Review We’ve been going through Paul’s letter to the Romans since March. And his letter began with the bad news that there’s no difference between us, because all of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. And so, all of us are justly liable to suffer God’s wrath against sinners in … Continue reading Romans 05(12–21) →

Introduction Paul has been teaching us that sin and death came into the world because of Adam; and justification and life came into the world because of the Lord Jesus Christ. In the beginning, Adam disobeyed God’s clear command concerning the forbidden fruit. And by disobeying God, it’s as if he opened a door that … Continue reading Romans 06(15–23) →

Introduction I hardly need to remind you that Paul began his letter with the bad news that there’s no difference between us, because all have sinned and fallen short of the glory God. And we are therefore justly liable to suffer God’s wrath against sinners. However, after the bad news, there’s the good news, which … Continue reading Romans 05(01–05) →

Introduction Paul is writing to the believers in Rome about the gospel of Jesus Christ. And the gospel of Jesus Christ begins with the bad news that there’s no difference between Jews and Gentiles, because all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. There is no-one righteous, not even one. There is … Continue reading Romans 04(13–25) →

Introduction Paul is explaining the good news of the gospel to us. He’s already explained the bad news, which is that there is no difference between Jews and Gentiles, because all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. There is no-one righteous, not even one. There is no one under who understands … Continue reading Romans 04(01–12) →

Introduction At the end of chapter 3 and throughout chapter 4 Paul explained to us that sinners are justified through faith in Christ. And justification means God not only forgives us for what we’ve done wrong, but he regards us as if we’ve done everything right. And he’s able to treat us that way because … Continue reading Romans 05(06–11) →

Introduction Back in verse 15 of Romans 1, Paul wrote that he was eager to preach the gospel in Rome. He was eager to preach the gospel in Rome because the gospel is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew and then for the Gentile. And near … Continue reading Romans 03(25b–31) →

Introduction I said last week that Paul’s letter to the Romans can be divided into three parts. The first part is all about our sin and guilt and misery. The second part is all about what God has done to save us from our sin and guilt and misery by his Son. And the third … Continue reading Romans 03(21–25a) →

Introduction From time to time I refer to the Heidelberg Catechism, which is similar to our church’s Shorter Catechism in that it’s a summary of what Christians believe and it’s in the form of questions and answers. There are lots of catechisms, but the Heidelberg Catechism is one of the best. It begins magnificently by … Continue reading Romans 03(01–20) →

Introduction A lot of people were missing last week because of the marathon and because of the Bank Holiday. So, let me remind you of what Paul has been saying in his letter to the Romans. In the early part of chapter 1 he wrote about his desire to visit the believers in Rome and … Continue reading Romans 02(17–29) →