Book: Romans

Join us as we search for the gospel in Romans.

In AD 150, a letter to Diognetus claims that Christians deny the Greek gods, eschew greed, remain faithful in marriage, and welcome persecution. They respond to abuse with love. This is the church before the watching world. Or is it?

Imagine if that terrible moment—that mistake you relive over and over again in your mind—was erased from your record. Imagine if, like in some fantastic dream, you were loved without limit and forgiven forever. Imagine if you were accepted. Loved by the God who made you. Forgiven by the God who bought you. Declared innocent by the God who died for you. Imagine if there were no stones to throw.

The gospel is not just a list of beliefs about something that happened 2,000 years ago. It’s the controlling narrative that makes sense of everything that’s ever happened, and everything that will happen. It is the constant flowing river underneath every commandment, every prophetic message, every story of conflict between good and evil, and every hope expressed to God by a people crying out for deliverance.

Christianity has been around a long time, and we have had every chance to tell the story differently. We could have removed the cross and talked about a good man who taught pleasant things intended to help us think better thoughts about ourselves and others. But Christians have always–and continue–to preach Christ crucified. What appeared to be the world’s greatest tragedy was, in fact, our salvation. So…why is the cross good news?

The Holy Spirit will glorify us when we appear with Christ in “glory” (Col 3:4), as Christ is glorified in his holy people, as all things are ushered into the glory of the sons of God (Romans 8). But what does it mean for the Spirit to be a present sign and seal of our future glory? The final installment in our series “this present strength.”

The Holy Spirit not only lives in you–He is at work in you. This is the great teaching of Romans 8:1-11, that, empowered by the Spirit, the righteous requirements of the law may be fulfilled in us as we walk according to the Spirit. Part 2 in “This Present Strength” series.

Watch here: https://scholarworks.harding.edu/chapel/123/