If you were asked to describe Romans in one sentence, you would have a hard time. Paul covered a lot of ground. But in a world, then and now, that lives disconnected with God, Paul directs us to live life for God.
Paul said this early on. He said, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel.” The gospel is a loving message that makes a way for everyone to God. Are we living in a time where the world is open to this message? Absolutely not. God has worked throughout history first through the Jewish people, and now through all people, to experience a relationship with God. Jesus gave his life so that we should live!
The righteous will live by faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior. There is no other way for God to reveal himself. If there way any other way, that would mean that Jesus died for nothing. We are in a world that just wants to reject a designer in our world. They will achknowledge the complexities of the world, the intrecate design needed to make all that exists, but they reject a designer, creator, or builder. That isn’t an evidence problem, it is a heart problem.
Here Paul reminds us that God needs to exist in our hearts, not just our minds. Many times we can let ourselves focus on head knowledge and still holding back our hearts before God. None of us are fit before God, but God wants to make us fit before him. So how does that happen? God made a way before time as we know it, and it was proclaimed by the law and prophets a way to him and the incomprehencable standard we cannot obtain on our own. And this salvation and righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. Period. No difference between Jew and Gentile.
All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. But God wants us to be with Him. So believe in Jesus as your savior, and that is it. You don’t have what it takes, but He will give it to you. You are declared right, freely, by grace through the redemption by Christ Jesus.
In the nutshell, we can stop there with the message of Romans. But there is so much more in explaining facets of how this truth plays out in the lives of believers throughout Romans.
In the ugliest conduction we could be in, Christ died for us. Have you ever heard someone say, “if I came to church the walls would fall down.” We can understand why someone would say that, but we know that Jesus died for them.
Romans
The final verses of Romans are that of worship. Worship to Him who has provided. To Him who makes a way. To Him who doesn’t exclude, but anyone can believe. Praise be to the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ.
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” (ESV)
21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— (ESV)
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, (ESV)