Romans 1:1-16
1 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[a]was a descendant of David, 4 and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power[b] 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[c] faithfor 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 you10 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,[d] 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,[e] just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”[f]
Today we are starting a new book in the Bible: Romans. This is one of the most theologically rich and vital books for learning what it means to be a follower of Jesus. It was written by Paul before he had been to Rome and is ‘to all in Rome who are loved and called by God.’ No one is completely sure how the church there started or who planted it but it was a multicultural church of Jews and Greeks, living and worshipping together. My aim is to go slowly through this letter and to open and unpack some of the most encouraging and challenging verses.
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,[e] just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”[f]
Romans 1:16-17
I was speaking to a new Christian last year at church who had been excited to tell all of their friends about God and their new faith. They were surprised that not only did their friends not encourage them, they criticised them. They spoke negatively of Christianity and tried to convince them to turn away from the Church. This is common to lots of new Christians. They start out excited but because of the response of others they soon become much quieter.
If you were to check most churches you would find two contradictory opinions around the Gospel:
- It is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes. There is no way to forgiveness from God except through Jesus and the only way that people can know this is if they are told.
- We shouldn’t force our beliefs on others. People don’t want to hear about it and we should honour their privacy and keep quiet.
However, both can not be true! Faith is personal but it’s not private. The gospel is the most important message in the world and people need to hear it. We need to share the Gospel kindly, and compellingly. With love. But we must not be ashamed.
God did not call a few - he called you.
It is like knowing where the parachutes are on a falling plane but keeping quiet. We have been given the greatest news that the world has known and it has the power to change lives. We, like Paul, should be eager to share and to challenge and to encourage people to be made right with God.
For me, it is the fear of rejection that holds me back. Perhaps for you it is the fear of broken relationships or trouble at work. Are you worried that you wont have the right answers to questions or they may trip you up with clever arguments? Paul says that the Gospel is the power of God. The word power is the same word that we use for dynamite. It is an explosive kind of power. What he is saying is that it works. It works! Hallelujah! When you share the Gospel with someone, it has the power to lead someone from death to life. We don’t share the Gospel because we feel shamed into it Or obliged to. We share because of love. We are passionate about people and about God. We want them to know his love forever.
Here’s how you can live out your calling:
- In conversation: Ask your friends what they believe. Share how Jesus has changed your life – not as a script, but as a story.
- Online: Use your platform (whatever it looks like) to reflect the hope you have. Post about your faith – not in a cringey or judgmental way – but with authenticity. Your faith doesn’t need to be flashy. Just faithful.
- In your actions: Love like Jesus. Be kind, gracious, and different. Sometimes the loudest witness is a life that looks like him.
