GOD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS FOR MAN FROM START TO FINISH

Part I: Introduction, Romans 1:1-17

A. Evidencing The Truthfulness Of The Christian Faith

(Romans 1:1-7)

I. Introduction

A. When we believers gather to fellowship around the Word of God, we are always encouraged to consider the reality of our Christian faith, the assurances that our faith is real and not a false religion.

B. Romans 1:1-7 that begins Paul's letter to the Church at Rome summarizes the truthfulness of the Gospel of justification by faith through providing strong evidences of that truthfulness, so we view it for our edification:

II. Evidencing The Truthfulness Of The Christian Faith, Romans 1:1-7.

A. In writing to people he had not met in the great city of Rome (Rom. 1:13, 15), Paul would want to make an impression of truthfulness about himself and his beliefs that his influential readers might accept his teaching.

B. Accordingly, he evidenced the truthfulness of the Christian faith in his introductory greeting, Romans 1:1-7a:

1. Paul made claims of himself that, in view of his pre-salvation days, showed the reality of his faith, v. 1:

a. He asserted he was Christ's slave, and in the context where Paul identifies with the Old Testament prophets (Rom. 1:1c, 2), this office signals Christ's sovereign ownership of and goodness to Paul. Since Paul had once persecuted Christians (1 Tim. 1:12-13), his view of himself as Christ's slave meant a miraculous transformation of his thinking had occurred, testifying to the truthfulness of his faith, v. 1a.

b. Paul claimed he was called to be an apostle, "one sent with delegated authority (cf. Matt. 10:1-2)," Ibid.; v. 1b. To assert he had been given that office to believers he had not met in great Rome took boldness, so Paul's belief that he had that office argues for the truthfulness of his faith in light of his pre-Christian life!

c. Paul claimed to be "set apart" for the gospel of God, Romans 1:1c. He was "isolated and segregated" by God from other interests and pursuits, evidence God controlled his life and ambitions, redirecting him on a particular mission like Old Testament prophet Jeremiah, Jer. 1:5; Ibid.. That he was thus "set apart" gives evidence of Paul's true subjugation to God's will in his life in light of his former unsaved lifestyle!

2. Paul's introductory remarks on the gospel he preached evidenced the truthfulness of Christianity, 1:2-4:

a. He claimed his gospel fulfilled Old Testament prophecy (Rom. 1:2), and he clarified how in Romans 1:3: (1) Paul claimed his gospel fulfilled Old Testament prophecies on how Jesus Christ "came to be" (genomenou) of David's seed according to the flesh since He before existed as God, v. 3; Ibid. (2) Such prophecies included Isaiah 11:10 where a Root of Jesse, David's father, would be an ensign for the people in the coming Messianic Kingdom, indicating that Jesus Christ would be God (as the Root, the Originator) of David as well as David's offspring as a man, namely, God-come-in-the-flesh, or God Incarnate!

b. Paul claimed his gospel was proved to be true by the evidence that Jesus Christ was the Son of God, that He was God, with power by His resurrection from the dead by the Holy Spirit's power, Romans 1:4; Ibid.

3. Paul's remarks on the apostles' mission for Christ evidenced the truthfulness of the Christian faith, v. 5:

a. The apostle Paul claimed that he with the other apostles had received grace and apostleship to minister in discipling all nations to obey God's command that they believe in His Name for salvation, Romans 1:5.

b. This claim shows the Christian faith from its inception was meant to be universal in striking contrast to other religions of that era. The intended and unusual universality of Christianity from its inception is strong evidence that Scripture's true Creator God of the whole universe had authored it!

4. Paul's application of the gospel to his readers evidenced the truthfulness of the Christian faith, Rom. 1:6-7:

a. The apostle clarified that his readers in the great city of Rome were also called of Jesus Christ, beloved of God and called to be saints by God as if they also were subjected to the Lord, Romans 1:6-7a.

b. The fact that Paul would state that believers in the greatest city of the Roman Empire were said to be called to be subjects of Christ, God Incarnate, indicated Paul had a very exalted view of Jesus Christ that revealed a miraculous transformation had occurred in his view of Christ since his pre-salvation days.

C. Paul then greeted his readers with grace and peace from God the Father and Jesus Christ, Romans 1:7b.

Lesson: Even beginning his epistle to the Romans, Paul's expressed views of himself, his gospel, his mission and his application of that gospel to his readers left clear, strong evidences of the truthfulness of the Christian faith.

Application: (1) May we rest in the TRUTHFULNESS of our Christian faith and its gospel of justification by faith. (2) May we also rest in the TRUTHFULNESS of Paul's DOCTRINES presented in this epistle to the Romans.