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I am convinced that no matter how old you are, where you come from, or what you’ve been through, there are things that everyone wants. We all want, desire, and long for peace. We all want access to the supernatural in some way, shape, or form. We know that we cannot avoid suffering, so at least we want it to mean something in this life. Lastly, all of us, deep down, whether we admit it or not, want to be loved.  It’s no secret that we want these things—but the question is how do we obtain these things? The world will tell us a million ways to attempt to obtain these things; but in the end, we will never be satisfied. On the other hand, these verses in Romans 5:1-5 will show the only way to truly obtain these things: through Jesus Christ.  BIG IDEA: The life you always wanted is only available through Christ. Through Christ, I have peace with God (1)Through Christ, I have access to God (2)Through Christ, I rejoice in my suffering for God (3-5a)Suffering → Endurance → Character → HopeThrough Christ, I rest in the love of God (5b)

For many, the word “faith” sounds foolish. We hear this in phrases like “blind faith” or “taking a leap of faith.” But our faith as Christians is far from foolish because of Who our faith is in: the Promise-Keeping God of the Universe. The Bible says, “The eyes of the LORD search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him” (2 Chron. 16:19). God is always searching for opportunities to strengthen those who trust not in themselves but in Him. Take-Home Message: Don’t have faith in yourself. Have faith in God by surrendering to His righteousness (13-15). Surrendering My Self-Righteousness: Prayerlessness Perfectionism Pharisaism Have faith in God by hoping in His promises (16-22). Have faith in God by depending on His power (23-25).

The resounding message of the gospel is this: “Come home.” Christ’s resurrection provides the pattern for those who come home: Just as Jesus was put to death on the cross, my old self is put to death. And, just as Jesus was raised to life, I become a new creation. But none of this can happen until I come to my senses, turn from my sin, and come home. Jesus did not come to earth to convince a begrudging Father to accept us; He partnered with a loving Father to save us. The Father planned our salvation, the Son accomplished it, and the Holy Spirit applies it.  Take-Home Message: The Father longs for you to come home. The Younger Son’s Rebellion (11-13). The Younger Son’s Ruin (14-16). The Younger Son’s Repentance (17-20a). The Father’s Response (20b-24).

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God - ‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭3‬:‭18‬ ‭ Thank you for joining us for Good Friday.

Believers in Jesus Christ have won the lottery. The only difference is that our prize is far greater: we are declared right with God, all our debts are forgiven, and we are promised eternity in heaven. We could never earn or deserve any of these, a fact that was especially radical in Paul’s day. There was a belief in Judaism that salvation came by obedience to God’s Law, but Paul put forth that no one but Jesus could fulfill the Law. Paul then showed his Jewish brethren that their father Abraham was saved by faith before the Law was given (Gen. 15:6).  Because God has credited us with a righteousness we have not earned and wiped out a debt we could not pay, the only proper response is for us to follow Jesus. We are called to “walk in the footsteps of the faith” like Abraham: “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God” (Hebrews 11:8-10). Take-Home Message: God credits righteousness to my account through faith. God credited to me a righteousness I did not earn (1–5). God forgave the debt I did earn (6–8). God calls me to follow in the footsteps of the faith (9–12). The footsteps of the faith is a well-worn trail. The footsteps of the faith are not walked alone. The footsteps of the faith include the cross but end in glory.

A danger that can occur in the heart of the believer is to shrink the message of salvation down to merely intellectual and spiritual information that has no virtually effect on their life. With this in mind, we must remember that Romans is a real letter, penned by a real person (Paul), to a real church. You see, Paul does not want to only impart doctrine to the Romans. He desires that this salvation, which he just explained in 3:21-26, would apply to their everyday lives. This is why Romans 3:27-31 is in our Bibles.  May these verses challenge us to see that salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone is a reality that applies to every aspect of everyday life.  BIG IDEA: Salvation is meant to be applied to my life. Salvation applied means… My boasting is excluded (27-28) Common Causes of Boasting Our Allies Our Abilities Our Achievements Our Accolades What We Should Boast In Boast in the Lord (1 Cor. 1:31)  Boast in the Cross (Gal. 6:14) Boast in Our Weakness (2 Cor. 12:9) Boast in Our Suffering (Rom. 5:3-5) My bias is eliminated (29-30) My obedience is essential (31) 

This passage has been famously called “the greatest paragraph ever written”–and rightfully so. It explains how sinful humanity can be saved from the wrath of God. Paul spent Romans 1:18–3:20 talking about humanity’s problem: sin. Because of this sin against a just God, the wrath of God is coming. We often forget that the wrath of God is kind, for if God did not address the problem of evil, who could? Now, in Romans 3:21–5:21, Paul focuses on God’s solution to the problem of sin: sending Christ. In putting forward Christ, we see the fullness of God’s justice and love. In His justice, God requires payment for evil, but, in His love, He provides the payment in His Only Son. Some have slanderously charged God with “divine child abuse,” but Christ makes it clear that He voluntarily gave Himself up: “No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father” (Jn. 10:18). If someone were to ask you today, “How am I saved?” The Bible provides the answer: by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. Take-Home Message: I am saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. I am saved in Christ alone (21–22). I am saved by grace alone (23–24). I am saved through faith alone (25–26). Take-Home Lessons: My reception of God’s righteousness is possible in Christ, but only in Christ. My redemption through God’s righteousness is a gracious gift. My response to God’s righteousness must be faith in Christ.

Many believe that we can make ourselves righteous with enough effort. In Romans 3:9-20, God’s Word emphatically rejects this, stating that “No one is righteous, no, not one.. no one does good, not even one.. for by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight.” The difference between Christianity and every other religion is that Christianity claims we’re declared righteous by what Someone Else did. As one scholar put it, justification is outside-in, not inside-out. We are saved by something outside of us: Jesus’ finished work on the cross. God chose to save us in a way that made it abundantly clear we had nothing to do with it: “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom. 5:8)  Since Romans 1:18, Paul has been telling us that the wrath of God is coming. God’s wrath will deal with all unrighteousness, and all will be held accountable to God. When God’s wrath comes, the Bible says, “the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?” (Rev. 6:15-17) There is only one escape from the wrath of God, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Rom. 10:9) Take-Home Message: I cannot save myself. All are under sin (9) The corruption of all mankind (10-12) The harmful speech of all mankind (13-14) The evil actions of all mankind (15-17) No fear of God in all mankind (18) All will be held accountable (19-20) Take-Home Lessons No one relying on their own works will be saved from the wrath of God. All who are “in Christ” will be saved from the wrath of God.

We value those who hold it together when everyone else is wavering, and we cherish the person who remains faithful despite others not holding up their side of the bargain. These qualities are marks of God. The Bible describes God as a rock, fortress and stronghold (Ps. 18). God always remains faithful, even when His people do not. He remains righteous when His people do not. He remains just when His people do not. He often gets His work done in spectacular ways, not only without our help, but despite us: For “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom. 5:8) Sadly, many today still question God’s judgment, asking questions like, “How could a good God show wrath? The better question is, how bad would the world be without God’s wrath against evil? If God did not deal with evil, who would? Who could? Not only should we not question God’s judgment, we should celebrate it. “Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth.” (Ps. 67:4) Take-Home Message: God is just. God is faithful, despite our unfaithfulness. (1-4) God is righteous, despite our unrighteousness. (5-6) God is just, despite our injustice. (7-8) Take-Home Lessons God’s faithfulness should inspire us to greater faithfulness. God’s righteousness will be glorified through my righteousness or my unrighteousness. God’s justice should be celebrated.

Circumcision was “the single clearest distinguishing feature of the covenant people.” When the gospel reached the Gentiles, a controversy broke out among the Jews, with some declaring, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” (Acts 15:1). Paul dealt with the issue of circumcision throughout his entire ministry. He was an expert in the Scriptures and a former Pharisee, so he was uniquely positioned by the Holy Spirit to bring clarity to the true meaning of circumcision. As the Holy Spirit-inspired author of Romans, he stated: “For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.” (Rom. 2:28-29) Circumcision was a good thing, but it became a bad thing when the Jews sought to attach it to the finished work of Christ as necessary for salvation. As followers of Jesus, we must guard against creating any system that attaches human efforts to Christ’s finished work. Even good things, like baptism and communion, have been attached by some to the finished work of Christ as necessary for salvation. We reject this view (Eph. 2:8-9), while seeking to uphold the crucial and essential nature of Biblically mandated Christian rituals. Jesus was circumcised and placed Himself under the Law. He perfectly kept the Law and thus redeemed those under the Law (Gal. 4:4-5). We are now in Christ! “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.” (Gal. 5:6) Take-Home Message: Circumcision is a matter of the heart. Circumcision Explained Circumcision Illustrated (25-27) Circumcision Applied (28-29) We must emphasize coming to Jesus and following Jesus as the true evidence of a believer. We must guard against adding requirements to the gospel.  We must strive for unity with Christians of different backgrounds.

Ash Wednesday is an invitation for us to “examine ourselves to see whether we are in the faith” (2 Corinthians 13:5). As we begin the Lenten season and seek deeper communion with Christ, we look to Hebrews 3:12-15 for some examination.  How many stories have you heard of someone who loved Jesus, served Jesus, was active in the church, maybe even a leader in the church—and then seemingly out of nowhere, fell away from not only the church, but Jesus as well? This should cause you to think, How does this happen? Why does this happen?  You see, the drift into spiritual apathy is a slow one—and it could happen to you, too. Hebrews 3:12-15 reveals to us the process by which it can happen and how to avoid it. This is one of the reasons why the book of Hebrews was written: to urge and encourage believers to persevere in their walk with Christ as our anchor, lest we fall away too.  May the Spirit of God soften our hearts, convict us of sin, and awaken us from spiritual slumber to take real inventory of our hearts, minds, and lives that we would follow Christ truly and wholeheartedly.  BIG IDEA: I will either persevere with Christ or fall away from Christ. How to Fall Away from Christ Never check your heart (12) Ignore warnings (13a)  Live in sin (13b) How to Persevere with Christ  Share in identity of Christ (14a)  Hold firm to faith in Christ (14b)  Listen to Christ’s voice today! (15)

Almost everyone knows someone whose reason for leaving God was “those Christians are hypocrites.” While this will not stand up as a sufficient excuse on Judgment Day, Paul acknowledges that the hypocrisy of God’s people is both real and tragic: “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”  Paul does not let anyone off the hook. After critiquing the sinfulness of all people (1:18 - 2:1-16), he now focuses on the most committed of his own people, the Jews. Both Jesus and Paul, who were Jewish, critiqued their own tribe. Paul did this from the perspective of someone who used to be a hypocrite himself. He was “a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee…as to righteousness under the law, blameless.” Yet, he still coveted (Rom. 7:7-8). The beauty of the gospel is that we no longer need to hide. Christ calls us to come into the light, which is the greatest “hypocrisy disinfectant.” We can confess when we don’t live up to God's perfect law and receive grace and mercy. Through faith in Christ, we now live a life of transparent obedience to God’s law. The gospel reconciles our private and public lives through God’s grace, leading Christians to be “an open book, easily read.” Take-Home Message: Hypocrisy leads to blasphemy. Does my character match my credentials? (17-20) Building Integrity Pursue private formation over public performance. Do I practice what I preach? (21-23) Building Integrity Examine yourself before correcting others. The Result of Hypocrisy (24)

Romans 2 is a sobering reminder of the reality of God’s judgment and our inability to keep God’s Law perfectly. God’s judgment is not like a human courtroom or judge. God knows everything, even our thoughts. God judges perfectly and He will not give preference or deference to anyone. These truths are humbling and they should grab our attention but they should also remind us of Jesus. Jesus is the only person in the history of mankind to actually keep God’s Law. Jesus said in Matthew 5:17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” Jesus Christ and His perfect righteousness is the only way anyone will escape God’s coming judgment. Take-Home Question: What will be your defense on Judgment Day?” - Things that will not save you:     - “Who you are” will not save you (11)     - Your track record will not save you (12-13)     - Ignorance will not save you (14-15)     - Hiding your sin will not save you (16) - God takes sin seriously — some history - God’s wrath is avoidable     - 2 Peter 3:9     - Romans 10:13     - 1 Thessalonians 1:10     - Revelation 20:12

We love it when people speak the truth about what we align with. Whether it be our favorite sports team, political affiliations, our take on pop culture drama—when someone says something we align and agree with, we love to champion that. In the study of Romans so far, there have been many truths preached that many people in our church align and identify with, therefore, love and feel great about what is being preached.   The danger is this: there are some who sit in this church week after week and think only about how horrible the world is, how awful other people are, or how depraved our culture is, all the while thinking that they are absolutely fine, in no danger at all, and no need of self-evaluation. If you are that person—this message is for you. Coming off the heels of seeing how the wrath of God is revealed against all unrighteousness, Paul now turns his attention to the individual: “Therefore, you have no excuse, O man” (Romans 2:1). These verses expose how we are all under the righteous judgment of God outside of Christ. May we take heed of the exposing nature of these verses and “not neglect so great a salvation” (Hebrews 2:3).   BIG IDEA: I can’t fool God. - How I Try to Fool God (1-5) - Hypocrisy (1-3) - Presuming on God’s Kindness (4) - Hardness of Heart (5) - Two Eternal Paths (6-11) Luke 5:32 : “I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”

If you look at the world and wonder what has gone wrong, Romans 1:18-32 gives us the answer. Though God revealed Himself to us, humanity rejected Him, and the result has been a slide into deeper and deeper darkness. Later in Romans, Paul describes the progression out of foolishness for those who are now in Christ: “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. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:1-2)   Take-Home Message: Christ’s wisdom is the only antidote to my foolishness.   We Became Fools Through… - Futile Thinking (18-22) - Humanity’s Progression Toward Futile Thinking - Revelation (19-20) - Rejection (21a) - Result (21b-22) - A biblical definition of “futile” (Mataioó)– describes the movement from God-given awareness to empty, self-centered thought. In Romans 1:21, it stands as a decisive verdict on humanity’s intellectual and moral collapse: “they became futile in their thinking”. The term captures the tragic exchange of God’s glory for worthless speculation, exposing the hollowness that results when truth is suppressed.   - False Worship (23)   - Foolish Living (24-32) - A biblical definition of “give approval” (Suneudokeó) –  To give hearty approval, identify with, feel gratified with. Across its six occurrences, syneudokeō portrays a shared stance—whether righteous or sinful—between individuals or groups. It always implies more than passive agreement; it conveys an active, moral participation that forges communal solidarity around a deed or decision. In Romans 1:32, syneudokeō indicts societies that institutionalize sin by celebrating its practitioners.The term issues a dual summons: resist aligning with evil and intentionally align with righteousness. Christian maturity therefore includes vigilant evaluation of all associations, ensuring that consent is given only to what honors the Lord.   Christ Makes Us Wise Through… - Renewed Thinking (Romans 12:2a) - Reasonable Worship (Romans 12:1) - Righteous Living (Romans 12:2b)