A Forty-Day Study of Paul’s Letter to the Romans: What is a Christian?

By Rick Jory

In the introduction to his commentary on Romans, Martin Luther wrote, “This Epistle is really the chief part of the New Testament and the very purest Gospel and is worthy not only that every Christian should know it word for word, by heart, but occupy himself with it every day, as the daily bread of the soul. It can never be read or pondered too much, and the more it is dealt with the more precious it becomes, and the better it tastes” (Martin Luther, Commentary on Romans, xiii).

Luther was right. Paul’s letter to the Romans should be the Christian’s daily bread for the soul. This book goes through Romans verse by verse—helping us to understand what Christianity is. The focus is on the difference between religion—humanity reaching for God—and Christianity—God reaching for humanity.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jul 10, 2023
• ISBN: 9781973699729

Rick Jory

Dr. Rick Jory has authored the two-volume work, A Forty-Day Study of the Biblical Story as well as A Forty-Day Study of John’s Gospel, A Forty-Day Study of the Book of Hebrews, and A Forty-Day Study on Sin, Salvation, and Sanctification. This book completes this series. After forty-three years in the business world, upon the sale of his company, Dr. Jory formalized his passion for studying the Bible. He received his Master of Arts degree, Biblical Studies - New Testament, from Denver Seminary in 2012; the Doctor of Ministry, with emphasis in Theological Exegesis, from Knox Theological Seminary in 2017, and his Doctor of Educational Ministry, with emphasis in Adult Christian Education, from Dallas Theological Seminary in 2019. His ministry today includes teaching pastors and church leaders in Vietnam. He is the founder of Friends of Vietnam Ministries, a non-profit organization aiding several Vietnamese faith-based centers that provide care to Vietnamese orphans and at-risk children, as well as scholarships to help young Vietnamese attend Bible college.

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Contents

Author’s Introduction

Part I: Introduction

Chapter 1     Religion versus Christianity

PART II: Background on Paul’s Letter to the Romans

Chapter 2     The Letter’s Author

Chapter 3     The Letter’s Recipients

Chapter 4     The Letter’s Purpose

Chapter 5     The Letter’s Structure (Overview)

PART III: Sin, Salvation, and Sanctification

Chapter 6     Romans 1:1–15, Introduction

Chapter 7     Romans 1:16–17, Major Theme

Chapter 8     Romans 1:18–23, Sin Among the Pagans

Chapteer 9   Romans 1:24–32, God’s Wrath

Chapter 10   Romans 2:1–16, Sin Among the Religious

Chapter 11   Romans 2:17–3:8, Sin Among the Jews

Chapter 12   Romans 3:9–20, The Universality of Sin

Chapter 13   Romans 3:21–31, Righteousness through Faith

Chapter 14   Romans 4, Righteousness through Faith: The Example of Abraham

Chapter 15   Romans 5:1–11, Peace with our Creator

Chapter 16   Romans 5:12–21, Death through Adam, Life through Christ

Chapter 17   Romans 6:1–14, Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ

Chapter 18   Romans 6:15–23, Slaves to Righteousness

Chapter 19   Romans 7:1–6, Released from the Law

Chapter 20   Romans 7:7–24, The Law and Sin

Chapter 21   Romans 7:25–8:13, Life in the Spirit

Chapter 22   Romans 8:14–8:27, Life in the Family of God

Chapter 23   Romans 8:28–39, The Security of our Salvation

Part IV: Israel–Past, (Elected), Present (Rejected), and Future (Accepted)

Chapter 24   Romans 9:1–5, Paul’s Anguish over Israel

Chapter 25   Romans 9:6–33, God’s Sovereignty – Israel Elected

Chapter 26   Romans 10:1–13, Israel’s Present – The Rejection of the Messiah

Chapter 27   Romans 10:14–21, Gentiles Coming to Faith

Chapter 28   Romans 11:1–10, A Protected Remnant

Chapter 29   Romans 11:11–24, A Warning to the Church

Chapter 30   Romans 11:25–36, God’s Future Plans for Israel

Part V: Sanctification in Action

Chapter 31   Romans 12:1–8, Worship and Service

Chapter 32   Romans 12:9–21, Love

Chapter 33   Romans 13:1–7, Submission

Chapter 34   Romans 13:8–14, Fulfilling the Law

Chapter 35   Romans 14, The Weak and the Strong

Chapte 36   Romans 15, Unity among the Believers

Part VI: Conclusion

Chapter 37   Romans 16, Paul’s Greetings to those in Rome

Chapter 38   The Romans Road to Salvation

Chapter 39   Messages in Romans to the Believer

Chapter 40   Messages in Romans to the Non-believer

Supplement: The Resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth

The Resurrection – Can We Trust the Biblical Record?

The Reliability of Our Information Concerning the Resurrection

The Resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth

Appendix A Group Bible Study

Appendix B Biblical Timeline

To my loving

wife, Maria Louise Jory

Soli Deo Gloria

Author’s Introduction

If you could choose one book from the Bible having the greatest impact on the world, what book would it be?

Of course, there is not a right or wrong answer. But if this question were presented to a group of seminary professors and Bible scholars, they would probably point to Paul’s letter to the believers in Rome.

In thinking about world impact, they might share how Paul’s letter helped Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis go from pagan to saint. Aurelius Augustinus led a hedonistic lifestyle, joining with a group of young men who boasted of their sexual exploits and mischievous deeds. But things changed by the time Aurelius had reached the age of thirty-three. Struggling with himself, his behaviors, and his identity, he heard a voice repeating over and over, Pick up and read. Pick up and read. Surely this must have been the voice of God. So he turned to the Bible and found Romans 13:13–14. It was as if the words were written specifically for him: Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Instead, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.

Later Aurelius Augustinus would write, I neither wished nor needed to read further. At once, with the last words of this sentence, it was if a light of relief from all anxiety flooded into my heart. All the shadows of doubt were dispelled. From then on, his life was transformed as he eventually became a theologian, a philosopher, and a bishop in the Roman Catholic Church. He was even made Doctor Ecclesiae Universalis—a title given to saints recognized as having made significant contributions to Catholic theology and doctrine. In the two-thousand-year history of Catholicism, only thirty-six individuals have been given this honor, and Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis was one of them.

Augustinus is better known to us as Saint Augustine. And it was two verses from Paul’s letter to the Romans that helped bring Saint Augustine from paganism to Christianity. His writings from the study of God’s word significantly changed and enriched Christendom—and continue to do so to this day.

Or the seminary professors might recall how Paul’s letter to the Romans impacted another man who also changed the church and the world—and did so, arguably, to an even greater extent than Saint Augustine. The professors would remember the story of a law student who was caught in a horrifying thunderstorm. Frightened and fearing for his life, the young man dropped to his knees and prayed fervently, promising to devote his lif to God if the lightning and tempest surrounding him would cease.

The thunderstorm did subside, and the young man kept his word. He left law school and became a Catholic monk.

But the man’s journey was a difficult one. He was obsessed with the question How can I find favor with God?

The more he learned about God, the more he became overburdened by intense guilt. He knew he was sinful and could never meet God’s requirements for righteousness. In his ongoing struggle, he began to despise God—whose purity and holiness distanced Him from sinful people (throughout this book, items shown in bold will be explained in more detail at the end of each lesson). How could anyone live up to the standards that would please God? Aren’t we all unworthy and left helpless and hopeless, never able to achieve the righteousness God demands?

This all changed for this guilt-ridden Catholic monk.

It was a single verse in Paul’s letter to the Romans that began this man’s journey toward a more complete and accurate understanding of Scripture. He saw that righteousness does not come about by something we do. It is an unmerited gift from God. It is something God gives us because of what Christ has done for us.

Recognizing that the church had misinterpreted Scripture, this once law student, now Catholic monk came to several conclusions:

- The only way to be reconciled to God is through God’s grace alone.

- This is given through the sacrifice of Christ alone.

- The only means of receiving God’s grace is through faith alone.

- And the only infallible authority for belief is Scripture alone.

- Finally, life’s ultimate purpose, and the purpose of Christ’s sacrifice, is for God’s glory alone.

This monk, Martin Luther, protested the church’s practices which fell outside the teachings of Scripture. His protest to reform Roman Catholicism became known as the Protestant Reformation. And it was Martin Luther and those joining this movement who changed Christendom forever. Today there are between 800 million to one billion Protestants. Protestantism began when Martin Luther studied Paul’s letter to the Romans and achieved a new understanding of God’s righteousness.

Perhaps another reason scholars might choose Romans as the book having the greatest impact relates to the story of a man attending a gathering in London in the 1700s. The man attended this meeting, in his words, very unwillingly. But it was here that he was radically changed. Later he described his experience as sensing that his heart had been strangely warmed. He wrote, I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone, for salvation; and an assurance was given me that he had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death. But something had changed in this man.

Paul’s letter to the believers in Rome was being discussed at this meeting. And this man, John Wesley, experienced a pivotal moment in his spiritual journey. Wesley went on to spearhead a revival within the Church of England, leading to a movement called Methodism. From this, the Methodist Church was formed and now has over forty million members in 138 countries throughout the world.

Saint Augustine, Martin Luther, John Wesley—three men transformed through their study of Paul’s letter to the Romans. Their encounter with Paul’s writing led to dramatic life-changing, life-transforming, and world-impacting ministries. Each man in his own way made significant contributions to our spiritual and theological understanding of God’s word. Each was a key contributor in the reforming, renewing, and revitalizing of the church in Europe and America.

The book of Romans has changed the world.

But why is this the case? Out of the sixty-six books found in the Bible, why does this one stand out?

In the introduction to his commentary on Romans, Martin Luther wrote, This Epistle is really the chief part of the New Testament and the very purest Gospel and is worthy not only that every Christian should know it word for word, by heart, but occupy himself with it every day, as the daily bread of the soul. It can never be read or pondered too much, and the more it is dealt with the more precious it becomes, and the better it tastes (Martin Luther, Commentary on Romans, xiii).

In this study, we will take a close look at Romans and you may find yourself agreeing with Martin Luther. This single writing does provide daily bread for the soul. It’s Apostle Paul’s grandest exposition of the gospel and is the most complete picture of Christian theology given in the New Testament.¹

It contains Paul’s most thorough teaching concerning sin, salvation, and sanctification. In addition to theological doctrine, Paul provides practical instruction on how we are to live as children who have been adopted into the family of God. Along the way there are a host of questions Paul’s letter answers, questions such as:

- How do we achieve peace with God?

- What was the purpose of the law of Moses?

- What role did the law of Moses have in regards to how Old Testament saints were saved? How exactly were the people called into God’s family prior to Christ saved?

- What is a Christian and how does one know if they are saved?

- Can salvation be lost?

- Jesus entered humanity as a Jew but, for the most part, the Jews rejected him. Why?

- What are God’s plans for the future of the Jews?

- Has the Church replaced Israel?

When I teach Romans, there are additional questions students often ask:

- Paul says we are born in sin due to the sins of Adam. Does this mean children who die are condemned to an eternity apart from God? Or does the Bible teach those under an age of accountability are saved? If so, where do we find this in the Bible? What is the age of accountability?

- Did the Apostle Peter establish the church in Rome?

- Does James, the half-brother of Jesus, contradict Paul when James writes, Faith without works is dead?

- Since God has forgiven our sins—past, present, and future—does this mean we can sin as much as we want?

- Is it true that Paul tells us when Jesus will return?

As we go verse-by-verse through Romans, we’ll answer these and other questions. Throughout this, though, our main focus will be in answering the question, What is a Christian? The more we understand Romans, the more we understand Christianity and the better equipped we are to both live out our faith and share our faith.

Romans also contains at least three dozen promises from God to those called into the family of God. We will look at these promises as well.

And if you are not yet a believer, Romans points the way to be reconciled with God. We will review this as well.

There is a lot here. If you are a child of God and adopted into His family, I pray that going through these lessons will be a blessing to your spiritual journey and your participation in God’s kingdom plans. If you are presently outside of the family of God, I pray that this book might encourage you to call on the name of the Lord and be saved.

This book is part of a series of books designed to answer five key questions:

- What is the Bible and the Biblical Story?

- Who is Christ?

- hat is a Christian?

- How does the arrival of Christ complete the Old Testament and usher in God’s New Covenant?

- What is involved in the Christian’s journey?

Here is a brief review of the books in this series:

- Jesus of Nazareth told his religious adversaries, You pore over the Scriptures because you presume that by them you possess eternal life. These are the very words that testify about Me (John 5:39). A Forty-Day Study of the Biblical Story: The Story of Christ examines the Bible looking specifically at what it teaches concerning Jesus.

Volume One focuses on the Old Testament—the Hebrew Scriptures. We see how God orchestrates His plan to redeem fallen humanity and how this begins in the very first pages of the Bible. We journey through the Old Testament looking specifically at what it tells us about Jesus. These writings are discussed in parallel with the history of God’s chosen people—the descendants of a man named Abraham—showing why these descendants, and all humanity needs a Savior. These writings also reveal in considerable detail what to expect regarding this Savior.

The Old Testament prepares the way for the arrival into the world of Jesus of Nazareth, the Savior of the world.

• Volume Two of A Forty-Day Study of the Biblical Story: The Story of Christ takes us into the words and works of Jesus as recorded by those who knew him or who were close to those who knew him. These are the Gospel writers, and Volume Two looks at our Savior from their perspective.

• For those who say Jesus never claimed to be God, I doubt they’ve ever read John’s Gospel. The third book in the series, A Forty-Day Study of John’s Gospel, takes an even closer look at Jesus, addressing the question, Who, exactly, is Jesus? This is a review of what the Apostle John has written, letting us experience Christ’s ministry on earth the way John did. From his eyewitness account, we are provided with the important words Jesus spoke and the specific actions of Jesus that both fulfill Hebrew prophecy and affirm Jesus as God’s Anointed (God’s Messiah or Christ), the Son of God, and King.

• This present book, A Forty-Day Study of Paul’s Letter to the Romans is the fourth in the series. While the review of John’s Gospel helps us understand who Jesus is, the review of Paul’s letter to the Romans helps define what a Christian is. One focus is to identify the difference between religion—humankind reaching for God—and Christianity—God reaching for humanity. There is a world of difference.

• A Forty-Day Study of the Book of Hebrews helps tie together some of the Jewish aspects of Jesus and the closing of God’s covenant with Moses and the people of Israel, and the initiation of the New Covenant. This is an important topic because we live in the New Covenant age—inaugurated through the death of Jesus on the cross and the triumph of his resurrection. We see the importance of the cross and the security of our salvation because of the completed work of the cross.

• A Forty-Day Study on Sin, Salvation, and Sanctification completes the series. This takes us through our journey from being spiritually dead to the Christian’s present new life and future glorification—all because God has made us a part of His eternal kingdom. It begins by explaining what sin is and why we need a Savior. It then delves into the many facets of salvation, covering such topics as election, regeneration, substitution, imputation, propitiation, redemption, reconciliation, adoption, and glorification—among others. It concludes by discussing our positional sanctification—how we are viewed in the eyes of God—and our progressive or practical sanctification—God’s work through us because of the Holy Spirit within us.

So, let’s journey through Paul’s world-changing letter as part of this series. I pray that God will bless you richly through the power of His word.

And may this journey bring glory to God.

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despise God: Martin Luther wrote, I did not love, yes, I hated the righteous God who punishes sinners, and secretly, if not blasphemously, certainly murmuring greatly, I was angry with God, and said, ‘As if, indeed, it is not enough, that miserable sinners, eternally lost through original sin, are crushed by every kind of calamity by the law of the decalogue, without having God add pain to pain by the gospel and also by the gospel threatening us with his righteousness and wrath!’ For a discussion on Luther’s attitude prior to understanding the implications of Romans, see Martin Luther’s Account of His Own Converstion available at https://thirdmill.org/newfiles/mar_luther/CH.Luther.conversion.html (accessed December 5, 2022). This was taken from the Preface to the Complete Edition of Luther’s Latin Writings written by Luther in Wittenberg, 1545.

PART I

Introduction

CHAPTER 1

Religion versus Christianity

T ravel to any region anywhere on planet Earth and you will find religion—people reaching for God. In A Forty-Day Study on Sin, Salvation, and Sanctification , I describe the Yanomami’s of the Amazon who want to appease their god. They believe that death is unnatural. If they do the right rituals, those who die can live forever among their friends and family. But for this to occur, they must burn their dead and mix the ashes with bananas. They then are obligated to pass this mixture among themselves and have the members of the community eat this concoction.

All is well.

The Aghori of India have a similar custom. They place their dwellings near the gravesites of their dead—and eat the corpses. It’s my understanding that they omit the bananas.

One doesn’t have to go to distant lands to find bizarre religious practices. There was a time when many of the plains Indians of North Dakota took part in the Okipa Ceremony. A young man’s skin would be pierced and then he would be suspended from the roof of his dwelling until he fainted. This proved his physical courage and won the approval of the spirits. This ritual is now outlawed.

Also outlawed was a once wide-spread practice associated with other North American Indian tribes. A ritual began with a four-day fast. After this, the young men of the tribe would enter a holy place and have their chests pierced with skewers connected to a pole. The pole was referred to, strangely enough, as the Tree of Life. The spirits were said to smile on this and consequently provide blessings to the family and community for those taking part in this ceremony.

Closer to home, not geographically but somewhat theologically, are the rituals of the Pampanga of the Philippines. Several observe Good Friday by beating themselves into a mess. A handful add to this the act by voluntarily being nailed to crosses. These annual rituals continue to this day, but it is now mandated that stainless-steel nails be used as a way to promote better hygiene. Participants are also encouraged to get tetanus shots in advance of the ritual.

Are these the types of rituals and self-inflictions God wants? God told His chosen people,

What good to Me is your multitude of sacrifices?

says the LORD.

"I am full from the burnt offerings of rams

and the fat of well-fed cattle,

I take no delight in the blood of bulls

and lambs and goats." (Isaiah 1:11)

If God takes no delight in the blood of animals, should we assume He is more satisfied with the blood from a group of devoted Filipinos?

In biblical times, it was common in several parts of the world to appease the gods through the sacrificing of children. Usually this involved passing a child through flames. The Canaanites did this as part of the worship of their god Moloch (also spelled Molech).

Before the Israelites entered the land of the Canaanites, God’s instructions forbade this practice (see Leviticus 20:2 and Deuteronomy 12:31, for example). But it didn’t take long for the chosen people of God to incorporate child sacrifice into their worship practices (see 2 Kings 16:3; 23:10; Jeremiah 7:31; 19:4–5; Ezekiel 16:20–21). One place where these activities occurred is located just off from the walls of ancient Jerusalem. This is the Valley of Hinnom. Jesus called this Gehenna—the word he always used, without exception, for our word hell.

Perhaps self-mutilation or killing of the innocent doesn’t appease the gods or God.

But what does?

The most religious people of Jesus’ day—the Pharisees—thought they had the answer. After all, the one true God formed a covenant with their forefathers and provided His commands and instructions. The Pharisees practiced legalistic perfectionism. They took God’s commands very seriously. They piously and arduously tried to obey God’s requirements and do so to the letter.

They were so focused on not violating anything God had commanded that they expanded God’s laws and instructions, making them more restrictive (terms shown in bold are given additional explanation at the end of the lesson). By making God’s requirements more limiting, if one obeyed the rules set by the Pharisees, they were certainly falling within the boundaries set by God. And even if a person were to slip by a tiny bit, chances are they were still in obedience to God’s actual requirements.

We know the examples. One involves Sabbath observance. Heal someone on the Sabbath—you’ve broken the law. Pick up your mat and walk on the Sabbath—you’ve broken the law.

Even how far one walked on the Sabbath was regulated by the rules set by the Pharisees. Walk slightly more than about a half of a mile and it’s no longer a walk, you’ve turned it into work. And you have broken the law.

These religious men of wisdom were very confident, comfortable, and quite prideful knowing God must be happy with them.

Until Jesus came along.

Jesus would have none of this. He delivers some of his harshest words toward the religious Pharisees, who he called a family of snakes (brood of vipers—Matthew 12:34 as well as Matthew 22:33). In my reading of the Bible, maybe I’ve missed something, but it seems the most persistent problems Jesus encountered were not with the sinners but instead were with those in the constant practice of religion—the self-proclaimed righteous.

And much of the teachings of Jesus specifically targeted these—the highly religious.

Matthew’s record of Jesus’ time on Earth contains the most extensive collection of Jesus’ teachings. Starting with the fifth chapter of the book of Matthew, we see what is referred to as the Sermon on the Mount. Here, Jesus talks about the law delivered to Moses. Jesus doesn’t change the law, and he certainly doesn’t break the law. He clarifies the law and tells his listeners that he came to fulfill the law (Matthew 5:17–20).

What does Jesus teach concerning these rules and regulations of God?

First, he tells those gathered, Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:20). This must have been an eye opener. Not even the righteousness of the Pharisees will get a person into heaven!

But Jesus doesn’t stop there.

You have heard that it was said to the ancients, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. (Matthew 5:21–22)

Interesting. According to Jesus, anger toward another is equivalent to breaking the sixth commandment: You shall not murder.

And Jesus continues:

You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (Matthew 5:27–28)

According to Jesus, if one looks at a woman with a lustful heart, this is equivalent to breaking the seventh commandment: You shall not commit adultery.

How are we doing so far? Have we broken any of the commandments?

Jesus continues down this path and then provides a simple conclusion and command:

Be perfect, therefore, as your Heavenly Father is perfect. (Matthew 5:48)

What?

The righteousness God requires is His perfect righteousness!

Can you imagine how the Pharisees must have reacted?

Forget the Pharisees. How do you and I react?

Be perfect!! That’s what God expects. That’s what is commanded.

So how does one become perfect in the eyes of God? How does one obtain perfect righteousness?

Jesus told a parable addressed to those who trusted in their own righteousness (Luke 18:9). As you might have gathered by now, those trusting in their own righteousness are the religious. The parable shows the folly of religion.

Two men went up to the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like the other men—swindlers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and pay tithes of all that I acquire.’ (Luke 18:10–12)

So here we see a man who is self-important, self-confident, and self-righteous—a Pharisee. The text says he is standing by himself, and that’s what the name Pharisee implies—separated. The Pharisee doesn’t want to get too close to those who are sinful and unworthy—not like him.

The above translation says the Pharisee prayed. The Greek implies he is not praying to God but is actually praying to himself. We see this in the King James translation: The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican (emphasis added).

The other individual in the parable is a tax collector. During Jesus’ day (and perhaps even in our day) tax collectors were despised (yes, definitely in our day). What made the attitude toward these individuals worse in the time of Jesus was that they were collecting money for Rome—the oppressor occupying the land. It was common for these toadies of Rome to inflate the tax amount that was due, pocketing the extra money for themselves. With this as background, let’s see what Jesus has to say about the tax collector as he continues the parable,

The tax collector stood at a distance, unwilling even to lift up his eyes to heaven. Instead, he beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner!’ (Luke 18:13)

So here we have two opposites. We have the religious Pharisee who is not a swindler, evildoer, or adulterer according to his self-appraisal. And I think he’s telling us the truth.

This righteous Pharisee also goes on to say that he fasts and tithes. And I trust him on this as well.

We also know that he prays and does so quite proudly and perhaps loudly.

The Pharisee epitomizes one who feels righteous in the eyes of God, not because of what God has done for them—but because of what they, themselves, are doing.

Opposite this is the tax collector who cannot even raise his eyes toward heaven. He knows he is unworthy. He cannot approach God on his own merits. All he can do is ask for God’s mercy. He offers one of the shortest prayers in the Bible: God, have mercy on me, a sinner!

What does Jesus think about these two individuals?

Jesus concludes the parable:

This man, rather than the Pharisee, went home justified. (Luke 18:14)

This term justified means God has accepted him into His kingdom. The man is forgiven and considered not guilty in the eyes of God.

The tax collector has nothing to offer God or to earn God’s favor. He does not rely upon his own merits. He simply confesses his need for mercy. This man, rather than the pious, self-righteous, religious-practicing Pharisee, went home declared righteous!

Religion is when we seek God on our terms. We are proud of who we are and how much God must love us: Look what I’ve done for you today, God. And look how I am so much better than those around me. Now here’s my laundry list of what I want you to do for me. You owe me.

Or we are continually depressed: God, look how unworthy I am. I can’t hold a candle to my pastor, or even my neighbor. God, I am so sorry and will try to do better next time—and maybe you will forgive me and maybe love me more if I just do better. I’m so sorry, and I’m such a sorry individual.

Either way, we miss the mark. Jesus has commanded, Be perfect, therefore, as your Heavenly Father is perfect. And we are not perfect.

Not even close.

The Pharisee was practicing religion—man reaching for God. Christianity is God reaching for humankind. Christianity is the God of grace dying on the cross in our place. Christianity is the God of mercy voluntarily taking on Himself the punishment we deserve.

It is God doing His work for us so that we can be made perfect in His eyes. That’s Christianity. And, after forgiving us of our sin, it is God doing His work through us as we become more like Jesus—our progressive sanctification.

Jesus came to replace religion with Christianity.

Christianity is Jesus saying, I tell you, this man, rather than the Pharisee, went home justified (Luke 18:14).

Christianity is John the baptizer saying, Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29).

Christianity is the sharp sounds of the pounding of nails tearing into the flesh of Jesus, and hearing him utter over and over again, Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing (Luke 23:34).

Religion is you and me reaching for God. We will always fall short. Christianity is God reaching for you and me. And nothing can block His reach or remove us from His grasp.

Ultimately, the religious person tries to be their own savior. They put their hope and trust in themselves. The Christian places all hope and trust in God. It is God who saves. God and only God is our Savior.

And that brings us to Paul’s magnificent letter to the Romans.

Paul is going to clearly teach that all have sinned and all fall short of the requirements of God (Romans 3:23). He is going to show that following the law of Moses simply cannot be done (Romans 3:9). No one will be made righteous through the law given to Moses (Romans 3:20). The only way we become righteous in the eyes of God is through the blood of Christ (Romans 3:22). We place our faith in what Christ has done. The righteousness of Christ is given to those called into God’s family as an unmerited, unearned gift. It is this that reconciles us to God and gives us peace with God (Romans 5:1). It is this that allows us to be adopted into God’s family (Romans 8:16).

God has shown His love for us. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). And Paul will go on to tell us that nothing, nothing whatsoever can pull us away from the love God has for us. Death itself, nor anything in life, nothing in the present nor in the future—nothing can separate us from God’s love (Romans 8:38–39).

If God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31).

Let’s leave the world of religion—humanity reaching for God. And let’s learn about Christianity—God reaching for humanity. Our teacher will be the Apostle Paul as we listen to his words to the believers in Rome.

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more restrictive: Humankind always tries to make God out to be more restrictive. God gave Adam and Eve all of the trees of the earth (and dominion over all plant and animal life). There was just one tree with fruit that was forbidden. But it seems all Adam and Eve could think about was that one tree. God gave Adam the command not to eat of the forbidden fruit. Eve added to this command, stating that God had said one couldn’t even touch it (Genesis 2:16–17; 3:3).

over and over again: We miss this in the English. The Greek verb tense implies ongoing action. A translation might read: Jesus said, and kept on saying, ‘Father forgive them…’ (Luke 23:34; emphasis added).

PART II

Background on Paul’s Letter to the Romans

CHAPTER 2

The Letter’s Author

T he longest sermon in the book of Acts isn’t from the Apostle Peter who, along with James and his brother John, was part of Jesus’ inner circle—the three closest disciples. When Jesus raised Jairus’ daughter from the dead, only these three—Peter, James and John—were allowed to be present (Mark 5:37). Only these same three were permitted to witness the transfiguration of Jesus (Matthew 17:1–9). It was Peter, along with John, who was sent by Jesus to make preparations for the Last Supper (Luke 22:8). And only this inner circle was allowed to be with Jesus when he separated from the rest of the disciples to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane before his arrest (Mark 14:33). Other than Jesus, Peter is mentioned more times in the New Testament than everyone else.

But the longest sermon in Acts does not come from Peter.

Nor does it come from the great Apostle Paul—author of almost a third of the New Testament. Here is the man who would eventually travel an estimated ten thousand miles on foot to spread the Gospel to the Gentile world. Most of the book of Acts is devoted to Paul. Thirteen of the New Testament’s twenty-seven writings come from him. It can safely be said that Paul remains one of the most-read authors in all of human history.

But no. The longest sermon found in the book of Acts isn’t from Paul.

The longest sermon comes from a guy who waited on tables: Stephen. And the audience for this sermon was none other than the supreme court of Judaism: the Sanhedrin. Stephen had been accused of blasphemy against Moses and against God and was ordered to appear before this group (Acts 6:11). He was given a chance to defend himself (Acts 7:1), but instead, all he could focus on was sharing the Gospel with this elite leadership of Judaism.

Stephen did not get to finish this sermon, however. After accusing Judaism’s religious leaders of murdering the Righteous One, referencing the execution of Jesus of Nazareth—the Messiah and Son of God (Acts 7:51–53)—the Sanhedrin had heard enough. Stephen is taken to a location outside the walls of Jerusalem and pelted with stones until he succumbs to death. Stephen becomes Christianity’s first martyr.

Those stoning Stephen put their robes at the feet of a man witnessing this event (Acts 7:58). The historian Luke tells us:

And Saul was there, giving approval to Stephen’s death.

On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. God-fearing men buried Stephen and mourned deeply over him. But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison.