The Gospel in Romans

I’ve been studying Paul’s Letter to the Romans lately, and I’m seeing afresh that, while the bad news is worse than we might ever imagine, the good news is more glorious than we might dare to believe.  In other words, the Gospel isn’t just an emotional boost to improve your life and help you feel better:  it’s about coming face to face with our sin in all of its vile dimensions and damning conse­quences AND about how God, out of the awesome grace and goodness of his heart, made a way for his enemies (i.e., us!) to be forgiven, reconciled and justified as joint heirs with Jesus and God’s beloved children forever!

The “low” of the Gospel is very low.  Even though God uses nature to make it plain to all that he is a magnificent, powerful Creator (1:20), from our first parents down to this day we have not honored or thanked the One to whom we owe our existence (v 21).  Instead, we turned away, our minds were darkened, and as fools we worshipped the creature rather than the Creator (vv 22-23).  And this idolatry is universal:  none is righteous, no, not one (3:10); all have sinned by snubbing the glory of God (3:23).  So don’t settle for a “gospel” that merely nods at sin, conceding, “Well, okay, we all make mistakes.”  Insist on a Gospel that says, “You are a rebel guilty of high treason, and you deserve the holy wrath of God!”

And the “high” of the Gospel is very high.  We can be justified and embraced by God through faith in Jesus Christ (3:22).  This is a gift overflowing from divine grace (v 24).  And the way it works is by the blood of Jesus (v 25).  In other words, in his death the Son of God endured the Father’s righteous wrath so that rebel sinners who admit their guilt and cry out in faith for mercy can be saved—can receive eternal life and joy in the presence of Christ!  God put his Son forward as an “atoning sacrifice” (v 25), a suffering substitute bearing our guilt and taking our penalty so that we could go free.  In this way God is just (sin’s penalty is paid; it would be unjust to simply sweep our sin under the rug) and he is also the justifier of all who put their faith in Jesus (v 26)—he declares all who trust in Christ Not Guilty.

Just think what the Bible really teaches.  Out of love Christ died so that we, his enemies, could live—forever (5:8).  Such good news!