1:5 — Through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for His name’s sake.
Jesus Christ is the promised Messiah and the accomplishment of the Lord’s covenant with King David (Rom. 1:3; also 2 Sam. 7:12–16). Yet God did not only have the Jewish people in mind when He offered us salvation (Is. 42:6; 49:6; 52:15). As Paul explained, his calling was to take the gospel to teach all people to obey the Lord in faith. God loves us and has been preparing His salvation for us since before the foundation of the earth. In Romans, Paul explains what this means to you and all believers everywhere.
1:16 — I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.
We must never feel ashamed of our connection to Christ or the salvation He freely offers to all. It is a high privilege to represent Him, and we must do so with boldness and enthusiasm.
1:17 — “The righteous man shall live by faith.”
We live the whole Christian life by faith in the Lord, who teaches, empowers, and equips us to please Him (Heb. 11:1, 6). We take hold of grace for salvation and for growing in godliness by trusting Him. God loves to honor faith because faith honors Him. It is when we submit ourselves in full obedience to Him that He is glorified in and through us.
1:20 — Since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.
God desires that we know Him, and He has provided a way for us to have a relationship with Him through Jesus Christ. From the beginning, He revealed Himself to Adam and Eve. Unfortunately, through their disobedience, sin came into the world (Gen. 3). Since then, people have rebelled against God, creating their own deities and even denying His existence. Yet even if someone has never seen a Bible or heard about Jesus Christ, that person has no excuse because creation itself testifies that He exists.
1:24 — God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them.
Too many people reject the truth because it interferes with their lifestyle. They participate in every form of sin in an attempt to satisfy their needs, but all they are doing is moving further away from filling the empty void within them—what only the Lord can do. Even deeper emptiness, dissatisfaction, and hopelessness always result. Eventually, those transgressions take over their lives and destroy them (Rom. 1:26, 28).
2:4 — The kindness of God leads you to repentance.
Salvation is God’s work from start to finish. Even our repentance demonstrates His Spirit at work in our hearts. The Lord is so good that He blesses the people who reject Him in order to lead them to repentance. Why? Because it is the nature of God to love people— even when they do not love Him back. We repent because of the goodness of God, not because of our own worthiness.
2:5, 6 — God . . . will render to each person according to his deeds.
When asked, many people explain they are going to heaven, “Because I am a good person.” They measure their worthiness by their own standards and disregard God’s (Rom. 2:1–4). Throughout the Bible we learn that God will reward believers for their Spirit-empowered good works and will punish the lost for their unbelief and flesh-driven evil deeds (Ps. 28:4; 62:12; Prov. 24:12; Jer. 17:10; Matt. 16:27; Rev. 2:23; 20:12, 13). In the end, only God’s judgment will matter, and without faith in Jesus Christ, no one will find a home in heaven.
2:14 — Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law.
In every culture, there is a belief in some kind of deity. It is natural for people to believe in a higher being because within everyone is a conscience that makes them aware of His presence. This is evidenced by the standards of right and wrong that exist in every community and nation. However, the conscience is not sufficient for us to really know God. To truly have a relationship with Him, we must come to Him in faith through Christ.
Answers to Life’s Questions
How does my conscience differ from the guidance of the Holy Spirit?
The conscience functions something like a computer. A computer is programmed to respond in specific ways to specific information. Also, it responds to information based on the commands it has been programmed to follow.
When you click your word processing application, your computer knows which program to open. For the most part, computers are simply responders.
The conscience is a responder as well. It responds to certain input just as it has been programmed. Paul described it like this: “For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them” (Rom. 2:14, 15).
God has programmed His moral code into the heart of every man and woman. We are born with it. When a person’s actions or thoughts violate that code, the conscience responds by sending a “No” message to the brain. On the other hand, when the act or thought goes along with the preprogrammed moral code, the conscience says, “Go.”
Notice that Paul says our thoughts sometimes point out the legitimacy of certain actions. When that happens, if the actions line up with the law of God written in our hearts, the conscience gives us the go-ahead.
When you became a Christian, a change began to occur in your conscience. The basic moral code that everyone has at birth started to be overhauled. The Spirit of truth took up residency in your heart. Then, whether you were aware of it or not, He immediately set about to reprogram your conscience. Whereas before you had a general sense of right and wrong, the Holy Spirit began renewing your mind to more specific and complete truths (1 Cor. 2:10–13).
You participate in this renewal process every time you read your Bible, attend worship, memorize a verse, or pray. The Holy Spirit uses all this input to reprogram the database through which your conscience evaluates every opportunity, thought, invitation, word, and deed.
As this process continues, your conscience tunes in with the moral code of the Holy Spirit—a code reflecting the moral and ethical standards of God. This process sensitizes you not only to God’s moral standards but also to the will of God.
See the Life Principles Index for further study:
2:16 — God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.
Whether we like it or not, we are accountable for everything we do and say because at the judgment, every secret motivation, desire, and act will come out into the open. Jesus said, “Nothing is hidden that will not become evident, nor anything secret that will not be known and come to light” (Luke 8:17). Are there undisclosed sins in your life? If Jesus is your Savior, you are forgiven for all of your transgressions. He has removed the penalty of your sin and has left you spotless in return.
2:24 — “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”
Whether we realize it or not, unbelievers are watching us—how we conduct ourselves and how we treat others. God intends for what they see in us to attract them to Himself (Matt. 5:16). Unfortunately, when we foolishly disobey the Lord, the opposite often happens. How do others respond to God because of your example?
3:5 — If our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say?
Some opponents of Paul claimed that the apostle’s teaching on grace amounted to saying, “I’m saved anyway, so I might as well sin. God’s grace will take care of it.” Paul condemned this distortion of grace. The Lord’s lovingkindness and mercy give us the desire and the power to obey Him, not the right to disobey.
3:10 — As it is written, “There is none righteous, not even one.”
We are all sinners and need the forgiveness of our transgressions. The way the sinful nature is expressed in people’s lives may be different, but its depth and the intensity is the same in all of us.
3:18 — “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
All sin eventually results from a refusal to fear God. All of the heinous transgressions that Paul lists have their source in a rebellious attitude that will not honor the Lord for who He is.
3:20 — Through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.
God gave His people the Law so they could understand their need for grace, not so that they could try to earn their way into His favor. The Law shows us our sin so that we will realize how helpless we are on our own and how great a gift Jesus has given us.
Answers to Life’s Questions
What does God really think of me?
I never thought much about whether God liked me or approved of me when I was a young man. I knew He loved me, but I never thought about whether He liked me. If someone had pressed me on that point, I probably would have concluded that the Lord “somewhat” liked me. I don’t think I would have said that He liked me through and through.
Only after I truly experienced God’s love—His total, unconditional, overwhelming, abundant love—could I say with all honesty, “Yes, God likes me. He approves of me. He likes spending time with me. He likes being with me. He likes hearing me when I pray to Him, and He also enjoys talking with me through His Word. I believe He loves me. He knows I make mistakes, but He sees my heart and my desire to know Him better each day.”
I didn’t come to that position on the basis of things I had accomplished or actions I had taken. Rather, I came to that position solely because I had a new appreciation for God’s grace at work in my life. The Lord certainly does expect obedience, but the fact is, I had done nothing and could do nothing to win His approval. God likes me just the way I am, because He created me to be just the way I am. His approval of me isn’t based on anything I have accomplished or might accomplish in the future. He approves of me because I stand forgiven before Him, and I’m forgiven because I have accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior and have received His forgiveness. That makes me totally acceptable to Him.
The first four chapters of Romans make it very clear that we can’t save ourselves. We are all sinners and have fallen short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23). But because of what Jesus Christ did for us on the Cross, by faith we are “justified as a gift by His grace” (v. 24).
Jesus has done for you what you cannot do. He purchased full approval and forgiveness for you. You cannot have grace without the Cross. But because of the Cross, you have full access to His grace.
Grace is God’s kindness and goodness toward you without regard to worth or merit. As a believer, you have a duty to obey the Lord. But you can’t earn grace, buy it, or barter with God to receive it. Grace is His free gift to you. There is only one thing you can do in regard to grace: receive it gladly!
See the Life Principles Index for further study:
3:23 — All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
We sin when we fail to comply with God’s will or we violate His law—we don’t do the things He created us to do or fulfill the purposes that He planned for us (Eph. 2:10). So we are judged guilty of committing sin and must pay retribution (Rom. 6:23). That is why sin is a debt that we owe—because we have broken the law against God. Jesus alone lived a sinless life and could pay for our sin debt in full (2 Cor. 5:21; Col. 2:13, 14; Heb. 4:15; 7:26–28).
4:3 — “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”
Paul used the example of Abraham, who lived long before the Mosaic Law, to show that the only way for any person to come into a right relationship with God is by grace through faith.
4:20 — With respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God.
God promised Abraham that he and Sarah would have a son and then made them wait a quarter century to fulfill His promise—yet Abraham continued to believe (Gen. 12; 21:1–8). His example shows us that trusting God means looking beyond what we can see to what God sees. We may observe obstacles that are impossible to overcome, but the Lord already envisions the day when He receives the glory for satisfying promises that could only be attained by His power.
4:21 — Being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform.
God can and will deliver whatever He has promised to us. Do we believe that? If we do, then it only makes sense to put our complete trust in Him, regardless of how dark our circumstances might appear.
5:1 — Having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Peace with God is the fruit of oneness with Him. Before we trust Christ as our Savior, we are His enemies—hostile to Him because of our sin (Col. 1:21, 22). Yet on the Cross, Jesus justified us, which means He declared us not guilty of our transgressions. He clothes us in His righteousness and liberates us to have a deep, intimate relationship with Him. The enmity we had with God is abolished (Eph. 2:13–16), and we can have peace and unity with the Lord. We move from darkness to light, from enemies to beloved children, and from death to life.
What the Bible Says About
When we think of grace, we think of God’s unmerited favor, and rightly so. The Lord forgives us out of His unconditional love; therefore, we cannot earn our salvation, nor can we do anything to lose it. It is His gift to us, given in love.
Unfortunately, there are some who fall for the lie that God’s grace stops doing its work in us after we receive Jesus as our Savior. They needlessly forfeit the peace that He has provided them because they don’t realize that God’s grace is founded in love that is secure—not unpredictable or temporary. Rather, the selfless mercy He continually shows us is the same love He displayed at Calvary.
In Romans 5:1, 2, the apostle Paul explains, “We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.”
We stand securely in God’s love because of Christ—not by our own merit. However, where many people become confused is because of the troubles they endure. They believe that they must have somehow fallen from God’s favor because of the pain they face. Yet Paul demonstrates that the Lord even uses the heartaches for our good.
Paul wrote, “We also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Rom. 5:3–5).
Understand that problems will come into your life. However, they’re no reason to believe that the Lord has stopped loving you or that you’ve somehow lost His grace. Just the opposite is true—God has allowed this suffering so that you will learn to persevere, so you’ll develop His character, and so you’ll have hope. Because of His great love for you, He wants you to experience His eternal, abundant life more deeply. However, the only way to prepare you for it is through hardship. So, as you can see, even the trials are the outpouring of His grace.
Therefore, instead of doubting God’s love because of your troubles, rejoice in them. As 1 Peter 4:12, 13 admonishes, “Do not be surprised by the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation.”
See the Life Principles Index for further study:
9. Trusting God means looking beyond what we can see to what God sees.
5:3, 4 — We also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope.
Trials, difficulties, and adversities are often God’s way of developing a Christ-like character in us. No one likes trials, but the Lord can use them for our good, if we will trust Him.
5:8 — God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Knowing that we could do nothing for ourselves, the Lord Jesus Christ died on the Cross to declare us no longer guilty of our sin. He chose to forgive us and save us from the penalty of our transgressions (Rom. 6:23). Jesus did not die only for nice or good people. He gave His sinless life for everyone. And He did this because of His amazing love for us.
6:2 — How shall we who died to sin still live in it?
Paul could not imagine why anyone who genuinely loves Christ would want to continue committing the sins that cost Jesus His life. How could any real believer glory in what God abhors?
6:3 — Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?
Baptism is an act of obedience on our part after we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. You may wonder, “Can I be saved without baptism?” Yes you can because you are not saved by baptism. You are saved by the grace of God. We are baptized because of what it represents—that we love Jesus Christ, who saved us, and we want to submit our lives to Him in obedience.
6:4 — We have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.
Immersion is the only means of baptism that demonstrates the new life perfectly. Having acknowledged that Jesus Christ is our Savior, we confess our sins and die to our old lives, we are buried with Him in baptism, and we are raised with Him to walk in the new lives He’s given us. It is a public testimony that beautifully demonstrates what has happened in our lives as a result of being born again.
6:6 — Our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin.
Before we came to Christ, sin had a choke hold on our lives, and we could do nothing but serve it as its obedient slaves. Through the death and resurrection of Christ, however, we received a new nature and the power to live for God.
6:11 — Consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
If we have died to sin by accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we will have the resurrected life of Christ within us. Neither sin nor death will ever be our master again. Death has been defeated because He gives us life without end with Him in heaven. Until we reach our new heavenly home, we are to draw on the power of the Spirit to put to death the sin that still wants to express itself, and obey God for His glory.
6:23 — The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Our sin has earned us death. Either you pay it and forfeit your life, or Jesus pays it and gives you eternal life (Matt. 16:25, 26)—you make the choice. All of our good works cannot earn us a place in heaven. Our only hope is to receive the free gift that Jesus Christ has purchased for us on the Cross (John 3:16–18).
7:7 — I would not have come to know sin except through the Law.
Without the Law, we would not know what sin is, and God drew attention to our transgressions so we would understand our need for the grace and forgiveness of the Lord Jesus, our Savior.
7:12 — The Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.
The Word of God reveals His character to us—His holiness, righteousness, justice, goodness, kindness, and more. As a reflection of Him, the Word both celebrates His perfect nature and reveals to us our faults so that we can understand our need for His grace.
7:15 — What I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate.
All of us can relate to the fierce internal struggle that Paul describes. We find ourselves succumbing to sin, even though we want to honor God. Until we stand in Jesus’ presence, we will all experience this battle. The only way to win is by dying to ourselves so that Christ can live through us and by submitting to the Spirit’s overcoming wisdom and power.
Answers to Life’s Questions
What does it mean to do spiritual battle?
The conflict within you between the flesh and the Spirit is a form of spiritual warfare, and you win much of the battle just by realizing that the struggle exists.
Sin is still a powerful force, but it can no longer control you unless you allow it to do so. You are not doomed to failure, and to believe otherwise is to remain in needless, painful bondage. That breaks the heart of the Lord and grieves the Spirit (Eph. 4:30).
The truth is, you cannot wander too far, fail too many times, or exceed Christ’s forgiveness. When you repent and turn to Him, He restores you to fellowship as though nothing had ever happened.
Peter denied Jesus three times, despite his boasts to remain faithful; yet the Lord forgave him and made him a powerful leader in the early church. Peter had learned his lesson well. Though he surely experienced other failures and setbacks, he knew that his Savior remained forever at his side, ready to forgive.
Notice what an older and wiser Peter had to say about God’s grace: “His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust” (2 Pet. 1:3, 4).
You are on an ever-upward climb to holiness, set apart for God’s purposes. As you learn to say no to the power of sin and to rest in His grace, you are made free to obey with renewed vigor and understanding. It is imperative to grasp that obedience is always a choice; you decide whether you will yield to God and so become more like Christ.
You have a great potential to live free and holy through Jesus Christ, but God will never force you to do what He desires. Yet He longs for you to turn to Him in every spiritual conflict, acknowledge your weakness, and ask for His power to say no.
Are you tired of fighting a losing battle? Do you secretly feel like a failure? It’s not true! And the sooner you learn to rejoice and grow in the reality of your identity in Him, the sooner you will experience the thrill of victory.
See the Life Principles Index for further study:
7:18 — I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not.
We simply do not have the power by ourselves to do what pleases God. Even the “good things” we do in our own strength make us prideful and dishonoring to God (Is. 64:6).
8:1 — There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Have you ever been plagued by guilt for sins that have been forgiven? This is a ploy of the enemy to discourage you from obeying the Lord and enjoying the abundant life He has for you. This is why you must always remember that as a believer, your sin is completely forgiven (Ps. 103:12). The only One who has a right to judge you is Jesus Christ, who has given His life to justify you (Rom. 5:1, 2; 8:33, 34). He will not condemn you when you believe (John 3:16–18).
8:9 — If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.
When you accept Jesus as your Savior, the Holy Spirit comes to live in you. He is the evidence of your redemption (Eph. 4:30). Therefore, salvation is not merely something you believe. Through it, you receive the very life of God. In your own flesh, you cannot please the Lord, but He has given you His Spirit so that you can relate to Him and bring Him glory, honor, and praise.
8:13 — If you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
Jesus never intended for us to live the Christian life in our own strength. Rather, He gives us His life through His Spirit. God’s grace does not change the nature of our sin—it always leads to death. Instead, His grace enables us to rely on the power of His Spirit to put to death our sinful urges and desires.
8:18 — I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
As children of the sovereign God, we are never victims of our circumstances. Although we may go through rough times, we can be confident that the Lord has a purpose in them and will show His glory through them. That doesn’t mean we pretend we don’t really hurt. But instead we declare, “God’s blessings are worth the sacrifice and obedience.” We cling in hope to the Lord and eagerly expect the rewards that accompany our faith.
8:26, 27 — The Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words . . . He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
When we do not know how to pray, the Holy Spirit teaches us to communicate in a whole new way. He not only soothes our hearts as we lay our burdens at the throne of grace, but also empowers us to become everything we were created to be (Heb. 4:16; Phil. 4:6, 7). He hears our inner cries, guides us by applying Scripture to our lives, and instructs us perfectly about how to do His will.
8:28 — We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
On this side of heaven we may never understand how all things can work together for good for God’s children. Though not all things we experience are in themselves pleasant or helpful—some of them are very painful—we are promised that God uses everything for our benefit. Therefore, we must have faith that He will turn our failures and hardships into opportunities for spiritual growth.
8:29 — Those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son.
We are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, who conforms us to the image of Christ—not to His appearance, but to His character. Becoming more like Jesus is God’s will for every believer. It is the continuous process known as sanctification, and anything that interferes with it must be removed from our lives immediately. Over time, the temptations that enticed us become powerless over us, and the fruit of the Spirit is seen in us in increasing measure (Gal. 5:22, 23). We are conformed to His image, and the world is drawn to Him through our witness.
Answers to Life’s Questions
What does it mean to be conformed to the truth?
Paul wrote that the Lord has predestined us “to become conformed to the image of His Son” (Rom. 8:29)—but just how is God going to accomplish such a job?
Answer: by revealing the truth of His likeness.
As the truth confronts us, we can do one of two things: either we can refuse to be pushed into God’s mold, or we can yield to Him and be fashioned into His likeness.
I once preached a series of sermons, “How the Truth Can Set You Free.” Week after week, people would say to me, “I want to tell you how the Lord has set me free. Last week’s message changed my life.” After they walked away, I would often think, God, what about me? I’m the one who told them. I knew I was not living as free as God wanted me to. After months of seeing other lives changed, God finally changed my own life in a remarkable way.
I learned that I had to listen in order to comprehend and to comprehend in order to be conformed to His truth. God never speaks in order to entertain us; He speaks that we may be made like Jesus. James says, “If anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was” (1:23, 24). Obedience must accompany understanding. We are either in the process of resisting God’s truth or in the process of being shaped by His truth.
After spending several years with Paul, Timothy, the apostle’s protégé, began shepherding the work of the gospel in Ephesus and Asia Minor. As he labored there, Paul wrote to him saying, “Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe” (1 Tim. 4:12).
In the Second Epistle to Timothy, Paul penned these words: “For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am sure that it is in you as well” (1:5).
Timothy didn’t just know the truth—he allowed its power to transform him in such a way that his life became a constant example of godliness. How? Through the unfolding ministry of God’s Word.
See the Life Principles Index for further study:
8:31 — If God is for us, who is against us?
Although people may be against us—causing us trouble, pain, and sorrow—nothing can ultimately triumph over us when we are believers. God wins and we are guaranteed to share in His victory.
8:39 — Nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Human love is often fragile and easily upset. Any number of troubles can impede it. But God’s love is unconditional, and once we accept His love through faith in Jesus, absolutely nothing can ever break our bond to Him (John 10:29).
9:3 — I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh.
Despite his frequent ill-treatment at the hands of his Jewish countrymen, Paul had an intense desire that they come to faith in Christ and so realize that every hope and promise they had ever yearned for was fulfilled in Him. Paul also wanted them to experience the new life of freedom available in Him. How badly do we want people to know Jesus?
9:15 — “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”
God blesses people with His grace and mercy not because they deserve it, but because it is His nature to be tenderhearted, loving, and caring toward people who are suffering, needy, or in distress. Neither grace nor mercy can be demanded; they can only be gratefully accepted.
9:20 — Who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, “Why did you make me like this,” will it?
When the Lord places us on His potter’s wheel, He allows pressure to be applied in just the right places to transform us into the people He created us to be. The process is painful, because when we are humbly broken is when He can use us most powerfully. And just as artists dip their hands in water to reduce the friction on the clay, God handles us with His love, so we must trust Him to shape us as He sees best.
9:27 — “Though the number of the sons of Israel be like the sand of the sea, it is the remnant that will be saved.”
The idea of the remnant appears throughout Scripture (2 Kin. 19:30, 31; Ezra 9:8; Is. 10:20, etc.). Many Jews like Paul were accepting Christ and being saved. However, in His grace and to honor His covenants with Abraham (Gen. 12:1–3) and David (2 Sam. 7:8–16), God also promised to preserve the nation of Israel until the day He redeems them (Ezek. 37:21–28).
10:4 — Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
The goal of the law was always to point us to the Savior (Rom. 7:7), which is why Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the law. He is our righteousness—there is no holiness apart from Him. He completely obeyed the whole law, without exception and without fault, and His perfect, sinless record becomes ours through faith.
10:9 — If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
Salvation can only come through faith in Jesus Christ. You confess it with your mouth to put your faith into action and to affirm that you are accountable to Jesus Christ, who is now your Lord. You also believe in your heart that He has triumphed over death. This means He not only has the ability to save you, but He has the authority to lead you and the wisdom to transform you.
10:13 — “Whoever will call on the name of the LORD will be saved.”
Jesus is our ultimate, final, and complete sacrifice, and salvation is open to every person, regardless of who they are or what they have done. That is why the promise is whoever puts his faith in Christ will be saved and will receive eternal life. It is absolutely guaranteed to any person who receives His grace—He will never reject them.
10:17 — Faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
Listening to God is essential to walking with Him. The Lord blesses us when we hear His promises and respond to them in faith.
11:18 — If you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you.
Paul instructed the Gentiles to remember that they were being grafted in to the covenants that God had given to Abraham, David, and the nation of Israel by His mercy. Likewise, we must always remember that our faith has a context and history. We cannot be true students of the New Testament without also embracing the Old Testament.
11:22 — Behold then the kindness and severity of God.
Paul urges us to recall that God is loving, gracious, and patient, but He is also holy, just, and worthy of our respect. Judgment came to Israel because the people disobeyed Him. Although He will still honor His promise to redeem them (Is. 59:20, 21), we should take their discipline to heart. Paul admonishes, “They were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear” (Rom. 11:20).
11:33 — Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!
We will never completely understand God’s ways or grasp why He does what He does (Is. 55:8, 9), but we can worship Him for the goodness, love, and mercy that He has already shown us!
12:1 — Present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
Many people accept Jesus Christ as their Savior and never learn how to live a life that honors Him. But Paul encourages us to turn ourselves over to God each day, lay our wills on the altar before Him, and ask Him to use us for His glory and the good of His people. In full trust and worship, we commit to obeying Him, knowing that the Lord knows how best to lead us—no matter what happens.
12:2 — Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
Transformation begins with our thinking and with consciences that are committed to listening to and obeying God. Our minds are renewed as we study His Word, and our hearts are changed as we submit to Him. We do not merely try hard to sin less. We learn to depend upon Him, observe His commands, and trust Him to mold us into people who please Him. It is then we discover how awesome it is to live in the center of His will because it is life at its very best—and there is nothing in this world that compares to it.
12:5 — We . . . are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.
God is never pleased when someone says, “I love Jesus, but I don’t need the church.” No Christian has ever been called to “go it alone” in his or her walk of faith. We need one another and should serve and support each other with love and gladness.
12:15 — Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.
Both rejoicing and weeping imply genuine, heartfelt emotion. This kind of keenly felt connection happens only when we choose to invest ourselves deeply in the lives of other believers.
12:21 — Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
When someone wrongs us and we retaliate, we position ourselves on the same level with the person who acted against us. We do not have a right to avenge ourselves—that is God’s duty (Rom. 12:19). Instead, our goal is to be like Christ, who as they were crucifying Him said, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). In that way, the Lord is glorified and those who see our example may turn to Him and be saved (Luke 23:40, 47; 2 Tim. 2:24–26; 1 Pet. 2:12; 3:15, 16).
13:1 — Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.
The Lord is the One who ultimately places people in authority over us—whether that be in our work or country (Dan. 2:21). Our responsibility is to honor God first and foremost (Acts 5:27–29), abide by the laws and rules required of us (Matt. 22:21; 1 Pet. 3:13–15), and pray our leaders understand that they are accountable to God (1 Tim. 2:1–3).
13:10 — Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
God is love, and the law reflects His character. Therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law. Obedience is never about slavishly following rules, but always about eagerly pleasing our loving Lord.
13:14 — Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.
When we know we should avoid a certain place, but we go there anyway, it is sin. When we recognize that a particular activity is a temptation for us, but still participate in it, we are dishonoring the Lord. We are to pursue God’s will for our lives, which leaves us no room for the sinful habits that once held us in bondage. We will either commit ourselves wholeheartedly to the Lord Jesus or we will continue to be preoccupied with our lust. We cannot do both because they are absolutely incompatible with one another (Rev. 3:15, 16).
14:5 — One person regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind.
Certain situations and issues that make absolutely no difference to one person can make the next person stumble badly. God wants us to learn how to live by faith, which means He wants us to develop personal convictions based on our ongoing relationships with Him. We honor God when we help our brothers and sisters in Christ to grow in their faith. We also must make an effort to do everything in love so that we won’t be bound and entrapped by legalism.
14:8 — If we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.
Everything we do should reflect well on and be in submission to the Savior who bought us with His own blood. Even the way we die should witness to the goodness of Jesus Christ. Every moment of every day we belong to Him.
14:12 — Each one of us will give an account of himself to God.
Some people reject God because they want to pursue their own plans. They believe they know what’s best for their lives and are angered by anyone who tells them anything different—even the Lord. Yet the truth is that every person will one day stand before God in judgment, so it is foolish to rebel against Him. Every aspect of our lives must be under God’s authority, because one day we will answer to Him about how we have lived. Our greatest desire should be to please Him (2 Cor. 5:10).
15:2 — Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his edification.
If we are serious about our Christian faith, we must take into consideration how our actions affect others. We cannot mature in our relationship with the Lord in isolation from others, and whenever we interact with others, we should have edifying them and glorifying God as our goal.
15:4 — Whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
Everything we need to know in regards to salvation, living a godly life, and maintaining our faith in the midst of trials can be found in God’s Word. The men and women of Scripture were just like you and me, and their experiences were documented for our encouragement and instruction. So whenever we face adversity we should go to the Lord in prayer and ask Him to teach us through His Word. The Bible is an immovable anchor in times of storm and through it, He can give us the strength and hope to endure.
15:13 — May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
The Christian life is to be characterized by hope, joy, and peace. As we grow in His grace, God wants us to experience each of them in increasing measure. If they’re lacking, we know something has gone wrong.
15:30 — By our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God for me.
Paul, the great apostle, frequently asked others to pray for him. God loves to answer our faithful prayers for our brothers and sisters in Christ. The Lord wants us to regularly lift each other up to the throne of grace so that we can grow as the body of Christ, and so we can experience His powerful presence and provision together (Matt. 18:19, 20).
16:17 — Brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them.
Division is a sure mark of the enemy’s work. God calls His people to unity in order to demonstrate His love to the world (John 13:35; 15:8–17). When it is missing, we become ineffective (1 Cor. 13:1–3). That is why the enemy will attempt to set believers against each other, because while we are busy arguing within the church, we are failing to show the lost Christ’s love (2 Tim. 2:14–26).
16:19 — I want you to be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil.
We are on the wrong track if we are constantly asking, “What’s wrong with doing that?” That is a question for immature believers, not growing ones. God wants us to focus on His will for us and growing in the likeness of Christ—not on why He has instructed us to avoid certain activities and attitudes. If we constantly challenge the Lord’s commands and question His authority, we reveal that there is a terrible strain of pride within us. The enemy has a foothold, and it will not end well.
16:25 — To Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel.
All Christian growth ultimately comes down to our willing submission to the Lord—the only One who can conform us to His image and mature our faith (1 Cor. 3:7). God saved you and He is also able to teach you to walk with Him in joyful obedience. So trust Him, because He “will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you” (1 Pet. 5:10).