by Scott Lambert
The Apostle Paul was a former Jewish religious leader. He knew all about religious rituals, rule-keeping, and trying to earn his way into heaven by being a “good, religious person.” All of that changed forever the day he met Jesus.
Paul was on his way to a foreign city to arrest some Christians when Jesus appeared to him in a blinding light. Paul was never the same again! He now realized who Jesus was. He repented of his sins. He was baptized. And, he then became a great servant of the Risen Christ.
Paul’s letter to the church at Rome contains his most-powerful teachings on the subject of how a person is saved. He teaches that we can only be saved by faith in Jesus Christ, and that nobody can be right in the sight of God through his/her own personal efforts or goodness.
Here is how Paul begins his letter:
“I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith.’” (Romans 1:16-17)
May God bless you in this study, and may you come know Jesus as your Savior.
Romans 1
The Pagans are Guilty! (1:18-25)
- God’s wrath is being revealed because of mankind’s sin and refusal to believe in the One True God – the Father of Jesus Christ. Men tend to create gods in their own human image. (1:18-23)
- This section proclaims the guilt of the worst of sinners. (1:24-32)
- But wait... the “good people” don’t fair much better.
Romans 2
The Moralists are Guilty! (2:1-16)
And the Religious Jews are Guilty! (2:17-24)
- Even the so-called moral people are guilty of sin, because ultimately they do the same things the “bad people” do. (2:1-3)
- God’s judgment is righteous and true. And, even though people tend to judge and condemn one another, it is God’s kindness and patience that leads individuals to turn away from their sins. (2:4-6, 11)
- The religious people are also guilty – in this case, the Jews. They were given God’s Word but did not obey it. (2:17-24)
Romans 3
All are guilty! But there is hope!
- No one can be saved by his own efforts, good deeds, or religious rituals. We are all guilty of sin before God. (3:9-20)
- But, God will freely save us by His grace, because of what Jesus has done for us. (3:21-26)
- Both Jews and Gentiles are saved by faith! (3:28-30)
- Other verses: Isaiah 59:1-2, Ephesians 2:1-10; Romans 6:23.
Romans 4
We cannot earn our salvation!
- We must trust in God, not in ourselves. It is by faith that we are justified—that is, declared innocent and right with God.
- People are saved today in the same way Abraham was saved 4000 years ago. Abraham “believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness.” (4:1-5, 16-17)
- We are not righteous in and of ourselves, rather Jesus’ righteousness is given to us. (4:22-25)
- Other verses: Isaiah 64:6; Ephesians 2:8-9; Genesis 15:6; Philippians 3:9; 1 Corinthians 1:30
Romans 5
Being saved by faith in Jesus, we have peace and joy!
- We are saved by faith in Jesus Christ, who reconciles us to God by His death and saves us through His life. (5:1-2; 6-8; 9-11)
- We bring death upon ourselves because of our sins, but Jesus offers us life as His free gift. Salvation is a gift of God’s grace. (5:12, 15-19, 20-21)
- Other verses: John 11:25; 20:31; Romans 3:22, 24; 2 Corinthians 5:18-21; Revelation 22:17.
Romans 6
How do we receive this free gift?
And, since salvation it is of grace and is free, can’t we just keep on sinning?
- While we cannot earn our salvation—it is a free gift—we still must accept it in obedient faith. We do so when we die to our old selves and are born into newness of life in the waters of baptism. In baptism we are symbolically united with Christ in His death and resurrection. (6:1-4)
- We cannot go on sinning as the main pattern of our lives, because we have died to sin and are alive in Christ. (6:4-23)
- Other verses: Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:16; Colossians 2:12; Acts 2:38; Romans 1:5b; 16:26b
Romans 8
We are now a free and Spirit-filled people… the sons of God!
- Those who have been saved are now free from sin’s guilt. We are now free to live by the Spirit and not by our old sinful nature.
- We no longer live under the death penalty of sin, but rather we are alive and filled with the Spirit of God. We are sons of God! We are safe and secure in Christ! (8:1-2, 5-11, 14-15, 31-39)
- Other verses: Romans 6:11; Galatians 3:26-27; 4:6-7; 5:16-25; 1 John 3:21ff.
Congratulations! You have now heard the Good News of your salvation. In a world filled with all kinds of religious confusion and competing spiritual ideas, it is the greatest blessing to know of God’s plan to save us through our faith in His Son Jesus. May we live obedient lives to Him in thanksgiving for the free gift He has given us in Christ.
Paul explains this gift of salvation most fully here in the letter to the Romans. The first half of the letter is about salvation by faith. The second part of the letter is about how a Christian is supposed to live and interact with others now that he/she has been saved.
It is our prayer that this study has blessed you in coming to know God’s love for you in Jesus Christ. Trust in Him!