As we reflect on 2012 and prepare for 2013, people write lists of things that they resolve to do better in the next year (typically giving them up by February). But while it’s good and healthy to commit to working out more, spending time with family more, and innumerable other resolutions, what are things that we can resolve to that will actually bring help us to see the transformation in our lives that all of the other resolutions search for?

This section of Romans 3 has been described by some as the most important paragraph ever written. In the past two chapters Paul has taken us to the depths of our depravity and continues with “But now…”. Having shown us how hopeless our situation was, he now shows just how complete God’s salvation in Christ is for us. God’s righteousness has been manifested to us, justifying us in His sight and redeeming us from our sin through the propitiation offered by His Son.

As we come to the end of a 5 week stretch of Paul’s case for all to be under God’s wrath, Romans makes one more argument to show us our true nature. None of us actually seek after God. Not only are those sins that we didn’t think were that bad actually that bad, they’re worse. We are each worse than we could have ever imagined and we are left helpless, unable to do anything but quiet all of our excuses and seek Christ as our only justification.

Paul has just spent the better part of two chapters of this letter successively addressing all of humanity and showing how we are all justly under God’s wrath and in need of His grace. At this point, Paul anticipates the questions that are going through his readers’ heads, specifically, if everyone is under God’s wrath, what’s the advantage of being Jewish? For us today, there are so many “religious” things that we do (we take Communion, we get baptized, we preach to others, etc.). If none of these religious works can save us, what’s the point of doing them?

This isn’t exactly a section that gives you a warm, fuzzy feeling inside. This is a section with a hard truth that communicates what exactly is wrong with us. We all notice that something is wrong with the world and with ourselves, but all we hear is “Believe in yourself”, “It’s not that bad”, and “It’s not really your fault.” What Paul is telling us is that we have a disease. It’s not that we simply do dumb things and bad things, but that we have rejected God and His glory and because of our Idolatry, He has allowed us to try to live out Identities contrary to His truth which is pure Insanity.

Paul is indebted to Gentiles because of the Gospel. Paul is eager to share the Gospel. Paul is not ashamed of the Gospel. The Gospel is power of God. The Gospel is the revelation of God’s own righteousness. But what is the Gospel? We know Jesus is probably in there somewhere, but what is this good news of God’s righteousness? Before we can preach the Gospel to our neighbors, our co-workers, our families, and ourselves, we need to know what the Gospel is.

Romans is one of the fullest descriptions of the Gospel not solely because of all of the weighty doctrine it contains (although that certainly helps). The Gospel is a deep well of transformational doctrine and theology for all, but it is the greatest personal message for every individual on earth. Paul wrote Romans to a church that he loved, that he prayed for, that he longed to see, and that he desired to bless with the Gospel and he wanted to be sure that they knew that.

As with most letters, Paul begins Romans by introducing himself. But here he reveals that it isn’t as important to know who he is as it is to know whose he is. In this first sentence, he both greets the Roman church and lays the foundation of the letter in the person, both fully God and fully man, of Christ, the person that has set him apart for His Gospel for His name’s sake.

On Veritas’ 4th Anniversary, we start a new series delving into the depths of the Gospel revealed through the Book of Romans. As we start, it is our goal to not just talk about surface level facts from the book, but to dive deeply into what Paul intended to teach the church in Rome as well as what God means to teach us today. So why did Paul write Romans? What were the big problems facing their church? Do we share in those problems even 2,000 years later?

It’s really easy to think of the benediction as simply the point of closure to the gathering when we’re finally dismissed to go get brunch. But the benediction, the blessing we receive, should be life-altering. Jacob deceived his father for it. Esau tried to kill his brother for it. We strive our whole lives looking for it in every place that we can. The blessing that we seek, the approval of our Father that we crave, is only found in Christ. It’s a free gift that we receive in Christ’s inheritance and it’s a free gift that commissions us to challenge others to take.