“Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the Vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing”

— John 15:4-5

This is a weekly reflection on the previous week’s sermon text. Each week there will be a devotional related to the scripture for the week, along with questions for reflection/discussion, as well as prayer. Feel free to make this a part of your individual spiritual growth throughout the week or utilize in small group settings (growth groups, Sunday school, etc.)

romans 1:16-17

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, ‘The one who is righteous will live by faith.’”

Raymond Brown wrote the following regarding Paul’s letter to the church in Rome:

“Longer than any other New Testament letter, more reflective in its outlook than any other Pauline letter, more calmly reasoned than Galatians in treating the key question of justification and the Law, Romans has been the most studied of the apostle’s writings – indisputably Paul’s theological chef d’oeuvre. From Augustine through Abelard, Luther and Calvin, to Barth this letter has played a major role in the development of theology.”

We are beginning a two-month journey through Romans. Paul wrote this letter from the Corinth region, and unlike many of the communities to which he wrote other letters, Paul had never been to Rome. My New Testament professor in seminary said that when we read the letters in the New Testament, we are reading someone else’s mail. Romans was a letter written by a specific person to a specific group of people in a particular place in time. While it was a letter written to the church at Rome made up of both Jews and Gentiles, God speaks to us through this letter and there is much to gain in our study and reflection.

Ancient Greek letters followed a similar pattern, and Paul’s letters were no exception. They began with a Salutation – the sender, recipient, and a greeting. The Salutation would be followed by the Thanksgiving – a brief statement of thanks and appreciation for the recipients of the letter. For example, in Romans 1:8, “First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world.” The Thanksgiving was followed by the Body of the letter – the main content. This section would usually include a thesis statement. The Closing would be the final section of the Greek letters. The Closing section would include personal greetings, travel plans, a final prayer/blessing, etc.

The outline of Romans follows this pattern. The Body of the letter begins in verses 16 and 17 where Paul lays out the main theme of the letter and introduces some words that will be explored in more detail throughout the letter: gospel, salvation, faith, and righteousness.

After demonstrating that no one can be justified by his or her own works, Paul introduced God’s solution. He used the term “justification”, which means we are declared righteous in God’s sight. To be righteous in God’s sight is to be “made right with God” or placed into “right relationship with God.” This justification is a complete gift from God and has nothing to do with our works. We cannot “earn” our way into God’s favor. God has already spoken for us and said “Yes” to us in Christ, and views us not as enemies to be defeated but as friends to be received back into the loving arms of the One who created us in the first place. Therefore, faith is saying “Yes” to God’s “Yes” to us in Christ.

Prayer:

“Gracious God. We say yes to you today with our minds, our hearts, and our actions. Thank you for loving, forgiving, and saving us despite our sin and remind us that justification and salvation are complete and total gifts in Christ. Amen.”

QUESTION FOR REFLECTION:

How would you define the word “gospel”? What is the gospel?

How would you define the word “faith”, especially in relation to unconditional love and grace?

It’s tempting to view our relationship with Christ as transactional – feeling that we need to work our way into being loved. How do you overcome that in your life and receive grace as a true gift? If we receive grace and salvation as gifts, then what is the purpose and motivation of our good works?

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