What intimidates you?

Honestly, not too much intimidates me. I am not scared to go into
sketchy situations. I am not nervous about meeting new people;
actually, I rather like it. I do not mind walking into a roomful of
strangers. I am not intimidated by meeting dignitaries, movie stars, or
officials. (Hmmm… I think the person I have most enjoyed meeting was
Lee Strobel. He is a hero of mine, and the only autograph I own and
truly value. It is in the back of my little Bible.) That said, I have
felt intimidated by tackling the book of Romans, I guess because I know
it is complex, brilliant, and so very important to get right! And
needless to say, anyone teaching the Word of God must realize that it is
both an awesome privilege and a tremendous responsibility. I always
keep in mind James’ words, “Let not many of you become teachers, as such
is the stricter responsibility.”

When I mentioned studying and learning the truths of Scripture should be done the same way as eating
an elephant—one bite at a time—I meant that. We shall take Paul’s
brilliant letter written to the church at Rome, one bite at a time,
sequentially, looking at the whole letter, rather than bits and
snatches. Then you get a feel for the man, Paul, and his intense
commitment—his love of the Lord, and his total dedication to teaching
and training the church in correct Christian doctrine. Think of it…Paul
paved the way with his Holy Spirit-inspired writing on Christian
living. How different history would have looked if Paul were not part
of the historical fabric! One day, we shall sup with this saint in
Heaven, and for me--that will be glorious.

The year was A.D. 58—our Lord had ascended into Heaven just 25 years earlier—when Paul
wrote this letter from the town of Corinth. Some believe it to be the
most important human document ever written, because of the impact it
made on the Christian church then, and down through the ages. It was
this book that dramatically impacted Martin Luther, sparking the
Protestant Reformation. Luther’s impassioned writing on Romans spurred
Englishman John Wesley’s spiritual awakening, igniting an evangelical
fire in London. With that in mind, I am quite thrilled to be embarking
on this voyage into Romans.

Of Paul’s 14 letters, this is one of the longest introductions; all of the major themes of the book are
included in it. Let’s get started:

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God—the
gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy
Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a
descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared
with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead:
Jesus Christ our Lord. Through him and for his name’s sake, we received
grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the
obedience that comes from faith. And you also are among those who are
called to belong to Jesus Christ.

To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace and peace to
you from God our Father
and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 1.1-7

I love how Paul introduced himself—not ‘Paul, Roman citizen with his long
list of credentials, but ‘Paul, a slave of Jesus Christ.’ No question
of his allegiance. Is there application for you and me here? I think
so. Of course, you and I are in part the various roles we play—but our
stated vocation should be the same as Paul’s, should it not? “Hi, I’m
Chad, servant of Jesus Christ. Oh, and I also work for Lowe’s.” Would
that not be a trip at your next business-networking event or Chamber
mixer?

‘All the prophets said about him came true in Jesus Christ; clearly, the Son of God, in his inherent divine power arose from
the dead! I am one of his apostles and you also are invited into faith
in him … ah yes, my Roman friends, I extend the grace and peace of God
to you, made possible through Jesus Christ our Lord.’ A triumphant,
uplifting introduction to the letter that will follow, isn’t it?

Welcome to Romans, my dear ones.

Christine