Romans - Week 2

Sense of Obligation

READ

Romans 1:13-15

13 I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, that I planned many times to visit you, but I was prevented until now. I want to work among you and  see spiritual fruit, just as I have seen among other Gentiles. 14 For I have a great sense of obligation to people in both the civilized world and the rest of the world, to the educated and uneducated alike. 15 So I am eager to come to you in Rome, too, to preach the Good News.

There were apparently many believers in Rome whom Paul had led to the Lord elsewhere in the Roman Empire, or had at least helped to disciple. He had a deep longing to see them again. He wanted to personally witness the fruit of the Spirit in their lives. Because God had saved Paul by His grace, Paul felt indebted to all unbelievers, whether they were educated as the Greeks were or uneducated. In addition to visiting the believers in Rome, Paul also wanted to preach the Good News of the resurrected Christ to the unbelievers there.

REFLECT

Do you feel indebted to witness about your faith to all classes of people? Jesus died for them just as He did for you. Think how lives could be changed for eternity by you sharing your faith.

RESPOND

Because of your background, you are likely more drawn to one class of people than to another. You and your disciple need to ask God to give you a heart for other classes of people. Also pray for those who are reaching some that seem to be beyond your reach.

Not Ashamed

READ

Romans 1:16-17

16 For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile. 17 This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”

Verses 16-17 are considered by many to be the key verses of the book of Romans. Some might be embarrassed to be known as a Christ-follower, but Paul was not ashamed of the Gospel. Paul then tells what the Gospel accomplishes—how to be made right in God’s sight by faith. Verse 17 is the one that caught the attention of Martin Luther, who began the Protestant Reformation. Some English translations have “The just shall live by faith.” It overwhelmed him to think one became right with God and lived by faith, rather than by the rituals of the Roman Catholic Church in which he was a priest.

REFLECT

Do you see the importance of faith that is the means of salvation rather than various religious rituals? Ephesians 2:8-9 say, “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.”  As commonly said, salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in the Lord Jesus Christ alone.

RESPOND

Look up the other verses that say what Romans 1:17 says. See Habakkuk 2:4; Galatians 3:10-12 and Hebrews 10:38. Talk with your disciple about living by faith instead of by sight.

Truth Suppressors

READ

Romans 1:18-20

18 But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. 19 They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. 20 For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.

Some think God is only a God of love, but notice His anger here. The wickedness of people can so minimize truth that it can’t be known by those who need it. In spite of this, all people are without excuse because God has revealed Himself in the creation. Look at the earth and sky. Those could not have come about by accident—or by chance and long ages. Some deny there is a creator and say they do not have faith. But it takes more faith to believe all this came about by chance than it does to believe what the Bible says. 

REFLECT

Think about the vast universe in which you live. Marvel at God’s creation. Think about how His power and divine nature are seen through all this.

RESPOND

Read John 1:1-5; Colossians 1:13-18 and Hebrews 11:1-3,6 to learn who the Creator is and how He should be honored. One would have to be God to fully understand all that He has done in creation, but one can read, have faith, and thank God for what He has done.

Foolish Ideas

READ

Romans 1:21-23

21 Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. 22 Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. 23 And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles.

Paul continues to tell of sinful people who hold down the truth by their wickedness. Their first step down the wrong path was in not worshiping God or giving Him thanks. As a result, they claimed to be wise but in reality they were fools. An indication that mankind is made to worship is that these who refused to worship the true God, worshipped idols instead. Note how even their worship of idols declined from idols of people to birds to animals to reptiles.

REFLECT

Think about the many things you can see physically. Are you more concerned about them than about God who is unseen? How can you change your focus on what is most important?

RESPOND

Read 2 Corinthians 4:17-18. By a great deal of research, Back to the Bible’s Center for Bible Engagement has learned that a person needs to be reading or listening to the Bible at least four times a week to have focus and behaviors changed. Research has also shown that exposure to the Bible less than four times a week results in a person who is no different in lifestyle than one not exposed to the Bible at all. Talk to your disciple about this.

Traded for a Lie

READ

Romans 1:24-25

24 So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. 25 They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen.

Because people would not worship nor thank God, He abandoned them to do whatever disgraceful things they wanted to do.  This resulted in them doing “vile and degrading things” with each other’s bodies. Driven by the passion to worship something, they went on to worship what God created rather than worshipping God Himself. Concerning the true Creator, Paul adds, “who is worthy of eternal praise!”

REFLECT     

What is your opinion about these verses in Romans 1? Some think the Bible needs to be rewritten to take these comments out. Some countries would not allow this passage to be read over radio or television or printed on the Internet. Your choice is to believe what God says or what those say who reject Him.

RESPOND

Talk to your disciple about how to interact with people who have values that do not agree with the Bible. Think about what Jesus did in the Gospels. He did not agree with the sinners He befriended, but He interacted with them to reach them, not to run them off.