Paul concludes his letter to the Romans with thanksgiving for the whole community of the Church anticipating the great chorus of saints in heaven.

*Unfortunately there is a 30 second break in the recording at appx 6:40.

The Church in Rome had a mix of Gentiles and Jews with their different cultural and theological assumptions often creating tensions and disputes. In Romans 13 & 14, Paul calls on the community to love one another, to constrain their freedoms and power for the sake of their brothers and sisters in Christ. It is the sort of humility and love that is necessary to create the Church community.

In view of God’s mercies–all that He has done for us in Jesus Christ–how are we to live? Paul says the response to God’s mercy is to offer ourselves fully to God in worship and to offer ourselves fully to one another in love and service.

Is God the Sovereign Lord of the universe, ordering all things according to his purposes and will? Or are we responsible agents, held to account by God the judge for all we do? Paul answers Yes. Both are true. Our understanding the bigness of God and his sovereignty is integral to living out the faith that rests instead of fears.

In Romans 8, Paul encourages and assures his readers with his theology of Israel’s hope of the justice and shalom that will be present at God’s arrival in the coming age. Paul’s gospel hope is that the Lord’s arrival has been fulfilled in the life and death of Jesus and the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

Everyone struggles with doubt and sin at various times. We experience the war within: the conflict between the good we want to do and the evil we do. Paul identifies with our struggle when he cries, “Who will rescue me?” But he concludes with–God has! Through Christ Jesus we can have hope as we humbly hunger for God in our daily life of faith and struggle.

The gospel is not just the good news of God saving us, it is good news which affects all of life. In Romans 5, Paul returns to the gospel message and sharing how believers can rejoice (boast) and put their hope in the gospel and so transform their approach to all of life. The implications of the gospel need to be worked into the heart and worked out into the life of every Christian.

All have sinned and fall short of God’s glory–we are under his just judgment and cannot save ourselves. But God the just and justifier of those whom he loves saves us, taking the judgment for us in his son Jesus Christ. God offers this to all humanity by his grace, as a gift to be received by faith.

In Romans, Paul explains the message of the gospel to the church in rome. He begins by explaining the problem of humanity–we are under sin and God’s wrath. But our Sin Problem, as Paul shows is really a worship issue–something or someone besides God is our ultimate and controlling desire.