Romans

The Power of the Gospel

Romans 1:1-17
‍Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God— ² the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures ³ regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David, ⁴ 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. ⁵ Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for his name’s sake. ⁶ And you also are among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. ⁷ 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. ⁸ First,I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world. ⁹ God, whom I serve in my spirit in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you ¹⁰ in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you. ¹¹ I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong— ¹² that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. ¹³ I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles. ¹⁴ I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. ¹⁵ That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome. ¹⁶ For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. ¹⁷ For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” 

Memorize

‍Romans 1:16 
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.
 

Finding God's Plan: Resource Questions for Romans

‍Romans 1:1-4 - Paul is famous for his greetings at the beginning of letters. He brings a richness and welcome to the words he's about to share. However, in Romans, he takes a distinctive approach by highlighting Jesus as King—a theme he doesn't explore in his other letters. He sets the stage for this letter as the proclamation of the good news about King Jesus, urging us to exalt Him above all else in our lives. 
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Questions to consider:

• What does it look like whenJesus is exalted in our lives?
• How can we honor Jesus as King within the dynamics of a marriage?
• In what ways can a family exalt Jesus and demonstrate His kingship?
• What practices can promote the exaltation of Jesus within a workplace?
• How can a church family collectively exalt Jesus in their community? 

As we delve into Romans, let's keep in mind the profound significance of exalting King Jesus in every facet of our lives. Reflecting on these questions can guide us on this transformative journey.

The Grace of the Gospel

Romans 3:21-26
²¹But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. ²² This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, ²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory ofGod, ²⁴ and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. ²⁵ God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— ²⁶ he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

Memorize

Romans 3:22b-24
There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, ²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
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Finding God's Plan: Resource Questions for Romans

In Romans 1:18-21, the passage highlights how both non-believers and believers should be aware of God's wrath when disobedient. It serves as a reminder that God's wrath is not exclusive to those who reject Him; even believers can face consequences if they stray from His teachings. This emphasizes the importance of living in accordance with God's will and the need for repentance and redemption for all, regardless of our faith status. It underscores the universal message of accountability and the call for everyone to align with God's righteous path.
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Questions to consider:

• With this in mind what does idolatry (putting something else in the place of God) look like in your life in 2024?
• Who is ensuring that you will stay on God's righteous path?
• If you don't have someone, who is someone you could ask to hold you accountable?

The Gospel’s Gift of Righteousness

Romans 4:3-8
‍³ What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” ⁴ Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. ⁵ However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness. ⁶ David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the one to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: ⁷ “Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. ⁸ Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord will never count against them.”  
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Memorize

‍Romans 4:3
What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”
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Finding God's Plan: Resource Questions for Romans

Romans 3:25-26  "God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his bloodto be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished - ²⁶ he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus."

• Atonement is the reconciliation of God and us through Jesus Christ, through the shedding of His blood. Jesus’ blood was better than the blood sacrifices in the old testament. Why did God require a blood sacrifice?
• We are called to be loyal to Christ, and to bow down to no one other than God the Father. Ask your spouse / prayer partner / accountability partner to help you assess where your loyalty lies.
• Even with our faith rooted in Jesus it’s still too easy to justify the things we do on a daily basis that are not Christ-like. Can you identify those things that are tripping you up on a daily / weekly / monthly basis?  What do you do when things trip you up? Do you have a prayer partner / accountability partner to talk to?

God’s Love in the Gospel

Romans 5:1-11
‍⁵ Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ² through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. ³ Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴ perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵ And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. ⁶ You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷ Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. ⁸ But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. ⁹ Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! ¹⁰ For if, while we wereGod’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of hisSon, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! ¹¹ Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.  
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Memorize

Romans 5:8
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
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Finding God's Plan: Resource Questions for Romans

The New Life of the Gospel

Romans 6:8-14, 22-23
⁸Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. ⁹ For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. ¹⁰ The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. ¹¹ Int he same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. ¹² Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. ¹³ Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. ¹⁴ For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace… But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. ²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in ChristJesus our Lord.  
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Memorize

‍Romans 6:23 
For the wages of sin is death, but thegift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
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Finding God's Plan: Resource Questions for Romans