In his Ars Poetica, the Roman poet Horace advised writers, “Do not bring a god onto the stage, unless the problem is one that deserves a god to solve it.” Romans follows this advice perfectly. Paul begins this letter with a God-sized problem: sin.  Chapter 1 condemns Gentiles before God.  Chapter 2 condemns the Jews before God. Romans 3:10-12 indicts us all: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”  We are guilty, condemned, and helpless sinners. How can one get right with God? Various religions offer different answers. There is only one right answer. Romans 3:21-26 states it clearly, fully, and powerfully. Martin Luther called it: “The...

My prayer life has richly benefited from studying the prayers of Paul. In his letters, the apostle assures the church he is praying for them. He also records what and why prayed for the saints. These prayer reports display Paul’s devotion to intercessory prayer. When he could not get to his pulpit, he went to his closet with confidence God would hear and answer. Paul’s belief in the power of prayer is seen in his prayer requests, as well as his prayer reports. Paul is the only apostle who asked the saints to pray for him. He asked young Christians and new congregations. In our text, he asks for prayer from Christians in Rome whom he had never met.  Romans 15:30-33 is the most outstanding of Paul’s...

Romans is the greatest letter ever written. The epistle is a clear, compelling, and comprehensive argument for justification by faith alone – the doctrine upon which the church stands or falls. But Romans is not just about what Christians believe. It is also about how Christians behave. Romans 12 shifts the focus of the letter from doctrine to duty. How should Christians live?  Romans 12:1 says we should act like Christians: “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”  Romans 12:2 says we should think like Christians: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you...

A small town was selected for the site of a hydroelectric plant. A dam would be built across the nearby river, submerging the city. When the project was announced, the citizens were given ample time to arrange their affairs and relocate. During those months, a curious thing happened. Home improvements, neighborhood upkeep, and infrastructure repairs ceased. The city looked and felt abandoned long before the citizens moved away, and the waters came. One resident explained: “When there is no hope for the future, there is no power in the present.”  That’s a life lesson worth remembering: Hope for tomorrow produces strength for today. There are three types of people. Some have no hope. Circumstances have made them downcast, defeated, discouraged, depressed, and desperate....

I remember the first time I heard John MacArthur preach in person. I had listened to his messages and read his books for some time before visiting his church. Romans 8 was his text, which he said was about the eternal security of the believer. I was blown away by the message. I knew many verses from Romans 8. I had not put them together to see the grand truth of the chapter: When God grips you by his grace, he will never let you go.  Romans 8 is arguably the greatest chapter in the Bible. It begins with no condemnation and ends with no separation. Romans...

The Ultimate Prayer Partner (Romans 8:26-27)

The Transformed Life (Romans 12:1-2)