Salutation to the Romans Romans 1:1-7 Part 1 INTRO: Paul begins his Epistle (letter) to the Romans declaring himself to be a servant of Jesus Christ, separated unto the Gospel of God. Several things are stated. 1. The word translated "servant" is the Greek word bond slave. He was bound inseparably to Jesus Christ, being owned by the Lord. He was one subject to the will and wholly at the disposal of Jesus Christ. 2. Paul was "separated" unto the Gospel of God. Paul was called to be an apostle meaning a special ministry to spread the Good News (gospel) of the saving grace of God. 3. The Gospel was of God. It was not his opinion, or came from any thinking or formulation of his own. The Gospel was God’s plan alone and He is its author. The Gospel is revealed in 1 Corinthians 15:1-8. There are six things these seven verses tells us about the Gospel. 1. The source of the Gospel was God. (v1) 2. The time of the promise was long before the coming of Christ.(v2-3) 3. The proof of the Gospel was Jesus’ resurrection. (v4) 4. The channel of transmission was by men.(v5) 5. Those that receive the Gospel are called by Jesus Christ. (v6) 6. Through the Gospel comes grace and peace. (v7) I. The Source of the Gospel is God. The very nature of God is love. If you take a way the fact God hates sin, you no longer have God, but Satan, masquerading as God and that "you will find him most often at a church, in a pulpit, in the Bible class, preaching and praying with a mask of a false religion and spirituality in front of his grinning face." He seems to be promoting love, yet it is a false love based on emotion and the modern touchy feely type of spirituality. False religion presents a love of convince or love based on feeling good about ourselves. Yes, showing true love, which is unmerited charity or benevolence to others makes us feel good. It is satisfying to know we are pleasing God. You cannot serve God without serving other people. God’s grace is love. It does not demand one deserve our love. And true love produces action in one’s life toward others. This defines biblical love. God hated sin so he gave His only begotten Son. He reason was to defeat sin by Jesus Christ, suffering and dying on the cross to pay for the sins of the world. Nothing less would do. God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son. Jesus defeated sin and won the victory over death and sin. Through belief in Him sin is forgiven and not imputed to us. Both the statement are saying the same thing. God is Love: His love is demonstrated in that He did something about man's lost state. II. The Gospel was Promised Long Before Christ was Incarnate: Some cults and false religion teach Jesus is not God. They teach He had a beginning. Some falsely proclaim it was 2000 years ago at his birth. Many claim that the oriental religions are older that Christ, yet God’s word says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made" ( John 1:1-3). "In the beginning" simply means what it literal states. When our world was created as Genesis 1:1-2 state. "In the beginning (time began), God created the heaven (space) and earth (our physical world, which is matter). "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made." (John 1:1-3) John 1:14 clears up any misunderstanding as to who verse 1 is referring to: "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth" ( John 1:14) Four times the New Testament declares the eternality of Jesus Christ. (Rev. 1:8, 11; 21:6; 22:16) Jesus was more than a man, although He was wholly a man. He was God come to earth to save those who would accept Him as their Savior. "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty." (Revelation 1:8) "Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:" (2 Timothy 1:9-10) "Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world." (John 17:24) Jesus clearly stated He was God. When God appeared to Moses in the burring bush He stated who He was; "And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you." (Exodus 3:14) "Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by. (John 8:58-59) "I and my Father are one. Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God. (John 10:30-33) The Bible proclaims Jesus Christ as the Creator. This has specific importance, because it proves that Jesus Christ and God the Father are one and the same God. It is proof of the Trinity. God in Genesis 1:1 is said to be the Creator and note what other passages in the Bible that state the Jesus created the Universe and the world we live in: "For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist" (Col. 1:16-17) "Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high" (Heb. 1:2-3) "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created" (Rev. 4:11). Genesis 3:15 records the Bible’s first specific reference to Jesus the promised Messiah who would undo the work of Satan: "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel" (Genesis 3:15). Adam and Eve believed in Christ! God shed animal’s blood and made clothing for them as a picture of the coming redeemer. The many references to the "Angel of the Lord" in the Old Testament were pre-incarnate appearances of Jesus Christ. III. The states the proof of the Gospel was Jesus’ resurrection. (v4) Acts 1:3("To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:" Acts 1:3) Luke refers to the appearances of Jesus after His resurrection as "infallible proofs" meaning that many witnesses saw the Lord after His resurrection. These appearances were probably in the following order: 1. To Mary Magdalene (John 20:11-18; Mark 16:9) 2. To the other women (Matthew 28:8-10) 3. To Peter (Luke 24:34; 1 Corinthians 15:5) 4. To the two men on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35; Mark 16:12) 5. To ten of the disciples (Luke 24:36-43; John 20:19-29) 6. To all eleven disciples, eight days later (John 20:24-29) 7. To seven disciples by the Sea of Tiberias (John 21:1-23) 8. To five hundred followers (1 Corinthians 15:6) 9. To James (1 Corinthians 15:7) 10. To the eleven, at the ascension (Acts 1:3-12) There were probably many other times He appeared to one or more of His disciples. Luke says: "He shewed Himself alive after His passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days" (Acts 1:3). He was apparently seen by Stephen (Acts 7:56). Finally, of course, He was seen by Paul (Acts 9:38; 1 Cor. 15:8) Seen of 500 as 1 Cor. 15:6 states and once again by John (Revelation 1:12-18). Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:6 states that five hundred followers saw him at once after His resurrection. IV. The Channel of Transmission was by Men. (vs2,5) The Gospel was preached in the Old Testament by the prophets of God who foretold of the Messiah’s coming. Note just any prophet, but those called and empowered by God. God gave us clear instructions on how to determine a false prophet. In Jeremiah’s day false prophets told of peace, and prosperity. Jeremiah 14:13-16 Verses 14-15 explain that God did not send them. Verse 16 gives the results of following false prophets. Have you ever thought about the fact that all false prophets, preacher, churches always preach a works plus God’s grace means of salvation. 2 Corinthians 2:14 says, "Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual." (1 Corinthians 2:12-13) These do not know our God and Savior and therefore their message is of the world. It cannot comprehend spiritual things. Example: They cannot think that God grace forgives all sins, and that man as a sinner cannot justify Himself. They cannot understand living by faith and trusting in God’s promise to us. They feel they must in some way earn or merit God’s salvation. The make their god and religion from the world around them. The cannot comprehend a spiritual God who gives unmerited mercy and grace. All false prophets add to God’s word. "Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you." (Deuteronomy 4:2) The Simple Test of the Prophet."If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul." (Deuteronomy 13:1-3) Also Deut. 18:22) Jesus Himself proclaimed that He was the promised Messiah as noted in the following statements: John 8:56 "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad." John 5:46 "For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me." Matthew 23:43-44 "He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool?" Luke 23:27 "And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself." In Jesus’ teaching He referred to twenty Old Testament characters and quoted nineteen different Old Testament Books. There are some 1000 prophecies written up to 500 years before His birth which predicted the events of His coming. The Old Testament further foretold of His coming in not only prophecies but in types and symbols. Even today it is by saved men and women that the Good News of His coming is still being proclaimed as Acts 1:18 states: "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." V. Those that Receive the Gospel are called by Jesus Christ. (v6) God’s plan that was predestinated from eternity past was those that believed would become the children of God, adopted unto salvation and given eternal life. Romans 8:30 states this truth "Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified." No other passage in the Bible states this truth clearer that Ephesians 1:3-14: ‘Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory." (Ephesians 1:3-14) God’s plan was that He predestinated His plan that through Jesus Christ man can have forgiveness of sin and received eternal life. Jesus said John 14:6 ". . . I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." This is the Christ that John 1:1 proclaims: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."(John 1:1) V. Through the Gospel comes Grace and Peace. (v7) Ephesians 2:8-10 explain that God’s grace and salvation are a free gift. "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." Grace is defined as "unmerited favor" meaning it is something that is not earned or that we are worthy in ourselves to receive. We are all sinners as Romans 6:23 states and not able to save ourselves. But salvation comes to any one who will believe in Jesus Christ and accept God’s free offer of redemption. The results of salvation is that eternal life begins when one is saved and receiving of God’s grace will bring peace. Certainly the child of God has God grace which is His favor to us that He wants the very best for us. This also reminds us that we are to live trusting in the Lord’s provision for us. Psalms 18:2 "The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower."