While I get myself settled, let me invite you to open up your Bibles to Romans chapter 1.
!
Paul's salutation in this, the greatest letter ever written, I argued.
Our outline followed the way that Paul establishes the authority by which he writes.
His hope and mine last week was to draw your attention to the letter and to say that it matters, it's important.
I think that getting Romans right helps us to set in context so much of the Scripture.
So this morning, the plan is to study the rest of the salutation, which we see in verses 5 through 7.
And I'm grateful to be back in a text and slowing down and taking the time to meditate on just a couple of verses at a time.
But before I read verses 5 through 7, I want to begin in verse 1.
It's the beginning of the salutation and it just will make more sense if we begin reading there.
So let me read beginning in verse 1 and remind you, beloved, that this is God's Word to us.
And it was written for His glory and our good.
And so we would all do well to listen to it in order to believe its promises and obey its commands.
Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,
which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures,
concerning his Son who was descended from David according to the flesh,
and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by His resurrection from the dead.
Jesus Christ, our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith
for the sake of His name among all the nations, including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.
To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints,
grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
And in verses 5 through 7, Paul tells the Roman believers and us that we have been called to a purpose,
that we have been called to belong to Jesus Christ, and that we have been called to be saints.
And these three callings will be our outline points for today.
So first, in verse 5, we see that we are called to a purpose.
And I want to first note that in verse 5, Paul does not use the word called as he does in verses 6 and 7.
He does, however, use the word in relation to his own calling as an apostle in verse 1,
which I asserted last week was an appeal to his authority as one of the men especially set apart in history to the office of apostle.
Those 12 plus Paul.
This is not the apostleship that he is referring to here in verse 5.
He is not saying that we are all or that anybody amongst us might be called this capital A apostle.
But he is using it in a more broad and generic way.
That said, we will do well to not minimize the general calling of all who are in Christ Jesus to be sent ones.
This is what the word apostle means, sent one.
It is the most literal translation of the word here we find, apostleship.
In order for us to see this as a calling upon all Christians from this text,
we need to deal with some translation challenges.
Now, anytime we come upon a text that brilliant men who have gone before us disagree upon,
we've got to take a little extra time.
We've got to pause and really think together.
So I'm going to share with you what I believe Paul is communicating here.
And maybe at the end of it, you might disagree with me.
But I think the purpose still lands biblically all the same.
First, we need to deal with the plural pronoun we.
Now, it's important to know that it is not inserted there.
In fact, that is a phrase altogether, which is a single word in Greek.
We have received.
It's a plural noun, which means the we is entirely appropriate in English.
But to whom does the we apply?
Some commentators argue that he is using his pronoun in reference to his particular calling as an apostle,
along with others particularly called to share the gospel with Gentiles.
Perhaps those in his missionary band of brothers.
I don't find this making much sense because he hasn't introduced himself along with anybody else as he does in other letters.
He simply introduces himself, Paul, and doesn't refer to himself singularly,
but rather than he uses the plural pronoun we.
I believe that this plural pronoun is more inclusive than that in light of another translation challenge.
In the ESV, the phrase at the end of verse 5 is rendered among all the nations.
I think most of you are using ESV since that's what we tend to preach from here.
But some translations, good translations like the NASB, which we love, render it among all the Gentiles.
So this Greek word, sometimes translated nations and sometimes translated Gentiles,
is going to be used a lot in this letter.
So I anticipate there's going to be some future potential challenges we may find as we work our way through.
In fact, Paul uses it 29 times in the book of Romans.
Its root is the word ethnos, from which we get our English words ethnic or ethnicity.
So it is fair to translate it Gentiles.
It is also fair to translate it as nations,
as the word is meant to communicate non-Jewish people.
And I think this is one of those cases that we don't have a really great equivalent English word,
because the Greek word seems to have more depth than any single word we might place in its spot.
Now, I think, and I am not a Greek scholar, so take this with a grain of salt,
but I think that perhaps another good word here would have been the word peoples.
I think that may get at its core meaning a little bit better, I say with a great measure of humility.
But however it is decided upon, there is a phrase that precedes this word,
and that phrase is among all.
So whether it's among all the people, or among all the nations, or among all the Gentiles,
Paul could have simply said among the Gentiles as he does elsewhere, but he does not.
He says among all the ethnos.
He broadens the scope, and I believe he does so because the plural pronoun we applies to his original audience,
and it applies to you and to me.
He's expanding it beyond even just his missionary call,
or that of those Roman believers who we know were a mix of Gentile believers and Jewish believers.
He's saying this gospel, this message, is meant to go to the very ends of the earth,
beyond even the known world of their time.
So, if you're still with me, let's see what you and what I have received.
A calling to a purpose.
Paul is saying here that we are meant to bring about the obedience of faith.
We're to bring about the obedience of faith.
First, and as we will see more starkly in subsequent studies of this book,
God is the primary cause of all faith.
It originates with him.
But that does not preclude the secondary working of those who take up the ordinary means to see people come to faith.
Namely, the call to repent and to believe.
Paul is not here saying that we can somehow manipulate or muster up faith in people.
He is not saying that we are primary cause.
He will argue for us again and again throughout this letter that this is not the case.
But he does know that God uses his people to bring about the salvation of his people.
As a simple example, Romans chapter 10 and verse 14.
He says,
So God uses the proclamation of his word both in bigger public settings and privately one-to-one to bring about the obedience of faith.
The obedience of faith was the major content of Jesus' preaching.
In Mark chapter 1 and verse 15, he said,
The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand.
Repent and believe in the gospel.
This must also be the primary thrust of what we do as God's people.
There are many other good things to be done in this world.
Sometimes those things can become distractions from the main thing rather than platform and help for the main thing.
Some get distracted by social justice.
Others get distracted by political cause.
Some get distracted by the seeking of miracles.
And beloved, let me say to you, if you want to see a miracle,
see a dead, defiant soul come to life in Christ.
There is no greater thing that God does miraculously in this world than make dead people alive.
So as a command from God incarnate,
it is a matter of obedience to turn away from one's sin and turn in faith to the saving work of Christ.
To decide that the way of the world is not a way that is pleasing to our God
and to turn to his way in Christ.
If a person does not heed this command,
they are committing a grievous act of wicked rebellion.
So you here this morning, just hearing the call,
repent and believe, turn from your sin and place your faith in Christ.
If you don't, you are in rebellion against a most holy God
who will judge the living and the dead.
Paul certainly here means that we are meant to see peoples everywhere
repent and believe.
The thrust, the core of it is that people would come to saving faith in Christ.
But I also think he means more by this phrase.
You see, genuine faith is obedient faith.
We are not saved by our works.
But if we place our faith in Jesus Christ,
it is a faith that will work.
The person who has been saved by Christ
does not arrive at perfection on this side of glory.
But that person will, in ever-increasing measure,
be obedient to Christ.
We will continually, bit by bit,
one degree of glory to another,
look more like our Savior.
This is the doctrine of progressive sanctification.
I like that many scholars call it biblical sanctification.
And we live in an age of easy believism.
We're looking for people to raise a hand or walk an aisle,
sign a card.
We live in a day in which the declaration,
I am a Christian,
makes that declaration factual.
Just look at statistics in our day, right?
What do evangelicals believe?
And you could very quickly look at what evangelicals declare they believe
and say, you're not an evangelical at all.
How could you possibly say you're a Christ follower
when you deny his very person?
And we live in an age that to show people from the word
that transformed people should live as transformed people
is shockingly unpopular.
We finished studying not too long ago the book of James.
And James says this so clearly.
And I'm so grateful for this letter.
It's of interest to you.
We'll talk in some coming weeks about the Reformation.
Martin Luther was translating the book of Romans
as kind of a balm for him.
They were trying to get him to calm down
about the trouble of the state of his soul.
And he came across Romans 1.16.
He came to understand by revelation of the Spirit
that salvation is by faith alone.
We're going to see that repeated theme throughout this letter.
We're saved by grace alone, through faith alone,
and the person and work of Jesus Christ alone.
He thought this was so important to our understanding as Christians
that he didn't want the book of James included in the canon.
He wanted it discluded just in case anybody might be confused.
And so we have to be so careful at this point.
But let me read to you just three verses from James 2.
This is verse 17 and following.
James says,
So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
But someone will say,
You have faith and I have works.
Show me your faith apart from your works,
and I will show you my faith by my works.
He's saying it's nonsensical just to say you have faith.
You have to actually evidence that you believe something to be true.
And then he says this astounding thing in verse 19.
He says,
You believe that God is one.
You do well.
So here's a declaration of faith.
I believe that God is one.
He says,
You do well.
But then he says,
Even the demons believe and shudder.
And they do not have saving faith.
Jesus says it in Matthew chapter 7.
Similarly,
the Sermon on the Mount,
speaking of the judgment that will come,
beginning in verse 18 and following,
he says,
A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit,
nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit.
We're shown who we are by what's being produced in us.
Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.
And if that doesn't make you shudder enough,
he says in verse 21 and following,
Not everyone who says to me,
Lord, Lord,
will enter the kingdom of heaven.
But the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
On that day,
many will say to me,
Lord, Lord,
did we not prophesy in your name
and cast out demons in your name
and do many mighty works in your name?
And then I will declare to them,
I never knew you.
Depart from me,
you workers of lawlessness.
So it's altogether possible
to do the things that you think you ought to be doing
and not to be producing righteousness
as a result of your saving faith.
It is of great concern to me
that you may think you are a Christian
because you declared it so,
but that you have yet to experience
the transformative work of Christ.
that you're not going about the labor
of being an active part of a church.
That you're not making your calling and election sure.
That you're not working out your salvation
with fear and trembling.
That you're not asking others to examine you
and correct you
that they might find in you repentance
and continued faith.
Please this morning,
if you think you are in Christ
and you don't evidence that
in your works at all,
come talk to somebody.
We want you to see in your life
ever-changing growth in glory.
None of us will arrive.
None of us this side of heaven.
But be sure that you're not deceiving yourself.
That you're not deluded in thinking
that you're in Christ
simply because you've declared it so.
We are to bring about the obedience of faith.
A faith that works,
that expresses itself.
This is a purpose that's given
to each and every one of us
who are in Christ.
Christ,
we have been set apart
for this work.
Sent into the world
for this work.
And this is a work done
by grace.
We received grace
and apostleship.
And it's done
primarily in the context
of the local church.
Turn with me, if you would,
to Matthew chapter 28.
It's a text that I hope
that you're familiar with.
Amen.
We'll look at verses 18 through 20,
but I want to read first verse 19.
If you have any church background
and you've heard this,
Jesus says,
Go therefore
and make disciples
of all nations.
There's that word again,
ethnos.
Baptizing them
in the name of the Father
and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit.
And this verse
rightly in so many ways
becomes the drumbeat
of churches
and mission movements.
It's a wonderful command.
It's a command
that should be obeyed.
But often we miss
that there's something
key happening in this
and that is the
baptizing
of these
disciples.
Baptism is an ordinance
of the church.
So Jesus has
embedded
right into this
what we call
the Great Commission,
the centrality
of the church
in doing this
work.
We're to go
and make disciples
of all peoples
and we're to baptize
them in the name
of the Holy
and of the Father
and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit.
We're to go
and we're to create
churches
so that
verse 20 says
we can teach them
to observe
all that I have
commanded you.
To bring about
the obedience
of
faith.
But a lot of people
also miss
the bookends
of this
great command
that begins
in verse 18
and ends
in the last half
of verse 20.
We act as if
the task is for us
to go and do
something for
Jesus.
And you hear this
language used
all the time.
As if
our Lord
did his three years,
completed the task,
left,
and said,
good luck y'all.
I've got a task
for you to accomplish.
I'll be watching.
Go get it done.
And whether we say
we're doing this,
we have any
mental assertion
that that's what
we're doing,
we often
functionally
do this.
And we forget
that in verse 18
Jesus says,
all authority
in heaven
and on earth
has been given
to me.
He says,
I am completely
and totally
in charge.
So,
Jesus Christ
as the primary means,
he says to us
as secondary means,
go make disciples,
baptize them,
share the gospel,
see people come
to faith,
start churches,
teach them
to observe
all that was commanded,
bring about
the obedience
of faith,
and then he says,
and behold,
I am with you
always
to the end
of the age.
So,
we don't
do things
for Jesus,
we do things
by Jesus.
For the great
grace he's given us,
by the power
he works
within us.
What an astounding
task.
Praise God
that it is
an empowered
task,
for we,
apart from the
grace of God,
are altogether
unworthy for it.
Apart from
God's saving grace,
grace,
we would not
be sent ones,
and apart from
his sustaining
grace,
we would be
no good
for the task.
I mentioned
last week
that Paul
begins his
appeal
to his
authoritative
role
to write
this letter
with a great
measure
of humility.
He introduces
himself as a
servant
of Christ,
Jesus.
May we
approach the
task with
the same
humility.
Karl Barth
once said
of this
text,
only when
grace is
recognized
to be
incomprehensible
is it
grace.
That God
would call
me
and that God
would call
you
to be sent
into the
world to
bring about
the obedience
of faith
and that he
provides all
that is
necessary
for that
is an
astounding
reality.
It should
be
incomprehensible
to our
hearts.
So we
have received
grace and
apostleship to
bring about
the obedience
of faith.
We have a
very specific
purpose and
our purpose
has a
purpose.
It has a
purpose.
Paul says
for the
sake of
his name
among
all
the
nations.
We are
to be
used as
the
secondary
means of
bringing
all the
praise
and
adoration
due the
name
of
Jesus
Christ
our
Lord.
I want
to read
something
brief to
you from
Martin Lloyd
Jones'
commentary
on this
text.
He
writes,
the
introduction
of this
term
name
is
important
and
significant.
The
name in
scripture
always stands
for the
revelation
by which
we know
and
apprehend
the
person
indicated.
In the
Old Testament
for instance,
God revealed
himself to
the nation
of Israel
through his
names.
You will
find them
in the
Old Testament
scriptures.
Jehovah
and the
various
additions
to that.
Jehovah
Jireh,
Jehovah
Shalom,
and so
on.
God makes
himself known
through
names.
Names
which are
descriptive
of him,
of his
person,
of his
motives,
of his
desires,
and of
his
activities.
The
name
reveals
the
man.
We
say
about
a
man
that
he
has
a
great
name
as
a
barrister
or as
a
doctor
or
whatever
his
calling.
We
mean
by this
that
the
name
which
he
has
made
for
himself
tells
us
about
him.
Now
the
apostle
uses
it
in
that
sense
here.
The
name
stands
for
and
represents
the
glory
of
the
Lord
Jesus
Christ.
We
are
meant
as the
high
end
of
bringing
about
the
obedience
of
faith
to
see
God
glorified
in
the
person
and
work
of
Jesus
Christ.
Another
word
for
glorified
is
magnified.
If you've
been here
long,
you've
heard me
share
this
wonderful
example
from
John
Piper.
He
expresses
there
are
two
types
of
magnification.
There's
the
magnification
that a
microscope
does
where it
makes
small
things
look
bigger
than
they
actually
are.
And
then
there's
the
type
of
magnification
that a
telescope
does
that
makes
huge
things
look
more
like
they
actually
are.
And
this
is
the
type
of
magnification
we
do
as
we
by
grace
bring
about
the
obedience
of
faith.
Making
a
massive
God
look
more
as
he
actually
is.
Our
lives
our
obedience
of
faith
and
our
work
to
bring
about
the
obedience
of
faith
is
divinely
designed
to
magnify
the
one
to
whom
we
belong.
Beloved
because
our
God
is
great
we
should
desire
that
he
would
be
greatly
praised.
I
admit
that
sometimes
to
my
shame
I
lose
sight
of
this.
The
gospel
is
not
simply
about
me
or
about
us
but
it
is
about
the
glory
of
our
God
among
all
peoples.
If
our
theology
does
not
lead
to
does
not
drive
doxology
the
praise
of
our
God
either
something
is
amiss
with
our
theology
or
something
is
amiss
in
our
hearts
and
God
have
mercy
on
us.
Now
I
am
about
to
land
my
first
point
and
I
am
noting
that
it
is
afternoon
so
let
me
actually
conclude
today
with
this
and
we'll
pick
back
up
the
following
two
points
next
week
I
want
to
read
the
first
four
verses
of
Psalm
96
and
then
I'll
pray
oh
sing
to
the
Lord
a
new
song
sing
to
the
Lord
all
the
earth
sing
to
the
Lord
bless
his
name
tell
of
his
salvation
from
day
to
day
declare
his
glory
among
the
nations
his
marvelous
works
among
all
the
peoples
for
great
is
the
Lord
and
greatly
to
be
praised
!
He
is
to
be
feared
above
all
gods
let's
pray
together
as