(Romans 1:16-17) The Gospel is the only means of salvation. PAUL'S THANKFULNESS Paul Explains why he prays for the Church in Rome Because of their faith is talked about in all the world To give a spiritual gift to strengthen them (purpose of spiritual gifts) To mutually encourage the saints and Paul be each others faith. Fellowship should and does result in edification (strengthening) PAUL'S INTENTION (Romans 1:13-15) Often intended to come, but had been prevented To reap some harvest among them and the rest of the gentiles (The Gospel is not just for converting the sinner. It is also to strengthen the believer) Paul was under obligation to all (so are we to tell the sinner the gospel) Greeks and to barbarians The wise and the foolish Eager to preach in Rome also. PAUL'S FUEL (Romans 1:16-17) These are two sentences that is the theme of the book Not ashamed of the Gospel It is THE (emphasis mine) power of God To salvation (1) To all who believe (a) Jews first and also the Greek (gentiles) (in order of time, not importance) The gospel is the righteousness of God (available to man only through the shed blood of Jesus Christ) God clothes us in Christ’ righteousness What God is - God’s attribute of being righteous and just What God gave - God’s righteousness as a gift to sinning men What God does - God’s activity of saving sinners Revealed from faith for faith (obedience through faith is seen every day until our last one here) ESV side note, “beginning and ending in faith The righteous shall live by faith (The verse that is the Crowning Jewel of the Reformation) Illustration of Martin Luther - Luther was born in Saxony in 1483, the eldest son of a fairly successful businessman, Hans Luther, who was the owner of several mine shafts and copper smelts. Hans wanted a better life for his son than he had. So he sent him, when he was of age, to Erfurt University, where Martin graduated with a M.A. in 1505. His father encouraged him to go on to get a master’s degree in law, but on July 2, 1505, Martin had an experience that changed the entire course of not only his own personal story, but also the history of the Church. He had been home for the summer and was returning to Erfurt on foot, when, about half a mile from the city gates of Erfurt a storm broke. In the words of John M. Todd: Thunder clouds had built up, and suddenly the lightning flashed, a bolt striking right beside Martin who was knocked to the ground, though unhurt, in terror he shouted out: “Beloved St Anne! I will become a monk.” St. Anne was the patron saint of miners; Martin had heard prayers to her throughout his childhood perhaps more than to any other saint. …In later years he described himself at the moment when the lightning struck as “walled around with the terror and horror of sudden death.”5 There he was able to study scripture, something the common man was not allowed to do in his day. Here is Martin Luther in his own words, Luther tells us: Meanwhile, I had already during that year returned to interpret the Psalter anew. I had confidence in the fact that I was more skilful, after I had lectured in the university on St. Paul’s epistles to the Romans, to the Galatians, and the one to the Hebrews. I had indeed been captivated with an extraordinary ardor for understanding Paul in the Epistle to the Romans. But up till then it was not the cold blood about the heart, but a single word in Chapter 1, “In it the righteousness of God is revealed” that had stood in my way. For I hated that word “righteousness of God,” which, according to the use and custom of all the teachers, I had been taught to understand philosophically regarding the formal or active righteousness, as they call it, with which God is righteous and punishes the unrighteous sinner. Though I lived as a monk without reproach, I felt that I was a sinner before God with an extremely disturbed conscience. I could not believe that he was placated by my satisfaction. 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!” Thus I raged with a fierce and troubled conscience. Nevertheless, I beat importunately upon Paul at that place, most ardently desiring to know what St. Paul wanted. At last, by the mercy of God, meditating day and night, I gave heed to the context of the words, namely, “In it the righteousness of God is revealed, as it is written, ‘He who through faith is righteous shall live.’” There I began to understand that the righteousness of God is that by which the righteous lives by a gift of God, namely by faith. And this is the meaning: the righteousness of God is revealed by the gospel, namely, the passive righteousness with which merciful God justifies us by faith, as it is written, “He who through faith is righteous shall live.” Here I felt that I was altogether born again and had entered paradise itself through open gates. There a totally other face of the entire Scripture showed itself to me. Thereupon I ran through the Scripture from memory. I also found in other terms an analogy, as, the work of God, that is what God does in us, the power of God, with which he makes us wise, the strength of God, the salvation of God, the glory of God. And I extolled my sweetest word with a love as great as the hatred with which I had before hated the word “righteousness of God.” Thus that place in Paul was for me truly the gate to paradise.