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The Book of Romans Chapter 1
Paul’s letter to the Romans is packed with the truth of God. He makes it clear that his position is first a slave to Jesus Christ. The translation is clear. He is owned by Jesus. Paul has completely surrendered himself to follow his Savior.
Each time I read Romans, I am reminded that I have much further to go to surrender all aspects of my life to Jesus. I publicly confessed my faith in Jesus as the Son of God and my Savior. I taught Sunday School as a teen and adult. All my life, I have been involved in church, teaching, preaching, and witnessing.
To those around me, I shined as a Christian leader.
However, each time I look at Paul, I realize I am not there yet.
Paul opens his letter stating who he is relative to Jesus.
Romans 1:1-5 NKJV reads, 1 Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God 2 which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, 3 concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, 4 and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. 5 Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name, 6 among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ;
Like Paul, we should see ourselves as bondservants of Jesus Christ. It would change our view of the world and our place in it.
Paul’s focus was on following Jesus, and he made it clear that if we accept Jesus as God’s Son, we also are “the called of Jesus Christ.” We are to be obedient to Him and walk in righteousness.
We are to live by faith.
Just like Paul, our lives should be changed by our faith in God and His Son, Jesus.
Romans 1:16-17 reads, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”
In this world of sin, our stand should be the same as Paul’s. He says, I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. I am afraid many who claim to be Christians, unlike Paul, are embarrassed to stand against the world and its unrighteousness.
Following God is a step-by-step process. We don’t jump from our worldly walk into His righteousness. He reveals Himself to us one step at a time, or as Paul says, from faith to faith.
Where do you start?
You start this walk by accepting Jesus as God’s Son and your Savior and confessing that you are a sinner. You must understand that Jesus came to earth to die for your sins.
Think about what was paid to save you from worldly sin. Your sin cost Jesus!
Jesus left His Glory in Heaven to become flesh for you. He walked on this earth, faced every temptation we face, suffered, yet was obedient to God. He gave us an example!
For 33 years, he lived a sinless life so He could offer Himself for your sins and mine. He died on the cross for you, and on the third day He rose from the dead.
Walking down the aisle at church and saying you believe is only the beginning. Every day, we must grow in His Word and service.
When you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you also pledge to abandon the world and follow Him.
So, what happens if you continue in a worldly way?
One thing is certain: you will change. You will either grow closer to God or return to following the world. Your faith cannot stand still. Even the word faith is an action word.
Every day, you will decide to either follow God’s Word or return to the world’s way. No one stands still.
I love the way Joshua said it in Joshua 14:15, “But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
Every day, we must make decisions to serve God or self. The world tells us that we should look after “number one,” or ourselves, but the world lies for its own gain.
God created you in your mother’s womb for a purpose. You find your greatest happiness when you find His will for you and become obedient to His call.
Looking in the Word of God, we find that God created us for a divine purpose. He gave us a wonderful world to live in, and He gave us a set of rules to make our lives peaceful and prosperous.
God loves us and wants to bless us. He tells us how to live righteously with those around us and how to be right with Him.
However, He makes the consequences of wickedness clear.
When we choose the world over God, we must pay the price.
The Scripture tells us that, “24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever.” Amen.
God loves us and sent Jesus to offer Himself up for our sins. However, God did not take away our right of choice.
If we choose not to walk in faith seeking His righteousness, He will not force us.
He has given us His Word to guide us. He has sent His Prophets to preach to us. Also, He brings about events in our lives to turn us back to Him. God is patient, but His wrath will not be held back forever.
God will give us up, as expressed in the above verses. We choose to follow or not!
God’s Wrath will come to the unrighteous.
Being righteous with God requires more than saying you believe and joining a church. Accepting Jesus is only the starting point in our walk of faith.
In John 14:15 NKJV, Jesus says, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.”
Paul tells us that there is no excuse we can give for not believing and following God’s Word.
Listen to these truths, 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.
20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.
Note: Verse 20 states, For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,
There is no excuse!
God has revealed Himself to man since the beginning of Creation. He built into us an understanding of what is right and wrong. Thus, men have always known that there is a God and have understood good and evil.
If we choose to follow the world and its false teachings, the Scripture tells us what God has done and will do because He is unchangeable.
So, pay close attention to the following verses! They list what we see in the world today. Sadly, some of these evil practices have been accepted by some churches, and many others do not stand firmly against these evils.
Read the following verses slowly and then read them again.
26 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. 27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.
28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, 30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; 32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.
Do you see these sins today? Of course, you do; they are all around you. You can see how they are destroying families and individual lives.
Are you guilty of any of these sins?
Will you stand with God’s Word against them in your life and within the church?
As always!
God gives you the choice of standing with Him or with Satan. When you accept God’s Salvation, you join an army against Satan and his forces of evil.
Remember what Joshua said, “But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
With all my heart, I pray that you will not only accept Jesus as the Son of God sent to be your Savior, but that you will stand against evil.
We desperately need men and women, young and old, who will stand for the truth that sets men free. You can help change lives and restore families.
May God bless and keep you in His Grace as you serve Him.