

Colossians 1:3 NLT

We always pray for you, and we give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Thessalonians 1:2 NLT

We always thank God for all of you and pray for you constantly.

2 Thessalonians 1:3 NLT

Dear brothers and sisters, we can’t help but thank God for you, because your faith is flourishing and your love for one another is growing.

2 Timothy 1:3 NLT

Timothy, I thank God for you—the God I serve with a clear conscience, just as my ancestors did. Night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers.

Philemon 4 NLT

I always thank my God when I pray for you, Philemon,

2 Corinthians 1:3 NLT

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort.

Ephesians 1:3 NLT

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.

Giving Thanks

Paul was constantly praising and giving thanks to God for the brothers in sisters he had in Christ. And as we read in verse 8 He was thankful for them because they were living for Christ and their faith was being talked about all over. Living for God is the only thing that brings real value. God is the reason to give thanks.

Prayer

Paul also took prayer very seriously. He prayed for his fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, even these Roman Christians which he acknowledges he has not yet met. Day and night he would pray for them and their needs. Paul wanted to spread the Good News to those that had not had a chance to hear it, but he always wanted to keep in touch with the body of believers that had grasped that Good News. We need to keep our brothers and sister of Christ in our prayers. We live in a very different world than what we read about in the scriptures, but spiritually speaking, it’s the exact same. The Good News needs to be spread, and those that have grasped it need to be lifted up in prayer and encouraged. We are in a constant spiritual battle.

Encouragement

One thing I really like about the encouragement that Paul talks about in verse 12, he says I want to be encouraged as well, by your faith. Paul is out spreading the Good News as far and wide as he can, he was severely persecuted for his faith many times even close to the point of death, but kept on going, and eventually he did die because of his Faith. But here is Paul a zealous believer in Christ, wanting to receive encouragement from the body of believers in Rome, and he hasn’t even met them. He doesn’t know what they’re like, except that they are believers in Christ. There is no social status in the body of Christ. Nobody is better than another. I receive encouragement when I talk to my Grandpa and Pastor about scripture, I receive encouragement when we sing worship music and I see my uncle Melvin and Grandma playing music to the Lord. I receive encouragement when I see Grant displaying a willing heart to do God’s work and take up offering. I receive encouragement when I fellowship with all of you. The one constant variable a part of all those scenarios I listed is Christ. We can receive encouragement from anyone living for Christ. No matter the age or function, we work as one body.

Not being ashamed

One thing that often can hold us back from living out a Christ centered life is by being ashamed of Christ. Paul was not ashamed of the Good News about Christ. It’s the greatest news anyone could ever hear. As verse 17 says

Romans 1:17 NLT

This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”

We don’t need to think about what happens if the person rejects it or what they will think of us, if we don’t share the Good News, people will miss out. They will miss out on the way to be found right in God’s sight. To have eternal life. We want to make life here feel so nice and cozy, and I’m guilty of this just as much as anybody else, but the life after will be much worse for those don’t hear, and God may be opening doors where we are the only chance for someone to hear the Good News.

We must press on in faith staying in His word, giving thanks, praying, encouraging one another and out of that the Holy Spirit will work through us and we’ll be ready to share the Good News.