The Word Unleashed - Radio

The apostle Paul makes clear that every person has transgressed God’s perfect law and that no religious act or spiritual accomplishment can deal with such lawbreaking before a holy God. Our only hope to be right with God is Jesus Christ—the eternal Son of God that assumed human flesh to die a substitutionary death for sinners.

Romans 2 teaches that no ritual-no outward act-can ever bring us salvation. But rather, salvation comes only through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. It’s not about what we do for God, but what He has already done for us in His life, death, and resurrection. That’s the good news of the gospel. And that’s the message of grace.

With unflinching clarity, Paul reveals that religious efforts—however sincere, however ancient—can never form the foundation of anyone's salvation. The only hope rests solely in the person and work of Jesus Christ—His perfect life and His sacrificial death in the place of all who would believe.

In Romans 2, the apostle Paul teaches that the Jews were confident that they themselves were assured of eternal life because of one primary religious ritual: circumcision. Their basic problem was that their confidence of salvation, that they were right with God, was in external religion.

Romans 2 teaches that all people—those who reject Christ and those who have believed upon Christ—experience the goodness of God in what is called “common grace.” But as you’ve learned so far in the series, God’s common grace must never be treated lightly.

When we fail to properly value God's common grace, we begin to assume we've somehow earned these blessings—that they're owed to us by divine obligation or personal merit. The humbling truth? This grace is entirely undeserved—flowing solely from God's boundless generosity toward His creation.

Where can we spot God's common grace in our world? The Bible shows us it's everywhere—in the warmth of human connection, the satisfaction of a meal, the golden glow of sunrise, gentle rain refreshing the earth—countless daily gifts we often take for granted. But why such generosity? Because goodness is in God's very nature.

As we’ll discover together in this series, the Jews knew Scripture and even condemned the sin of others. But they themselves were under God’s judgment because they had a flawed view of God’s common grace.

Paul’s teaching in Ephesians challenges us to live differently—truthfully, not lying; peacefully, not harboring sinful anger; diligently, not stealing; graciously, not tearing others down; and kindly, not holding on to bitterness.

In Ephesians 4–5, the apostle Paul emphasizes the importance of imitation in the Christian life—particularly imitating God. This isn’t just about mimicking actions; it’s about reflecting God’s character in every aspect of our lives.