Paul has spent the first eight chapters or Romans explaining and celebrating the beauty of the gospel. Before moving on to a number of chapters of practical application, he pauses in chapters 9-11 to address an important question. If the gospel was promised beforehand through the Holy Scriptures (specifically the Old Testament), and if Israel was God’s chosen nation through whom the gospel was promised, then why have the vast majority of the Jewish people rejected their Messiah?

The world urges us to avoid suffering at all costs. But as followers of Jesus, the one who willingly suffered on the path to victory, how should we view suffering? In one of the most inspiring passages in the Bible, Paul invites us to a gospel perspective on suffering. He lifts our gaze to our future glory, he acknowledges the tension of waiting for it, and all along he reminds us of the faithful love of God poured out through the past work of Jesus and the present ministry of the Holy Spirit.

If those who have received the gospel have been freed by Jesus from the power and destiny of sin, then why do we still struggle with it? And how to do we continue to grow and pursue maturity? In this passage, as Paul responds to these questions, he elaborates on the realities of the new realm we live in as believers and draws our attention to the Holy Spirit as the key to living our new lives.

As the book of Romans has progressed, Paul has helped us see that followers of Jesus are no longer subject to the Law. Instead, through Christ, we have been set free to live for him! This passage constitutes a key transition in Paul’s argument, one that exposes a key tension that must be addressed. Paul gets honest about a battle he faces within himself: the unresolved struggle between his “new self,” which desires to live fully devoted to God, and his sinful “old” nature, which causes him to behave in ways that contradict his commitment to live for God. The struggle Paul describes is one that every follower of Jesus is all too familiar with. In his vulnerability, he invites us to recognize the importance of each one of us honestly facing this struggle in our own lives.

The Biblical account of Jesus’ temptation is like a guidebook for practically pursuing renewal in our lives. Jesus steps away from “normal” life to spend 40 days in the wilderness pressing into God. And in this place of retreat he is confronted by the enemy. His interaction teaches us to recognize common areas of human weakness, the tactics of the accuser, and the keys to advancing in victory as we follow the example of the one and only Son of God, Jesus Christ.

Here’s a key question for anyone who claims to follow Jesus—do you actually want to follow him? For those whose answer is “Yes!”, Paul challenges us to keep our eyes on the destination, to cooperate with God’s grace, and to remember who we are. In all of this, his call is to live a life that increasingly matches up with our commitment to Jesus.

After celebrating the beauty of God’s grace and the great hope offered by the gospel, Paul responds to a natural question that arises. If salvation is by grace through faith, empowered by Jesus without any human effort, then does it matter how we live? If the result of sin increasing is grace increasing even more, then why not just go on sinning? Paul’s response is clear, deeply rooted in the story of Jesus, and powerfully practical: morality matters.

Just how great is the love of God that has been poured out on the world through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ? Paul reflects on humanity's tragic situation and celebrates the destiny-altering benefits of personally responding to the super-abounding grace of Jesus Christ.

In last week’s sermon, we explored the central message of scripture and the whole history of God’s saving work: "But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe." (Romans 3:21-22). As we look to Romans 4, Paul addresses an audience who seem to have questions and doubts about this message. Can it really be true? Is faith in Christ really "enough"? Some of us may have these questions, too. In this passage, Paul helps us see that being in right relationship with God has always only been possible through God’s grace.

When we grow to understand the truth of the gospel, we are freed to respond by faith to God’s invitation and to live in his abundance and purpose. But why is the gospel necessary? And why did Jesus have to die on the cross? And what did Christ’s death accomplish? And if it’s all about faith, do we still need to obey God laws? This key passage in Romans explores these questions and more.