Romans Chapter One:

Key scriptures:

“For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God…And instead of worshipping the glorious ever-living God, they worshipped idols…they traded the truth about God for a lie…that is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires…they know that God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway.” (vs.20, 23, 24, 32).

Key truth:

Rebellion against God spirals further down to depravity and death.

 

Romans Chapters Two and Three:

Key scriptures:

“You may think you can condemn such people, but you are just as bad…You who call yourselves Jews are relying on God’s law…But if you don’t obey God’s law, you are no better off than an uncircumcised Gentile…For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard…People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. There is only one God, and he makes people right with himself only by faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles…But he will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and instead live lives of wickedness” (2:1, 17, 25; 3:23, 25, 30; 2:8).

Key truth:

God who is Holy and just, must punish evil, but has provided only one way to be released from the penalty of sinful wrong-doing. Faith in Jesus and his sacrifice clears our record of sin.

“For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life” (John 3:16). 

Romans Chapter Four:

Key scriptures:

“Clearly, God’s promise to give the whole earth to Abraham and his descendants was based not on his obedience to God’s law, but on a right relationship with God that comes by faith…And when God counted him as righteous, it wasn’t just for Abraham’s benefit. It was recorded for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God” (vs. 13, 23-25).

Key truth:

We are counted right with God by faith in Jesus who provides forgiveness of sin. 

Romans Chapter Five:

Key scriptures:

“When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone…people sinned even before the law was given…God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were…For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ” (vs. 12, 13, 20, 17).

Key truth:

Humanity corrupted by disobedience against God, can be saved by faith in the one perfect man, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, God with us. Because he was obedient to God by giving his life as a sacrifice, many will have eternal life.

“…the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God with us’)” (Isaiah 7:14).

“…God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary…the angel told her, ‘You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!” (Luke 1:27-35). 

Romans Chapter Six:

Key scriptures:

“…Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God…Do not let sin control the way you live…use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God…For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord” (vs. 9, 10, 12, 13, 23).

Key truth:

Since Christ died for us, let us die to our sinful self and seek to honor his life in us. 

Romans Chapter Seven and Eight:

Key scriptures:

“…the law itself is holy, and its commands are holy and right and good…and I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature…it was the law that showed me my sin…In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin…

“…The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit…The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you” (7:12, 18, 7; 25; 8:3-4, 10-11; Isaiah 53).

“…all creation was subjected to God’s curse, but with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay…he chose them to become like his Son, and gave them right standing with himself…I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love…does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity…No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us…the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words…and the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will…God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose…” (8:19-21, 29, 35, 38, 26-28). 

Key truths:

The law failed to cure our sinful self, but Christ’s death and resurrection provided healing for our soul and assurance of a future glorious body that will never die. For now believers have the Spirit of Christ living within to keep us united with God and the power to please him. And whatever we go through in this life we can rest in the Father’s love, assured of his best. 

Romans Chapters 9-11:

Key Scriptures:

“…Concerning the Gentiles, God says in the prophecy of Hosea,

‘Those who were not my people, I will now call my people. And I will love those whom I did not love before.’

“…And concerning Israel, Isaiah the prophet cried out, ‘Though the people of Israel are as numerous as the sand of the seashore, only a remnant will be saved…’

“…Even though the Gentiles were not trying to follow God’s standards, they were made right with God. And it was by faith that this took place. But the people of Israel, who tried so hard to get right with God by keeping the law, never succeeded…Why not? Because they were trying to get right with God by keeping the law instead of by trusting in him…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…”

“I ask, then, has God rejected his own people, the nation of Israel? Of course not! Some of the people of Israel have hard hearts, but this will last only until the full number of Gentiles comes to Christ. And so all Israel will be saved. As the scriptures say, ‘The one who rescues will come from Jerusalem, and he will turn Israel away from ungodliness. And this is my covenant with them, that I will take away their sins’…they are still the people he loves because he chose their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For God’s gifts and call can never be withdrawn” (9:25, 27, 30-32; 10:9-10, 11:1, 25-27; Isaiah 59:20-21; 27:9; 11:28-29). 

Key truths:

God has spoken through the prophets about his love for all people, Jews and Gentiles. Faith in Christ’s sacrificial death delivers from eternal banishment from God. Faith in Christ’s resurrection gives eternal life in God’s presence, life without sin and destruction. He keeps his promises forever.

 

Romans Chapter 12:

Key Scripture:

“…let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think…” (v.2).

Key Truth:

Devote yourself to God in holiness and love and service toward others. Overcome evil by doing good.

 

Romans Chapter 13:

Key Scripture:

“Owe nothing to anyone—except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God’s law…” (v. 8).

Key Truth:

Time is running out. Be a shining light in this dark world.

 

Romans Chapter 14:

Key Scripture:

“For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (v. 17).

Key Truth:

Instead of criticizing other Believers over non-essentials, let us build each other up.

 

Romans Chapters 15 and 16:

Key Scriptures:

“Remember that Christ came as a servant to the Jews to show that God is true to the promises he made to their ancestors. He also came so that the Gentiles might give glory to God for his mercies to them…This message about Jesus Christ has revealed his plan kept secret from the beginning of time. But now as the prophets foretold and as the eternal God commanded, this message is made known to all Gentiles everywhere, so that they too might believe and obey him…” (15:8-9; 16:25-26).

Key Truth:

God displayed his faithfulness by providing Salvation through his beloved Jews. God, in his mercy and love, extended Salvation to all people.

 

“This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. Joseph, her fiancé, was a good man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly. As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. ‘Joseph, son of David,’ the angel said, ‘do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus,* for he will save his people from their sins’” (Matthew 1:18-21).

            *Greek form of Hebrew name Jehoshua (Y’hoshua), meaning Jehovah is salvation. Or the Lord saves.

 

 

 

Bibliography

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007, by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

C.I. Scofield, D.D., Editor, The New Scofield Reference Bible, Holy Bible, Authorized King James Version, copyright 1967, by Oxford University Press, Inc., New York.

Charles Boswell, D.D., Immanuel Baptist Church, ibcwichita.org, Sept. 2016, Wichita, KS 67213.