"For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38-39 (NASB)
For more than a year and a half, my online class has studied the book of Romans verse by verse. We have spent 38 weeks of class in four parts, with breaks in between. In one week, we finish the study.
Paul wrote, "I am convinced." After 38 weeks in his letter, so am I.
Romans runs 16 chapters. When I stepped back to look at the big picture, I saw the whole letter fits in one sentence:
The gospel is powerful. We are all sinners, saved by Jesus, sanctified by His Spirit, because of God's sovereignty, for God's service.
Here's how Paul builds each part.
The Theme: The Gospel Is POWERFUL (Romans 1:1-17)
The gospel is POWERFUL! Paul says the gospel "is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes" (1:16). The gospel reveals the righteousness of God, and "the righteous man shall live by faith" (1:17).
1. SINNERS (Romans 1:18-3:20)
We are all SINNERS. "The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men" (1:18). God is righteous, and He is also a God of judgment. He "will render to each person according to his deeds" (2:6). The judgment of God will fall on those who practice unrighteousness, and "there is no partiality with God" (2:11).
"There is none righteous, not even one" (3:10). "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (3:23).
2. SAVED (Romans 3:21-5:21)
Who have been SAVED by Jesus. "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (5:8).
God sent Jesus, who took our place on the cross. He bore the penalty for our sins: death. His blood satisfied God's righteous judgment. Paul calls Jesus our "propitiation in His blood" (3:25), the payment God's justice required.
When we put our faith in Jesus's sacrifice, God declares us righteous. "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (5:1). Peace with God, forever!
3. SANCTIFIED (Romans 6-8)
SANCTIFIED by His Spirit. When we believe, the Spirit of God comes to live inside us. If He does not, we are not His: "if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him" (8:9).
Our old self was crucified with Christ (6:6). God declared us righteous, and now we walk in newness of life (6:4). I don't try to earn God's approval by keeping the Law. The Law is holy (7:12), but the Law could never make me righteous. I walk by the Spirit (8:4).
This is where Paul writes, "I am convinced." Nothing in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus (8:38-39).
4. SOVEREIGNTY (Romans 9-11)
Because of God's SOVEREIGNTY. God used Israel to bring salvation to the Gentiles (non-Jewish people). Christ came from Israel (9:5). Israel's stumbling opened the door of salvation to the Gentiles (11:11).
We Gentiles are not to be arrogant toward God's chosen people. We are to be grateful (11:18-20). God has a plan for Israel and for you. His plan may not make sense right now, because we are not God! "Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!" (11:33)
Know this: "For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen." (11:36)
5. SERVICE (Romans 12-16)
For God's SERVICE. Our response to all of this is to present ourselves to God for worship and service. Paul calls this our "spiritual service of worship" (12:1). The King James Version calls it our "reasonable service."
God gave gifts to every one of us to serve one another in the Body (12:6). We are to love one another (12:10) and serve one another without judgment or condemnation on matters the Word has not prohibited (14:1-4).
We will all stand before the judgment seat of God, and each of us will give an account of himself to God (14:10-12). So stop judging your brother. You will answer to God for yourself. Accept one another, "just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God" (15:7).
[Draft closing below. Keep, revise or replace.]
What Romans Convinced Me Of
The gospel is powerful. We are all sinners, saved by Jesus, sanctified by His Spirit, because of God's sovereignty, for God's service.
And nothing, not death, not life, not anything in all creation, will separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. I am convinced.
Reflect: Which of the five words speaks to where you are right now? Sinner, saved, sanctified, sovereignty or service?