Romans

Purpose of the Letter

14 April 2013 AM – Romans 1:8-17 – Scott Childs

Introduction: Last week in the preface to Romans, we learned that Paul wrote the book to the church in Rome from the city of Corinth in about A.D. 57. We do not know who started the church. It may have been converts from Peter’s sermon on Pentecost. It may have been Christians that moved their due to persecution.

Do not confuse this biblical church at Rome with the Roman Catholic church. The Roman Catholic church did not begin for another 256 years (A.D. 313), and it was founded on false doctrine.

In the preface, Paul described for us the gospel concerning Jesus Christ whom we know was the Son of God by his holy life and His resurrection from the dead. Paul also mentioned six titles of Christians: Servant/slave, apostle/sent one, separated to witness, called, beloved, and saint.

Romans 1:8-16 identifies the purpose of the book. He had basically four purposes in mind.

• To express thanks and share prayers (Ro 1:8-10)

Paul was thankful that they had trusted Christ. He rejoiced that their faith was spoken of throught the whole world. They were not quiet, passive Christians. Though he had never been to their church, he prayed specifically for them. Paul must have been a man of prayer.

• To explain his reasons for wanting to visit (Ro 1:11-13)

He longed to give them some spiritual gift. He desired to be comforted by their fellowship. He also wanted to have spiritual fruit in Rome. He lived to see people saved!

• To expose his burden for the lost (Ro 1:14-15)

He had a debt to pay and he was ready and anxious to preach the gospel in Rome as well.

• To emphasise the gospel and God’s righteousness (Ro 1:16-17)

The gospel of Christ is the power of God unto salvation to every believer, and it has revealed God’s righteousness.

While it is true that God prompted Paul to write and inspired the very words he wrote down, God allowed Paul’s passion and vocabulary to shine through the letter.

Transition: Did you notice the three “I am” statements of Paul in this section? We are going to focus the rest of our time today on them as they identify three duties of Christians that we must take seriously.

I.        We are Spiritual Debtors (Ro 1:14)

A.     Debtors are those who owe someone something.

1.      Three kinds of debts come to my mind.

a)      If I borrow $5 from you, I am a debtor to you until I pay the money back in full. That is a physical debt.

b)      If you see a house on fire, you are indebted to alert those inside the house. That is a moral debt.

c)      If you know the way to escape the judgment of hell and go to heaven, you have a spiritual debt.

2.      Our spiritual debt is very serious.

a)      We know what will happen to those who die without accepting the gospel.

Matthew 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;

Stop and think on that for a while. Your lost loved ones, lost friends, and lost neighbours are one day going to miss heaven and perish. That is very serious!

b)      God has told us to share the gospel. If we do not witness, we disobey God.

Mark 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

Excuses do not erase our debt. We must witness. Therefore, pray for the lost. Beg God for courage. Ask God for opportunities. Speak boldly. Pass out tracts.

B.     Christians are debtors to the spiritually ignorant.

1.      Paul mentioned four groups of people to whom he was indebted: Greeks, barbarians, wise, and unwise. The Greeks were cultured people. Barbarians were uncultured foreigners. The wise were educated people. The unwise were uneducated.

2.      What Paul was saying is that he was indebted to all people: countrymen and foreigners, whether educated or ignorant.

3.      We have the same debt today. All spiritually ignorant people need the gospel. Remember, they do not need religion. They need the gospel. Religious people are often the most difficult to reach with the gospel because they do not think they are lost. As we progress in Romans, Paul will identify four groups of people who are missing God’s righteousness: The heathen, hypocrites, Hebrews, and the human race.

II.      We Should be Eager to Evangelise (Ro 1:15)

A.     We must be ready.

1.      The word translated “ready” also means to be willing or eager. It describes one who is passionate about a task.

2.      Thus, Paul was not simply saying that he was prepared, though that is very important. He was eager to begin.

3.      To become an eager witness for Christ, we must know the gospel well. If you have been a Christian for more than a few weeks, you should have several verses memorised and know clearly how to lead a person to Christ. If you are not prepared, get prepared today. Eagerness without preparation leads to failure.

B.     We must preach the gospel.

1.      The word translated “preach the gospel” simply means to evangelise or share the good news. Anyone who knows the gospel can share the gospel.

2.      Not everyone who hears the gospel obeys the gospel. That was true in Jesus’ ministry and in Paul’s. It is still true today. Do not quit witnessing because of lack of response. The greatest joy in the Christian life is to lead another person to Christ.

3.      Prepare yourself. Pray for the lost. Pray for boldness. Depend on the Holy Spirit’s power. You CAN share the gospel! You CAN win others to Christ.

III.     We Should Not be Ashamed of the Gospel (Ro 1:16-17)

A.     There is no need to be ashamed.

1.      The gospel is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes.

a)      The gospel is the good news that Jesus, God the Son, came to this earth, died in our place to pay for our sin’s eternal judgment, and rose again from the dead to give us eternal life.

b)      It is powerful enough to save the worst sinner.

c)      The gospel is for everyone. All they have to do is obey it – repent and believe.

d)      It is always beneficial to believers. It may not solve all one’s problems, in fact it may increase them, but forgiveness and eternal life are priceless.

2.      On the other hand, the gospel is only good news if it reaches the lost in time.

B.     There is great reason to get excited.

1.      God is always right in every way. This makes Him righteous.

2.      The gospel reveals God’s righteousness from faith to faith.

a)      Stemming from faith and growing in faith.

b)      God’s righteousness is revealed when a sinner by faith trusts Christ to save him and it continues to be revealed in the believer’s life as he by faith yields to God.

3.      The gospel makes a person right with God!

Conclusion: If you are a Christian, you share the same duties that Paul had: 1) You are a debtor to the spiritually ignorant. 2) You should be eager to evangelise. 3) You should not be ashamed of the gospel. The gospel is powerful, good news that gives repentant believers God’s righteousness. Your witness could save a soul from hell. Let’s get serious about this duty. Prepare diligently. Pray passionately. Witness faithfully. Serve gratefully.

Jesus died and rose again for you. If you have not obeyed the gospel, do it today. Tomorrow may be too late.

Song: Give Me a Passion for Souls – 306