LIVE: Introduction to the Letter to the Romans (Part 4/4)

Romans has a way of exposing what we actually believe and what we only assume. We kick off our Romans study by naming five tensions Paul refuses to dodge: law versus grace, faith versus obedience, the role of works, sanctification and the claim that grace promotes sin, and the mystery of divine sovereignty alongside real human responsibility. If you’ve ever wondered how justification by faith works in everyday life, this conversation gives you a clean starting point and a roadmap you can keep open beside your Bible. 

We also walk through a chapter by chapter outline of Romans, from the universal guilt and depravity of humanity (Romans 1 to 3), to the defense of salvation by grace through faith (Romans 3 to 5), to union with Christ and practical sanctification (Romans 6 to 8), to God’s dealings with Israel (Romans 9 to 11), and finally to the “shoe leather” application of gospel doctrine (Romans 12 to the end). Along the way, we talk about why Romans functions like a theological foundation for the church and why doctrine isn’t a cold word. For us, theology means knowing who God is. 

The conversation gets real about discipleship too. We challenge the habit of outsourcing every hard question to “my pastor” and encourage each other to study until we can answer with clarity and humility. The group closes with personal encouragement, prayer for believers around the world, and care for those who need support in the community. 

If you’re ready to read Romans slowly, carefully, and honestly, subscribe so you don’t miss the next session, share this with a friend who wants to grow, and leave a review to help others find the study. What’s the biggest question you’re bringing to Romans?

Transcript

Five Big Tensions In Romans

SPEAKER_07 0:00

Is also addressing, he's going to be addressing in this book several, and I've put down five theological tensions, if you will, of what Paul is going to address. And I'm saying these things because, especially for those who make notes and whatnot, to look for these things. So one of them is he's going to be dealing with this issue of law versus grace. And so he's going to be answering the question: Was righteousness obtained through obedience or was it received by faith? He's going to answer that question. He's going to deal with, like I said earlier, he's going to deal with Jewish and Gentile relations, the relationship between the two groups. So the question he's going to be answering here is going to be does Israel's unbelief nullify the promises of God? He's going to answer and deal with this. And I know you guys know the answers, but I just want to lay out what he's going to be answering so that when we look at it and when we come across it, we'll be reminded. Then he's going to talk about works. Where does works fit in to our lives as Christians? If salvation is by grace, then what place remains for obedience? If salvation is by grace, then what place does obedience have? He's going to answer that. Sanctification. He's going to deal with this issue does grace encourage sin as we get so often accused of believing. And that is a false assessment of us. But that is what they want to try to make it seem as what we're saying, because they don't understand the difference between the gift of grace and the acts of obedience and what each grants. Paul answers that. Paul's going to deal with this issue of divine sovereignty in alignment with human responsibility, answering the question, how does how do election and unbelief function together? How do they coexist? He's going to deal with this.

Paul’s Outline Of The Letter

SPEAKER_07 2:32

And then we deal with this whole idea of, well, what is the actual purpose of the the you know this book? Because it's so important, because this is not just, this is not just one of these, you know, random letters that anybody just just wrote. This book is a comprehensive revealing of what the gospel is. No book deals with this subject more comprehensively than Romans. What is justification by faith? What is the gospel? And so the purpose is this, and I'm going to break down all the chapters. So this is what you know, what I'm hoping is some of you will take down and remember. And if not, you'll you know, you'll be able to hear this message tomorrow, and you can write it down if you want. But in chapters one through three, in the outline that I have, he's gonna be explaining the universal guilt of humanity, depravity. Chapters one through three, universal guilt of humanity, which is depravity. In chapters three through five, he's going to be establishing and proving justification by faith. Establishing it, proving it, defending it. Chapters three through five. In chapters six through eight, he's going to be defining sanctification and union with Christ. And he's going to also be dealing with how we as believers, when we come to faith, we are transferred from one realm into another realm. Transferred from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God's dear son. So we're going to deal with that in chapters six through eight. Chapters nine through eleven, we're going to be explaining, Paul's going to be explaining, we're going to be discussing how God deals with Israel. And then in chapters 12 to the end, we're going to be dealing with the application of these doctrines to our lives. How do we put these truths into shoe leather? That's what we're going to be dealing with.

Doctrine Means Knowing God

SPEAKER_07 4:51

So the letter to Paul, of Paul, to the Romans, it serves as the ultimate theological foundation of the tr of the tr of the church. This book lays the doctrine, these doctrines as foundational to the church. This is this book codifies, if you will, our doctrinal stance, our position. We believe that doctrine is absolutely necessary. And all these people that talk about doctrine divides, they're right and it should. They're right and it should. And so we're going to deal with that. And so this book, every everybody here and everyone who is listening as we go through it, this is going to, this book should make everybody a better theologian by the time we're done than they are today, myself included, because that's what Christians are. Well, if we hold to these things in Revelation, we may not be as advanced as some of the great church fathers, but we are theologians because this is the study of our God. This is the doctrine of our God. Like Brian mentioned earlier. This is about knowing who God is. These things can't be not, cannot be understood unless we have a desire to know who he is. And these doctrines prove who he is. And it's important.

Romans In Redemptive History

SPEAKER_07 6:26

And so lastly, we have this, we have this spiritual atmosphere. And Gigi, you're right. Iron sharpens iron. Absolutely. You're absolutely right. So when this book was written, the church stood in between two separate worlds altogether. The old covenant that was passing away in significance. No longer was the old covenant, the old testament, it was it was it was gone. Christ had died, having fulfilled the law, having taken our sin upon him, and having imputed his righteousness by, or imputing his righteousness by his resurrection from the dead, and thereby justifying us before God and reconciling us to him. He gives us life by and through his death. And so this is what renders the old testament economy no longer useful to us outside of historical reference and historical application and understanding of why we got here and why our Savior needed to come, what he needed to do, what he needed to fulfill on our behalf, and what he needed to fulfill on his father's behalf, who wanted to bring us to him. This is what his son had to do. Had to, must have happened. This is the next thing. This was the other another thing about the spiritual atmosphere. Now the gospel was well on its way to becoming a global, a global discussion. It was going to impact people globally. And it was beginning with this. And Paul would take this message to the West. And now it has completely dominated everybody's thought. Whether they believe it or not is one thing. But very few of us don't know who he is if we are awake and alive and competent by all normal standards.

Israel’s Unbelief And Hard Questions

SPEAKER_07 8:58

There's the fact that Israel itself remained largely in unbelief. And whatever we think about these people that we call Israel today, if they are, if you wanted to make an argument that they are the Israel of the Old Testament era, which I do not embrace, we still would have to say that they have remained in unbelief. Judaism is not the truth. And I know that a lot of Christians like to go and argue with the Muslims, as you should, and Islam, as you should. But I'll tell you something. Judaism is worse from the standpoint that they should have had the enlightenment that even the that even the Muslims do not have about our Lord and the ministry of the Messiah. But you don't find these Christian preachers and these pulpits saying anything bad about Judaism. I had a few people come and attack me. I don't think you condemn Islam enough. What kind of an accusation is that, especially when I have done it countless times and all the time. But what I do not like and what I do object to wholeheartedly is this is the absence of exposing the wickedness of the religion of Judaism, which says that my Lord is not the Savior, He's not the Messiah. I'm with you, Brian. I condemn them both. But this is not about equalizing and equivalency. They are all wicked. And what I'm saying is, I have never, I don't recall hearing a sermon in recent history ever about uh with with Christianity evangelizing those who belong to the Judaism, the Judaism faith like they do with intensity to Islam or any other false religion. Judaism is a false religion. Christianity or our nation, our nation is trying to make this our our current president, for example, a Christian. He loves Jesus. This is a Christian nation, and yet this Christian nation is embracing one of the most wicked nations on the planet under the banner of us being a Christian nation. And we have partnered and joined hands with a nation that hates the very God that we say shapes our country. I'm sorry, I gotta tell you the truth. You gotta take out everybody. It's just a fact. And I know a lot of Christians don't want to deal with it, they don't want to hear with it, and they want to elevate the nation of Israel. And I, for God knows why, I don't understand why this is. And it should not happen. They will tell you to your face, Jesus is nothing, and Jesus deserved the death that he got. In street terms, he deserved to get God. And so we need to treat them and deal with them the way we deal with every other enemy of Christ. And I can't think of a more egregious enemy than those for whom he came. Those whom he gave all of those earthly benefits and blessings, which they rejected when Christ came and condemned him and took the lead in the charge on condemning him, like Brother Brian said earlier, when the wicked men, the Romans, the Gentiles, wanted to let him go. And so here we are. Paul is also gonna deal, or what the climate is, the moral climate or the spiritual atmosphere here, his gentile inclusion into the body of Christ was accelerating at rapid speed, it was growing fast. And lastly, the kingdom of Christ was advancing within the greatest empire on earth, and we are in a situation right now where that aspect of it has been mirrored here in America, a country where we have had and enjoyed so much light and yet live in the most egregious thick, thickness of darkness.

Why Romans Hits The World

SPEAKER_07 14:02

So Romans, the book of Romans, it it is developed by Paul at a really crucial point in redemptive history, a critical point in redemptive history. The gospel had reached the capital of the world, not just the Roman Empire, but Rome itself was the seat of everything that was important. They were the superpower on the earth in almost every single aspect, and the church was rapidly becoming visibly international and global. And Paul presents in the book of Romans the fullest exposition of salvation by grace through faith. I'm finished. I'm finished.

Final Thoughts From The Group

SPEAKER_07 15:05

Now I will let everybody get their last word, and we will wrap it up tonight, and we will wrap up in the next session, beginning with Romans chapter one. Sister May, final thoughts.

SPEAKER_00 15:22

I I'm excited. I cannot wait for this. I I just want to take a moment for my last words just to really kind of testify for a moment. You know, I think those who have all been together with us since Job, we're going into the book of Romans, I cannot encourage people to be here enough during this. I think that we're all gonna grow tremendously, however many times we read Romans. Any it doesn't matter. When when we're expositing a book like this, it's it's slow and it's every single word. So please, please, if you can make it, mark your calendars to be to be on, to be here, and just to be dedicated to this study, because I think we're all gonna grow in ways that we've never imagined, just as we do when we read any other books. So those are my last words. I just really pray it that it is my prayer throughout this study that you invite your friends, invite those people that you know want to grow in the Lord. This is the perfect book to start. I'm so pleased, it is it is my absolute prayer for this time that we just get as many people as we can to edify each other in in the Lord and learn about our God and grow in relationship with Him. There's nothing better. So those are my last words.

SPEAKER_07 16:39

Amen. Thank you for that. And Gigi in the comments, we unless I'm sick or traveling or something like that, which I try not to be too much, our sessions are usually at 7:30 p.m. Central Standard Time. So that's when we we get together. Sister Mariah, last words.

SPEAKER_10 17:01

This is great. I learned a lot of things about the Book of Romans that I did not before. So I'm glad typically we don't start off this way, but I am very glad that we did do this background knowledge of the book and why it was so important and prevalent in that time. Excited and super ready to get to it. Romans was a key book, and understanding like my testimony, and when I was born again, I was like, so I wasn't tripping, you know. Like, so I was condemned, and I, you know, I needed a savior, and uh, God forbid, I think I could represent myself, you know. So I'm just super excited about it. So thank you all. It was such a great time.

SPEAKER_07 17:48

Amen, sister. Brother Brian, last words, man. I'm so glad you came up today, man. You really you contributed a lot today. I'm really grateful for you coming up.

SPEAKER_05 17:58

It's a blessing, brother, as always. Um I'm sorry I don't get to come up as often as I probably should, but I just want to say, as always, it's a blessing so much to hear, you know, the sisters on here that I've known for a while and you, brother Jonathan, how much y'all have grown and how much I learned from each one of y'all every time y'all speak and stuff. So please always don't be afraid to share your comments and talk. But going through the book of Romans, I want everybody to keep this in mind. It's something that's always helped me is you know, when you ask a lot of church people and you ask them things about God or doctrines and theology, their response a lot of times is always, well, I don't have an answer for that. Come and talk to my pastor or come to my building on Sunday.

SPEAKER_09 18:47

Yep.

SPEAKER_05 18:49

I can't stand that response because, like Brother Johnson said, it's on us to give a response to people. And I'm not saying everybody needs to be a Bible scholar after the day after they get saved. That's not what I'm saying. If somebody asks you a different difficult question, you don't have an answer, go make it, allow you to go study and stuff, ask brothers and sisters. But when we're studying through this book, the doctrine and theology, and it's all going to be covered. I know Brother Jonathan will do a fantastic job, but allow it, like I said before, to let you know our theology and doctrine is knowing who God is.

unknown 19:28

Right.

SPEAKER_05 19:29

When somebody asks us about God, it's the same thing as somebody asking us about our spouse. Brother Jonathan, if I asked you to tell me about your wife, you would not tell me, hey, go talk to my pastor about her. You see what I'm saying? You would be able to tell me about your wife and who she is and what she's about. So this is what I mean, brothers and sisters. Our doctrine of theology is about knowing who God is.

SPEAKER_08 20:01

Right.

SPEAKER_05 20:01

If we can't tell people we're the bride of Christ, people, right? That's our husband. We should be able to tell people who he is, right? And what he's about, and how he what he can do for them and as far as being saved. But yeah, so let us, it's like I said, it's about knowing who God is. So don't just get caught up in doctrine and theology. Let it be about who God is.

SPEAKER_07 20:27

Amen, brother Brian. Appreciate that, man. Great, great engagement with us tonight, man. Really appreciate it. Sister Savannah, your last word for tonight, sister. Savannah, are you there?

SPEAKER_01 20:42

Yeah, I'm here. Sorry. All right, um, yeah, I I just really like what Brian said, you know. That's you know, about God, about knowing who God is. That's really should be like the foundation of our theology. Right. And I, you know, and I try, I I try as much as I can whenever I'm reading the Bible to see, you know, to see where I can, you know, point out to myself or the Holy Spirit, sorry, the Holy Spirit points out to me God's character. And I think in the book of Romans, like it really exposes I just think it's beautiful how it really just exposes, you know, God's covenant language and his and his what's the word for it, and his, you know, his order, because God is very he's a God of order. Right. You know, and that really just also exposes and shows us like how beautiful his grace really is. So again, I'm just really excited to really, you know, deep dive into the book of Romans with all of you guys and grow and learn. So I I love you all and God bless.

SPEAKER_07 21:55

All right, sister. Love you too, sister, sister Melody. Your last words for the night.

SPEAKER_02 22:01

Yeah, I still want to uh expand on what Brian said because it's funny that you said, you know, the it's not like about the theology, it's about you know knowing God. Because right before you said that, I was thinking about a new approach to spreading the gospel, because a lot of times, you know, I I go from the uh approach of like just trying to, you know, dissect or like refute what they believe with the truth. But I think like it's better to take the approach of you know, uh telling people that they're a sinner and why they need a savior. Like, I mean, the the theology is good to be and to to be knowledgeable, but now I'm starting to look at like, you know, that's to edify the body of Christ. That does nothing for people who are unsaved, it's not gonna save them. So, really, there's no point to even discuss theology with unsaved people. They're not gonna understand, you know. So I was already thinking I'm probably gonna start taking a new approach to just spreading the gospel with people.

SPEAKER_07 22:54

Amen, sister. Love that, love that. I think it, I think it's I think it's an excellent insight. Absolutely. Sister Lisa, last word for tonight.

SPEAKER_04 23:04

Well, I just want to thank everybody again. You know, I've said it a hundred million times in in this live. You guys are such a blessing to me. I have learned so, so much. And I don't know if it was you, Jonathan. Uh, it probably was you because you're very very pivotal in my walk. Early, early on, somebody said just what Brian said. We don't read scripture to memorize the verse. Yes, we read it to get to know the God that we serve, to know him intimately. And you know, I gotta say, I've been praying on this so much. And I I loved, I think it was during Job when I think Meg was talking about the secret things. And I I've been asking God, you know, I know certain things belong to you, Lord, but anything that you're willing to share with me, I want it. I want it deep, I want it so much. And I just love this group. I get so much out of it. And man, I'm I'm just grateful. This is my church. So just you guys ought to know that. I don't know if somebody's gonna holler at me and say, Well, I need to you need to find somebody near you, but you're my people. I don't I'm honestly seeing how things are going out there in the world. Um I don't find myself, and that's another thing I'm praying about. I don't find myself wanting to search for a building to go to as long as I have y'all here.

SPEAKER_07 24:34

So Amen, sister. Amen. I'm with you on that one. I am totally with you on that one. Sister Sean, last word, sister.

SPEAKER_03 24:43

Yeah, um, I'm just really ready to get into Romans. Fun fact about me, I I am in politics and law. And so I especially love this book. And also uh studying up on Revelations because we're supposed to be doing it that on Sundays.

SPEAKER_08 24:59

That's right.

SPEAKER_03 25:00

And that's another deep book that I enjoy. And so I'm just ready to get into the study overall.

SPEAKER_07 25:06

And that reminds me, I got I haven't put my final touches on that one for on the first one for because I I I decided because I'm working on Revelation too, but I'm I'm going taking that one, you know, like I said, on Sundays. And and after I did, it wasn't until after I did this introduction to to Romans that I decided I I think I need to do the same thing for Revelation. So that's what's missing. So if I get that together, then I that will be this Sunday. And I I'm 99% sure that's gonna happen. But if it doesn't, then I will do chapter one of start in Romans one on this Sunday and then pick up Revelation next week. But I am 99%, excuse me, 99% ready for revelation. I just need to do I need to put the introduction together. So I'm thinking we're gonna have a good time. It's gonna be a it's a it's a challenge for me, but but I think you guys, you really do make it easier for me to go to these things because the way everybody is, like this, like like today was just astounding to me. It's it's just astounding to me. So, you know, you guys are are are a beautiful group of people that I am glad to be acquainted with as Christians, and I do love you all.

SPEAKER_11 26:17

Sister Vanessa, last word for tonight Lisa, I gotta say something. You don't need a brick and mortar to have a family of Christ. And we are a family of Christ, and this is my church also. I've tried to find a brick and mortar church, and I can't find one. So anyway, I was you know, when you said I when was it G G that said Iron Sharpens Iron? That's what we do. You know, we are all here together to learn and from each other. I have I learned so much from this. Today was just it was amazing to me because I don't know history of the Bible. I want to know the history, but I don't know it. I haven't learned it yet. I'm working on it though. Um anyway, I just love everybody in here and I can't wait to see everybody's take on Romans. I mean, I know what the Holy Spirit teaches me, and I know that it's true because it's from him. And but I want to see what everybody else has to say because I I'm not that deep into history and all that stuff at the moment.

SPEAKER_08 27:29

Right, right.

SPEAKER_11 27:30

But I like to learn what the Old Testament and the New Testament alike. Right. And I've learned a I've learned quite a bit of it, but I'm learning more. And I just I'm just so amazed with everybody. And Jonathan, you to me, you are a great teacher. I've never had anyone, and I'm saying this not to make your head swell, because it does anyway, but I'm just kidding. I just really like the way you teach, and that I can understand when you teach.

SPEAKER_08 28:02

Thank you, sister.

SPEAKER_11 28:03

So anyway, Meg, same to you. I know that you study a lot, and I like your words. So, anyway, I just want everyone to know that I love them all, and God bless each and everyone. Thank you.

SPEAKER_07 28:19

Brother Pat, if you would, last word and close us out if you would, brother.

SPEAKER_06 28:25

Man, my last word is I actually my last word, if you don't mind, I don't want to say anything about the Book of Romans. I want to say something about this group, about how much I've seen each and every one of you grow not just in knowledge. We it's one thing to know facts, to know about something. And it's a different thing to be changed by truth. I've seen the word take hold in so many of your lives, like a seed growing inside you. And it's really an amazing thing, Jonathan. I still marvel most churches, we do understand they they show up on Sunday. That's one day a week, one day a week where they ever hear about God's word, right? Maybe they can squeeze in one Bible study, but how much of that Sunday service is actual study? Well, usually it's an introduction, you've got music, maybe a reading, you know, you've got a bunch of stuff going, and then how much actual study from the pulpit?

unknown 29:44

Right.

SPEAKER_06 29:44

Ten minutes a week, you know, maybe you can cram in an hour of Bible study, and to see you guys like pursue God's word and be willing to give up two to three hours every single night for the most part, at least six days a week, it's really something to behold. And I just appreciate all of you. And then that that's that's just what I want to say. I'm excited about this study in Romans, but I'm just as excited about the people involved in this study.

SPEAKER_07 30:18

Amen, brother. God bless you, brother Pat. God bless you.

Closing Prayer And Intercession

SPEAKER_06 30:25

Let's join in prayer. Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for this wonderful, blessed night, Lord, where we can come together, Lord, and and learn about your word, Lord, be edified, grow, Lord, that we might be sanctified and used for great purposes in this life to glorify you, Lord. We pray that you continue to work in our hearts that we might decrease and that you might increase in us, Lord. That when the world hears our words, Lord, let them be the words from your spirit, God. Work through us, Lord. Let us do your will. We have so little time in this life, Lord. And what all we ask is that what time you have given us and blessed us with, Lord, that we might partake in your kingdom and be honored to be able to participate in your work, Lord. We thank you for everything that you're doing, Lord. But Lord, we also pray for the needs of each and every person here emotionally, family lives, financially, Lord. We know that all comes from you, Lord. And we also want to pray for those who are suffering, your people all around the world, Lord. Those who are being persecuted in parts of the world, and those who are really suffering, Lord. We pray that your spirit be with them. Uphold your people, Lord. We pray that that your elect will come to you through the preaching of the gospel, Lord. We pray that you raise up a generation that will spread the gospel like none, like none ever before, Lord. Let your praise of your glory reach the ends of the earth, Lord. We pray that your kingdom is proclaimed to every person, Lord, that you might be glorified. We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Schedule Notes And Personal Encouragement

SPEAKER_03 32:36

Amen. Amen. Amen.

SPEAKER_07 32:40

God bless all of you. I I could not be more blessed than to have a group like this. You know, people in the comments, Brother Mac, Nathan, Joseph, Thila, Gigi, Brother Eric, Lisa, you're here, you're here listening. I appreciate you being here. Teresa, you know who you are. John Langloi, Bobby, everybody. You guys are immense blessings to me, and I appreciate your genuine generosity in terms of your ears. Brother Asai, you are always here showing nothing but love and support, always. Brother Brian, everybody. You guys are just, I can't, I can't, I could not ask God for a greater group to be a minister to and to be ministered to myself. So God bless you guys. Have a great night and a great weekend, and this is Memorial Day weekend. Be safe out there. And I I'm going to make every effort to make sure I'm ready for Sunday night with Revelation, beginning with that book. Yeah, go ahead, sister.

SPEAKER_00 33:49

Sorry, uh Lisa, I have a verse for you that I have to give you before you leave. You had made a statement and you said, you know, I know that you know the secret things belong to the Lord, but there's I just want to know more. And this week I want you to meditate on Jeremiah 33, 3. And the word of God says, Call unto me, and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things in which you do not know. And I'm gonna tell you, that verse alone I meditated on for weeks. And the way that the word of God and the scripture opened up to me blew me away. So please, sister, meditate on that. And everybody for that matter. Thank you. That's beautiful. Thank you.

SPEAKER_07 34:31

Everybody, you know, I know a lot of you know Michelle Kearns, some of you know, and I really want her to get encouragement. I know she's getting some. And, you know, I was made privy to some treatment she that she received that I did not like hearing about. So, Michelle, definitely call me or write to me, and I know I sent you my number and DM, and we we can talk or talk to Meg or talk to Mariah or anybody here, but I want you to be encouraged and I want you to know that those things that were, those awful things that were said to you are just awful and stupid and should never have been said, and nobody that calls themselves a Christian should have ever talked to you the way that they did. And I want you to be encouraged, sister. So reach out to me or reach out to somebody here and and and uh and everybody pray for Michelle. God knows why, and and that's and that's what matters. And Michelle, you have nothing to be sorry about. You have nothing to be sorry about, sister. Nothing to be sorry about. We love you, and we want to be here to be an encouragement to you and to edify you and to be a blessing to you in any way that we can, and I certainly will do my best to help you out as well. You are family, like Brother Nathan says, and we're gonna you're gonna be treated as such. And those people that spoke to you the way they did, they can't be considered family. So anyway, I just wanted to say that. So once again, everybody have a great have a great weekend. Be safe out there. Don't let you know too much traffic or whatever get you in the situation. So God bless you, have a great weekend, and uh, be provoked and be persuaded. God bless you everybody. Good night. God bless y'all.

SPEAKER_04 36:09

Say goodnight, love y'all.