Paul: The Legacy of a Transformed Man – Part One – Romans
Opening Song: https://youtu.be/OrCpKa_xOcE?si=3SxckjnzbhR5kZ6M
Romans 1:1-5 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+1%3A1-5+&version=NLT
Romans 8:18-25 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+1%3A1-5+&version=NLT
Synopsis: God’s project of restoring creation begins with restoring us. A restored humanity is the key to renewing the world. You becoming a new person in Christ is not just something God is doing for your sake. It is for the sake of the world. Renewed people are the building blocks God is using to build a new world (see 1 Peter).
Head – The Gospel is the good news of what Jesus has done for us. This is what Paul means when he says “the righteous will live by faith.” The righteous are those who, in spite of their sins, have been forgiven and made right in God’s eyes. The rupture in their relationship with God has been healed. The divide has been closed. These people will live by faith, because of what Jesus did for us on the cross.
But actually, the Greek text is tricky to translate. It can mean to live by faith, which would mean that the righteous trust God for something, which we do. We trust God for everything. But it can also mean that we live according to his righteousness, which would mean that what we are trusting is the character of Jesus. And, that is exactly right. Our faith, our trust, is in the character of Jesus and his faithfulness. His completed work is what we trust. Our foundation is Jesus, his life, his teachings, his death, his resurrection and his ascension into heaven.
So, the Gospel is about what Jesus has done for us. But, it is also about what he will do through us. Romans one says, “As to Jesus’s earthly life, he is a descendant of David.” Why is that important? Because of what God’s original plan was.
At the dawn of history, God created humankind in his image and invited them to participate in God’s reign over all creation. We were meant to join God in shaping this world, caring for it, and, directing it to a future in which God’s presence would be known and felt in every corner of creation.
When humanity turned away from God, that plan was left undone. But God was patient and waited until he could find someone who would be willing to be part of that plan. He spent centuries, perhaps millennia looking for a parter. That he found in Abraham and Sarah. God entered into covenant with Abraham and Sarah and promised them that through their family, God would rescue the world and set it back on track.
The Hebrew people are the descendants of Abraham and Sarah. But, unfortunately, they have proven to be no better than the rest of the human race. Yet, God never gave up on them or on his promises to them. And, from time to time, there were glimpses of hope within the Hebrew family. One of these was King David. King David was far from perfect. In fact, he was a very flawed man. But he had a heart for God, and he, more than any other leader, moved the nation in the right direction. And his reign was bit like Camelot, giving us glimpse of what it might be like for God to reign on earth; but only a glimpse. Humanity would still need a great King to bring about the full reign of God. That is what we see in the life of Jesus. We see what it looks like to have a leader who fully loves and obeys God. He did for us and for Israel what we could not do.
That is the Gospel for us, what Jesus has done on our behalf. But the Gospel is also something through us. Romans one says “It is the power of God for all who believe.” But, the power for what? Is it a political power, meaning that we try to take over everything, including the government? Is a financial power, meaning that we get have mansions and fancy cars in exchange for following Jesus? Is personal power, so that we get to be the very best at everything from football to singing? Paul gives us the answer in Romans 8, which is the heart of the Romans.
Heart – The Personal Connection
Romans eight says, “We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in childbirth right up to the present age.” The world is suffering under the weight of sin and death. Anyone who has eyes to see and ears to hear knows that. And Christians, who have the Spirit of God, join creations in its moaning and suffering, as we wait eagerly for God to finish the work he started in Jesus.
Paul says that what we wait for is the “redemption of our bodies.” We wait for the resurrection in which God will set creation free from sin and death. “This is the hope by which we are saved.” We are not just waiting around till we die and go to heaven. We are waiting for God to make all things new. We are waiting for the world to be set free from sin and death.
For now, we share in the sufferings of this world. But, Romans eight says, “the Spirit of God helps us in our weakness.” How? By helping us to pray for ourselves and the world. Somehow our prayers are tied to God’s plans for this world. Somehow our prayers play a part in the world’s redemption. Yet, when we look at all the problems in the world, we do not always know how and what to pray. Sometimes, I think to myself, that if I had all of the power of God, I would not know how to fix some of things that are wrong with this world. I would not know what to do or what to ask God to do?
When we face that reality, we join the Spirit of God in prayer by simply groaning with and for creation. We simply ache in God’s direction like a suffering child who does not know what to ask of their loving parent, but they trust their parent just the same.
Paul will then go on to talk about what it will look like when God finishes his work in us. Jesus calls us to himself. He justifies us, that is, he forgives us and restores into a right relationship with him. But he also glorifies us. What does that mean?
Well, in Genesis one, God creates us in his image, so that we can reflect his glory back into the world. Yes, this passage in Romans eight is using Genesis one language. The original plan was for humankind to reign with God in this world, and thus to show creation what God is like. The Gospel is God’s plan to set that all back in motion. God is working to transform us and renew his image in us, so that creation can see what God is like by the way humans live.
Go back to verse 19, which says, “Creation waits with eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed.” There is an aspect of that that will not be completed until the resurrection. But, there is a part of that promise that begins now. Creation is eager to see who the children of God are. It is waiting to see men and women in whom the image of God is being restored.
Though the world’s hope ultimately rest on Jesus, parts of that work is carried on and moved forward as people are restored by power of God working in us through the Holy Spirit. God’s reign is demonstrated and displayed to the world through men, women, and children who are being filled with supernatural life.
The power of God at work in us is not so that we can about bossing people around, taking over the world, accumulating wealth and influence, or even so that we can be better than other people. It is about God transforming our hearts so that we reflect God’s character. Lives that display God’s glory are lives that reflect the character of Jesus.
Hands – The Application
The ancient church father, Irenaeus, said, “What gives God glory is people who are fully alive.” This is Romans 8 and Genesis 1 language. Irenaeus imagines people who offer themselves fully to God. He is imagining people who do their daily work and their daily play for God’s pleasure. They worship God with every aspect of their life. In fact, Paul’s letter will go that very same place.
In Romans 12 we read: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, and pleasing and perfect will.”
Closing Song