Romans 1:8-17 The Gospel - Gods righteousness revealed

Romans 1:8-17 The Gospel - God's Righteousness Revealed

Nathan Wakefield / General

Letters to the Church / Romans 1:8-17

God's righteousness is not revealed through legalism but through faith.

Theological Proposition/Focus: In Romans 1:8-17, Paul expresses his longing to visit the Roman Christians to strengthen and encourage them, and he boldly declares that the gospel reveals the righteousness of God to all who have faith. Paul teaches that the gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. He emphasizes the importance of faith in revealing God's righteousness and declares that the righteous shall live by faith. Through faith in Christ, believers have the power to reveal God's righteousness to the world and live out the gospel boldly. Our faith is not just a personal belief but a proclamation of God's righteousness that transforms lives and brings salvation.

Christ Focus: The theme of faith and righteousness is central throughout the Bible, pointing to Christ as the ultimate expression of God's righteousness through His perfect life, sacrificial death, and victorious resurrection. In Christ, we see the fulfillment of God's righteousness and the embodiment of faith.

Homiletical Proposition/Application: This passage serves as a reminder that our faith in Christ is not just a personal matter but is also a powerful tool for revealing God's righteousness to the world. As believers, we are called to share the gospel boldly and live out our faith in a way that reflects God's righteousness to those around us.

Introduction

Setting the Stage: (Read Romans 1:1-7)

As we set the stage, I want to start by just reading Romans 1:1-7 to you. The sermon itself is going to come out of verses 8-17, but the stage is set by 1-7.

Romans 1:1-7: "Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God— the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for his name's sake. And you also are among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be his holy people: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ."

I want you to notice that the letter itself is written to the Roman Christians, but we also meet the qualifications, called to be a holy people of God through our Savior Jesus Christ.

Paul wrote Romans even though he had not been to Rome yet. According to Josephus, there was a large Jewish colony in Rome despite the fact that Rome was predominantly a Gentile city. We don't know exactly how the gospel reached Rome—no apostle had visited Rome at this point—but perhaps the gospel reached Rome because of the visitors from Rome in Acts 2:10.

One of the primary functions of Paul's letter to the Romans is to give a detailed theology of the gospel. We might summarize the theme of Paul's letter as: God's righteousness is revealed in the gospel.

With this in mind, let's dig into the text itself.

Body

Faith's Global Gratitude — Faith unites believers in communal revelation of God's righteousness (8-10).

Paul's gratitude for the faith of the Romans, showcases the interconnectedness of believers' faith across distances. This illustrates the fact that faith in Christ not only has personal implications but also unites believers in a communal revelation of God's righteousness.

The faith of a brother or sister in Christ is something for which we should be thankful (8a).

Paul's proclamation of " First, I thank my God" is important. In his letters Paul regularly included a section of thanksgiving. For example 1 Corinthians 1:4 "I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus." Here, in Romans 1, Paul's thanksgiving is through Jesus Christ. Paul is able to give thanks because of Christ.

But we know even more. Paul is able to give thank because of the faith that the Roman Christians poses and has been reported. "One of the first lessons of effective leadership is the importance of setting priorities. Not only must things be done right (management) but the right things must be done (leadership)." <ref>Robert H. Mounce, Romans, vol. 27, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1995), 65.</ref> Here in verse 8 we are immediately given a view of Paul's priorities. Thanksgiving and praise were important to Paul but also the object of thanksgiving and praise matters. Paul was thankful because the faith of the Romans was receiving widespread proclamation.

I want to challenge us, we should be thankful people but the thing that should bring us great joy is faith and proclamation of faith.

I think at times we make the mistake of conflating the reporting of an event with boasting or gossip. If done correctly reporting on the faith of another can be done in a way that is neither boasting nor gossip.

The reality is that

The faith of a brother or sister in Christ is something worth talking about (8b).

The faith of the Romans was being talked about throughout the Roman empire, the known world. Mounce when reflecting on this proclamation states "The growth of the church has always been contingent upon the openness of believers to express their faith." <ref>Robert H. Mounce, Romans, vol. 27, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1995), 66.</ref>

We need to be comfortable talking about our faith because our faith is work talking about. We need to be comfortable talking about the faith of others we know because their faith is also worth talking about.

The faith of a brother or sister in Christ is something worth praying about (9-10).

But more than just talking about our faith we also need to pray. Paul prayed for the Romans. Paul remembered then in prayer and prayed that he would be able to visit the Romans.

But Paul did more than just pray, Paul prayed with intensity. Paul writes, "constantly I remember you in my prayers at all times." Moreover, this was not idle rhetoric. Paul called God as his witness. Paul spent significant time praying for the Romans and when you consider how many churches and people Paul worked with you can begging to realize that Paul must have spent significant time in prayer.

What we see here is that the faith Paul heard of in Rome united him with the Romans so that even though he had not been to Rome he was able to join with them into deep and abiding prayer.

The faith of a brother of sister in Christ reveals the transformation that God's righteous redemption secures in the life of every believer.

We need to understand that faith is that which unites us. Unity in anything other than the cross is false unity. The fact that we can have unity in the cross is a declaration of the unity that can only come from the cross. It is because of the cross that we can cross generations, cultures, and even great distances as we unite together.

Image:Praying for Missionaries

Every month I place a letter from a missionary outside sanctuary in the foyer and every month I throw several away because only a few are taken. I want to encourage you, grab one of these letters and start getting to know our missionaries through their letters. You will find yourself a more thankful person.

MTR: Seek to discover, acknowledge, express gratitude for and pray for the faith of those you know.

By doing so you will not only connect on a deeper level but also soulfully reflect on your shared journey of faith. You openness to discuss faith will stimulate others to express their own faith and growth. This feedback loop will impact many.

Faith's Encouragement of Everyone — Faith is a primary way in which we can encourage and be encouraged (11-13).

Paul's eagerness to impart spiritual gifts and the mutual encouragement among believers serves as an example of how living out our faith actively contributes to revealing God's righteousness in the community of faith.

Faith is worth your investment (11).

In verse 11 the Greek word ἐπιποθῶ (I long) is a strong empathic word that comes first int he sentence. The idea here is that the emphasis is on Paul's longing to see the Romans. The word itself has a strong implication and could be used of the longing of a baby to nurse or of a deer for a stream of water. It is as if Paul's deepest instinct is to see the Romans. In the previous verse we learned that Paul prayed for an opportunity, now we see that this is more than just lip service Paul has a deep desire to see the Romans. The question remains, why?

Verse 11 continues, the NIV states "so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift." But here the Greek is also helpful. The word we translate as "impart" is a combination of two Greek word, the word for "with" and "give." That is, μεταδῶ. We might also translate this as share. Paul desires to go to Rome in order that he might invest his time and energy into this body of believers. What is Paul going to invest? Simple some gift. Paul does not fully know what this gift will be, but he knows that he will share it with them. Paul does not presume to know what the Romans need but he does know that together they will grow. Together they will be strengthened.

In fact, this is the very idea behind verse 12.

Investment in the faith of others will yield mutual encouragement (12).

There is nothing quite like the encouragement you gain from investing in others and growing together. Paul carefully highlights this fact in verse 12. You might be tempted to think that the investment of verse 11 was a 1-way investment. Paul invests in the Romans and the Romans in turn receive investment and that is it. Verse 12 makes it clear that this is not the case at all. Paul's investment in the Romans is a two-way investment.

Again the Greek helps us, Paul writes συμπαρακληθῆναι another conjoining of two Greek words, the word for encouragement παρακαλεω and the preposition συν or together with. Paul is really emphasizing here that faith is worth the investment but it is not a one-way investment. Paul is going to reap encouragement and benefit from his investment in the Romans.

So, what is the faith that is so encouraging? Faith is a trust in the promise of God to provide salvation to all who declare their complete dependence on Christ for Salvation. Broadly speaking then faith is a commitment to following God. Faith is a trust that there is more to life than metes the eye. Faith is both a belief in and a commitment to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Image: The feedback loop of discipleship

If you have ever had a deeper discipleship relationship then you know how discipleship is mutually beneficial. I have had the privilege of being in several discipleship relationships with individuals and I will tell you that once things get going you quickly realize that your investment in another person begins to bring benefits in your own life. At first, you spend a lot of time asking the person how they are doing, praying for the person, and encouraging them. Then guess what, one day that person begins asking you how you are doing, praying for you, and encouraging you. It is a real privilege to walk alongside someone and see that development.

Let me be even more specific. Chanler and I run almost once a week, we miss every once in a while but it is a regular thing we do together. I want to share with you that lately Chandler has beet me to the question, "how was your day today?" I can genuinely tell you that my relationship with Chandler is best described as συμπαρακληθῆναι that is I am encouraged together with Chandler. But this shouldn't surprise us, the God of the universe built the world this way. He built relationships in a way that so that meaningful investment results in meaningful mutual encouragement.

In fact, you might argue that this further reveals the righteousness of God.

The selflessness that comes by investing in the faith of others reveals the righteousness of God who selflessly gave his life for others.

Jesus selflessly gave his life on the cross. What do we mean by that. We were stuck in sin, slaves to sin. We did nothing to deserve God's attention and didn't deserve anything other than punishment. God does not need us. Nevertheless, Jesus died for us. But here is the kicker God wants a relationship with us. Here is God's righteousness on display. God is able to take something awful, our sinfulness, our brokenness, and turn it into something good. Something that brings glory to God and grants us eternal life. I want us to understand something. When we invest in others we do so for their benefit but we ourselves benefit.

Investing for others is Christlike and shows the world what God's righteousness looks like. God's righteousness does not sit separate, above the world. God's righteousness embeds itself into the world.

MTR: Pick someone today for whom you can invest in their faith.

This is the sort of action step that you can glance at and say, yep, thats a good idea. So, I want to stop you there. Saying that's a good idea is not enough! I want to challenge you right here and now to pull out your notes and write a name next to this action step. Do it, write down the name of someone in whom you can invest today,

Faith's Amazing Agility — The Gospel crosses barriers that are otherwise seemingly insurmountable (13-15).

Faith has the ability to overcome racial, cultural, and societal hurdles (13-14).

Paul wanted to visit Rome but up to this point it appears that all his plans kept encountering hurdles. Nevertheless, mere hurdles were not enough to keep Paul from hoping he would have the opportunity to visit Rome and preach the Gospel. Significantly, Paul draws attention to the fact that he knows nor all in Rome are Jews. In fact, Paul notes that he has been faithful in preaching the Gospel to non-jews. In fact, Acts 9:15 we see that Paul was called to be a missionary to the Gentiles.

Paul's words in verse 14 are profound. First we note that Paul uses the word ὀφειλέτης to describe his state. We translate this word as obligated and it is fitting. The word carries the idea of a debt or even liability. In the ancient culture obligations were serious business. However, obligations also were deeply connected with social class structure. Paul was educated among the elite and as an apostle he was a leader in any church he entered. For someone of Paul's stature to be obligated to someone below would have been a foreign concept. Nevertheless, the Gospel crosses such boundaries.

In fact, Paul's word choice in describing Greeks and non-Greeks is important. Paul speaks for his obligation to Greeks. The idea here is not merely people from the areas of Rome that had formerly been part of the Greek city states. The idea here is the upper class. Those who had access to the Greek education and Greek philosophies. These are those who were Sophisticated. Paul contrasts these with those who he describes as βαρβάροις. The Greek word βαρβάροις is the root from which we get Barbarian and referred to someone who didn't speak Greek. The term βαρβάροις was somewhat derogatory in the sense that it is rooted in the idea that someone who doesn't speak Greek sounds like they are just saying "bar bar bar." One might think pretty lowly of these "foolish" people who could not even learn the Greek language but Paul argued that he was obligated to these too.

So, in what way is Paul obligated? Paul is obligated to share the hope that lies int he Gospel.

Faith brings about an eagerness to see others come to faith (15).

If you truly believe that though undeserving God condescended to call you to faith in Jesus Christ's death as payment for your sins then you will find that you have a deep desire to see other come to that same understanding. It is really inevitable. Once we really understand what God did for us we begin to eagerly desire for others to come to the same knowledge that we have. Paul was no different. Paul came to understand that he needed to share the Gospel and he was doing so. Faith brings about an eagerness to share the Gospel.

And this itself further demonstrates the righteousness of God.

The crossing of barriers demonstrates the righteousness of the God who loves all.

We must understand that God in his righteousness has crossed all barriers to bring Salvation to all.

In his sermon in Acts 10 Peter states Acts 10:34-35 "I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right." In fact, God's ultimate plan involves people from every tribe and nation worshipping together as described in Revelation 7:9 "After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands."

Image: DEI efforts are doomed to fail without the Gospel

So, I worked at the University for a long time. I participated in education reform that sought to minimize racial, cultural, and socio-economic issues, I was part of hiring that sought to eliminate bias, and I was part of research programs that looked to minimize class distinctions in educational outcomes. I will tell you that I do not know of a single instance of what was an unquestionable success. I saw lots of people try to use diversity efforts to their own advantage and career advancement but I saw very little real success. Right now you have probably heard of things like DEI efforts, that is Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Well, I am going to tell you that in my opinion DEI efforts absent the Gospel are going to fail. All our best efforts without the righteousness of God are meaningless. The Gospel is the thing that can bring people together.

Faith's Righteous Revelation — The Gospel reveals that God is truly righteous (16-17).

Paul's declaration of the gospel as the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes emphasizes that the righteousness of God revealed through faith in Christ transforms lives and encourages believers to live out and proclaim the gospel boldly.

Faith overcomes shame (16).

One a strictly human level the Gospel, our faith, has potential to be shameful. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 1:18 "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." Paul has just said that he has a obligation to the barbarians of society. From a human perspective Paul has every reason to be ashamed. However, Faith overcomes shame. Rather than be ashamed Paul in stead knows the power of God.

The city of Rome was the seat of power. The most powerful empire the world had ever known was situated right there.But that power was nothing compared to the Gospel. For the Gospel brings salvation to everyone regardless of their background. That is the Gospel is universally available while being individual efficacious. Think about that for a minute, the protections of the Roman empire were in some sense universally available to all in the domain but individually that meant essentially nothing. An individual could be part of the Roman empire and really feel no protection. The Gospel on the other hand is universally available and individually efficacious. It doesn't matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, the Gospel is for you.

The Gospel overcomes shame because it overcomes every distinction you can imagine and ultimately demonstrates the righteousness of God.

Faith results in a declaration of righteousness (17).

The key phrase in this entire section of Scripture is "the righteousness of God." What does this mean? I want to emphasize three ways this could be interpreted and suggest that Paul may have all three in mind simultaneously.

First, the righteousness of God is a characteristic of God. That is the fact that everything God does is good and just.

Second, the righteousness of God can refer to the saving activity he does for all those who believe. Specifically, that God found a way to save and still be just.

Third, the righteousness of God can refer to the right verdict he bestows on all who believe.

In summary God's righteousness refers to the fact that the right God acted rightly in providing salvation and in so doing has declared each of his followers right. When we place our faith in Christ for salvation we are boldly declaring that God is right, has acted rightly, and made us right.

===MTR: Boldly declare your faith and then let the righteousness of Christ pervade your life and be put on display.===