Key word: Righteousness
The early church was devoted to the apostles’ teaching (Acts 2:42). We find this teaching in the New Testament epistles. The first of these epistles in order and in importance is Romans. Romans is surely the queen foremost of the epistles. It is the deepest, best systematized of the letters, and most theological, not to mention the longest. It was written by the Apostle Paul around A.D. 58 to the church at Rome, a church he had neither founded nor visited. He, therefore, had few personal relationships with the Christians there and kept his teaching general and applicable to Christians everywhere and for all times. Romans is the first of three letters based upon one Old Testament verse – Habakkuk 2:4b – “The just shall live by faith” (1:17). The key word describes the theme of Romans: righteousness and the key verse (1:16) tells us that the Gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.
The book can be nicely outlined by five subjects, all beginning with “s”
• Sin (1:18-3:20)
• Salvation (3:21-5:21)
• Sanctification (6-8)
• Sovereignty (9-11)
• Service (12:1-15:13)
The hopelessness of sin drives us and prepares us for God’s plan of rescue of salvation, beginning with 3:21 and continuing through the end of chapter 5. After getting us lost, the next step is showing us how to be saved. In 3:21-31, the key word is faith. Our natural inclination to our recognition of our lost condition is to figure out how we can solve this problem. What work, or religious rite, or effort can we make to please God? But Paul makes it abundantly clear that none of our efforts are sufficient. It is a gift (3:24) received by faith (3:28). For the Jews who knew their Old Testament, Paul knew he might receive some pushback. So, he offers two of their greatest Old Testament heroes to prove that salvation has always been a gift received by faith: Abraham (4:3), and David (4:6).
But what about the issue of losing one’s salvation? Maybe salvation is initially obtained by faith, but what if we sin too much, or begin to doubt Christ? What then? Paul assures us that if the Lord saved us while we were helplessand ungodly (5:6), sinners (5:8), and enemies of God (5:10), surely the Lord will keep us saved now that we are His friend (5:10 – cp 5:1). We have now been reconciled to God (5:11). And all of this was made possible because of the righteous act of obedience on the part of Christ (5:15).
Key verse: Romans 1:16 – For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
