By Grace Through Faith (Romans 1-2)

03/02/23 • 20 min

Introduction

Hello, welcome to the Will Preach for Food podcast. I’m Doug, a pastor here at Faith Lutheran Church, based out of Shelton, Washington, a congregation of the ELCA. You can learn more about Faith at our website, www.faithshelton.org. This podcast is being recorded for the 1st Sunday in Lent, February 26, 2023. Over these next few weeks, I think I’m going to try my best to preach from the book of Romans. “By Grace Through Faith” is my series title, and today is Part One, looking at Romans 1-2.

So we’re going to spend some time getting to know a man named Saul of Tarsus, whom we know as the Apostle Paul. Paul was a Jewish teacher and tentmaker turned Christian missionary, theologian, reformer. Paul introduces himself to the Romans as simply “a servant of Christ Jesus.”

Romans 1:1-4

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God— 2 the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures 3 regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David, 4 and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.

After twenty years of missionary work around the Mediterranean, Paul has on his heart to bring the gospel all the way to Spain. To get there, he’s going to need support from a cluster of little churches in Rome. He needs donors, backers, companions, prayer. He writes a letter to a group he’s never met. It is an ambitious attempt to summarize and demonstrate his message, his vision, and his mission strategy. He is coming to visit them in person, and he wants to be ready and receptive to his vision.

Romans 1:7-10

To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be his holy people:Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world. 9 God, whom I serve in my spirit in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you 10 in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you.

History tells us that Paul makes it to Rome, although as a prisoner, not a missionary. And he never makes it to Spain.

But we have his letter to the Romans, arguably the most important of Paul’s writings if not the entire Bible. Paul wants to let them know about what he calls “the gospel,” the euangelion, the good news that was promised in the Hebrew Scriptures and finally revealed and realized in the person of Jesus, the Messiah Christ sent from God. This letter gives us ways to talk about human depravity and God’s righteousness. He gives us language for a doctrine of justification: Saved by grace through faith, apart from works of the law. And for sanctification: daily dying and being made new through the Holy Spirit, symbolized and set into motion through Baptism.

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Introduction

Romans 1:1-4

Romans 1:7-10

To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be his holy people:Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

History tells us that Paul makes it to Rome, although as a prisoner, not a missionary. And he never makes it to Spain.

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Experiencing the Transfiguration (Matthew 17), with Rev. Brenda Satrum

As we come to worship the God who’s always loving us first, take a deep breath. Bring your shoulders up to your ears, then let them melt down you back. Today we’re going to enter the Gospel with our imaginations. As a warmup, I wonder if you can remember a moment of warmth and safety that you enjoyed, maybe near a cozy fire, or in bright and beautiful sun, or in the embrace of a loved one... Thank you, Holy God, for the warm light of your love, your peace. May the peace of God be with you all!
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Next Episode

By Grace Through Faith (Romans 3-4)

This podcast is being recorded for the 2nd Sunday in Lent, March 5, 2023. I’m preaching through the book of Romans this spring. “By Grace Through Faith” is my series title, and today is Part Two, looking at Romans 3-4.

Here Paul articulates his proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ, that we are justified by grace, through faith, apart from works of the law. To this day, this is a radical and liberating message, one that because it sounds too good to be true, most folks, including well-meaning Christians, attempt to misuse God’s law and limit God’s grace. And like Martin Luther did 500 years ago, it is up to the Lutherans today to call for reformation, to submit to the word alone, and let God be God. We begin, as always, by reading the Bible, listening to what it says, then we’ll try to figure out what it means, and what it means for us today.

Romans 3:19-31 (NRSV)

Now we know that, whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20 For no human will be justified before him by deeds prescribed by the law, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin.

21 But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been disclosed and is attested by the Law and the Prophets, 22 the righteousness of God through the faith of Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction, 23 since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; 24 they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a [sacrifice of atonement] by his blood, [effective] through faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over the sins previously committed; 26 it was to demonstrate at the present time his own righteousness, so that he is righteous and he justifies the one who has the faith of Jesus.

27 Then what becomes of boasting? It is excluded. Through what kind of law? That of works? No, rather through the law of faith. 28 For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the law. 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of gentiles also? Yes, of gentiles also, 30 since God is one, and he will justify the circumcised on the ground of faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. 31 Do we then overthrow the law through this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.

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