The Greatest Letter Ever Written – Romans

Paul’s letter to the Romans is the most quoted, most powerful, and most influential letter ever written. In it, Paul unveils God’s great plan to rescue broken humanity and fill the earth with a new creation.

The message of Romans has the power to change your life, yet many people miss it. They appreciate some bits of Romans, but other bits leave them confused. “Consider the kindness and severity of God,” or “Esau I hated,” or “He hardens whom he desires.” What is Paul saying?

Confusion opens the door to bad teaching. “God is kind, but he’s also nasty,” or “God chooses some but rejects others.” And the result is a mixed-up church that preaches a feeble gospel.

Romans isn’t complicated—it’s Christ revealed

As you may know, I have written a verse-by-verse commentary on Romans—it comes out next week—and I can assure you that much of the confusion is unwarranted. Much of the trouble comes from reading parts of Romans out of context or through a graceless lens.

To understand Romans, you need to start at the beginning:

Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God… which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son… (Romans 1:1–3a)

The first verse of the letter tells us that Romans conveys the gospel of God which reveals the Son of God. In other words, Romans not about you or me. It’s about Jesus…

…who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 1:3–4)

The key to understanding Romans is right here in these opening verses. By unveiling Jesus Christ, Romans reveals the righteousness of God (Romans 1), the kindness of God (Romans 2), the faithfulness of God (Romans 3), the promise of God (Romans 4), the grace of God (Romans 5), and so on.

To understand Romans, we need to see the Jesus that Paul reveals in these opening verses. In verse 4 Paul describes Jesus five ways:

…who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 1:4)

1. Jesus is the Son of God

The gospel of God is about the Son of God, who became a Son of Man so that the sons of men might become the sons of God.

“But Paul, how can we be sure that Jesus is truly God’s Son? What sets him apart from the pretenders and self-proclaimed saviors?”

2. Jesus is risen

Paul lays down his trump card: the resurrection. A dead savior saves no one, but Jesus Christ conquered the grave. He broke the power of death and offers new life to all who come to him.

The resurrection is not a historical event to be debated in Sunday School. It is Day One of the new creation (Rom. 6:4–5; 1 Cor. 15:20–49). When we put our faith in the Risen Lord, we are transferred from death row into new life.

No king or Caesar ever rose from the grave, but the Author of Life did, and now he holds the keys of death and Hades (Rev. 1:18).

3. Jesus ministered in the power of the Spirit

Jesus was raised by the Holy Spirit and ministered by the Spirit, confirming his divinity. But more than that, the same Spirit who raised Christ “will also give life to your mortal bodies” (Rom. 8:11).

The indwelling Holy Spirit transforms the believer and his role is explained in the middle chapters of Romans. No longer ruled by the flesh we can live Spirit-led, righteous lives. It’s the life we were made for.

4. Jesus is the Christ

For those waiting for the Messiah, Paul declares, “Jesus is your guy.” He’s the One promised in the Scriptures.

By calling Jesus “Christ” over sixty times in Romans, Paul emphasizes that Jesus is the anointed King foretold by the prophets.

5. Jesus is Lord

Here’s the title that encompasses all: Lord. The Jews called him Rabbi, but Christians call him Kyrios, meaning “the One supreme above all rule, authority, and dominion” (Eph. 1:21).

He was once known as Jesus of Nazareth (Matt. 26:71), but after his resurrection, he received a name above every name—Lord (Phil. 2:9–11). “You call me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am” (John 13:13). Paul refers to Jesus as Lord over twenty times in Romans (e.g., Rom. 1:4, 10:9, 14:9, etc.).

Romans is a rich letter that covers the full sweep of human history from beginning to end. Yet in just four verses, Paul hits the high points of the gospel: Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and the Lord who was raised by the Holy Spirit.

In a nutshell, that’s the message of Romans. Paul does not write to dazzle you with his intellect or to provoke theological debates about who God supposedly chooses or rejects. He writes so that you may know that Jesus is the Risen Lord—and that all who call on him shall be saved (Rom. 10:9, 13).

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