6/7/2026 - Romans 1:1-17

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ, To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world. For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God’s will I may now at last succeed in coming to you. For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you— that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine. I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles. I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.Today we begin our summer series in the Book of Romans—a book that has changed the world, changed the Church, and changed countless lives, including the life of a young Augustinian monk named Martin Luther. But before Romans ever changed Luther, before it ever changed the Reformation, before it ever changed the world, Romans begins by announcing something far more important: God’s action for sinners in His Son Jesus Christ.Romans does not begin with human effort. It does not begin with moral improvement. It does not begin with spiritual striving. Romans begins with God’s initiative, God’s movement toward us, God’s righteousness revealed and given in the Gospel.I. The Gospel Moves Toward Us Before We Move Toward God (vv. 1–1)Paul opens his letter with a sentence that is almost entirely about God. “Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the Gospel of God.” Notice the direction of movement. Paul is not climbing toward God; God is coming toward Paul. Paul is not volunteering for apostleship; he is called. He is not choosing his mission; he is set apart. He is not inventing a message; he is entrusted with the Gospel of God.The Gospel is not Paul’s idea. It is not humanity’s collective wisdom. It is not a philosophy discovered by human reason. It is God’s Gospel—God’s good news, God’s initiative, God’s saving action.And what is this Gospel about? Paul tells us immediately: it is “the Gospel concerning His Son.” The Gospel is not a set of principles. It is not a moral code. It is not a spiritual technique. The Gospel is a person—Jesus Christ, the Son of God.Paul then describes Jesus with two phrases that summarize the entire story of salvation. He is “descended from David according to the flesh”—true man, born into our world, sharing our humanity. And He is “declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by His resurrection from the dead”—true God, vindicated, triumphant, risen.In other words, the Gospel is the story of God coming down into our world, taking on our flesh, entering our history, bearing our sin, dying our death, and rising to give us life.The Gospel is not humanity reaching up to God. The Gospel is God reaching down to humanity.This is the first great truth of Romans: Before we ever move toward God, God has already moved toward us in Christ.And this is good news, because left to ourselves, we do not move toward God. Scripture says, “No one seeks God.” Our hearts are curved inward. Our wills are bound. Our desires are disordered. We do not climb to God; we run from Him. We do not seek His righteousness; we hide from it.But God seeks us. God comes for us. God moves toward us in His Son.Romans begins with God’s action because the Christian life begins with God’s action. Everything else in this letter—every command, every exhortation, every encouragement—flows from this first truth: God acts first.II. The Gospel Gives Identity Before It Commands Obedience (vv