Many, when they think of Romans, think of the Roman Road, the road to salvation as this unknown quote reveals. There is a Romans Road that leads to Heaven! But, it is not one of the roads that was built by Caesar’s workmen. It is not posted on any of the 53,000 miles of roads that the Romans built. You will find the “Romans Road to Heaven” clearly marked in the Book of Romans, starting in Romans 3:10. Romans is the sixth book of the New Testament. This small book of sixteen chapters was written by the Apostle Paul while he was at Corinth. He sent it to the Christians at Rome by the hands of Phoebe, servant of the church at Cenchrea (Romans 16:1.2). But there are many other roads to walk on in this book. Today we’re going to look at some of them and why they matter.

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Are You Avoiding Romans?

• Is Romans one of those books you try to avoid when you read the New Testament?
• If you have a Bible reading plan, the day will come in the year when you have to engage this book in the New Testament.
• You don’t have to dread it or be confused by it.
• You can be armed and ready for revelation from the Spirit of God.
• But, you have to know how to engage it.

What Is Romans?

Romans is a letter.

• It’s a letter written on papyri, which was the e-mail of that day.

Roman’s is a letter written by an apostle.

Romans 1:1 (KJV)
1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,
An apostle is one who pioneers churches.

Romans is a letter written by an apostle, to a church he did not pioneer.

• Paul was not over the church of Rome apostolically.
• He never visited the Roman church before.

Romans 1:13 (KJV)
13 Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles.

• If Paul didn’t pioneer the church in Rome, who did?
• How did the church come into existence?
• You remember on the day of Pentecost, how the Holy Spirit fell on the disciples in the Upper Room?
• Read the list of the nations who were represented.

Acts 2:7–10 (KJV)
7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? 8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? 9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, 10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,

• Who were the strangers of Rome?
  • There were people who lived in Rome and happened to be visiting Jerusalem the day the Spirit came with a mighty rushing wind.
  • They took the message back to Rome and the church started from there.
• What does this tell us?
  • It tells us the gospel of Jesus Christ is way bigger than any one man. It was bigger than Paul. It’s bigger than you or I.
  • It tells us God doesn’t just work with ‘big name’ people. There was no ‘big name’ but certain strangers who started the church in Rome.
• God’s way to get things done is to get people in the right place at the right time.

[Tweet “God doesn’t just work with ‘big name’ people. No ‘big name’ started the church in Rome.”]

Romans is a letter of introduction

• One reason Paul writes this letter is to acquaint the Roman church with his message.
• The man and the message were one in the ancient world.
• To accept the message was to accept the man.

Luke 10:16 (KJV)
16 He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me.

2 John 10 (KJV)
10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:

• The man and the message were one. So, Paul lays out his message in hopes of acceptance.
• Romans is a letter of introduction asking for support for his trip to Spain.

Romans 15:22–24 (KJV)
22 For which cause also I have been much hindered from coming to you. 23 But now having no more place in these parts, and having a great desire these many years to come unto you; 24 Whensoever I take my journey into Spain, I will come to you: for I trust to see you in my journey, and to be brought on my way thitherward by you, if first I be somewhat filled with your company.

Romans 15:18–19 (KJV)
18 For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me, to make the Gentiles obedient, by word and deed, 19 Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.

• If you have the opportunity, take a look at a map of the 1st century. You might find one in the back of a good study Bible. If you plot a straight, point to point, course from Jerusalem to Illyricum you have a figure of roughly 1200 miles.
• This would be a lot of travel in our day. But it’s a magnificent amount of travel in Paul’s day.
• Now, try and locate Spain on the same map.
• It’s even further west, an additional 1000 miles.
• You can see spreading the gospel and establishing churches was in the heart of Paul.
• After three missionary journeys, after imprisonment, riots, shipwrecks, physical abuse and perils of all sorts (2 Cor. 11:23-28), Paul is ready for his next thousand miles.
• The tenacity of this man was further exhibited when he visited the city of Lystra.

Acts 14:19 (KJV)
19 And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and, having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead.

• In Lystra, Paul was stoned.
• He had rocks bounced off his body. Rocks bounced off his head.
• So what does Paul do?

Acts 14:20–21 (KJV)
20 Howbeit, as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up, and came into the city: and the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe. 21 And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch,

• He walks right back into the same city that just got through stoning him.
• Is this something you would do?
• This is the Man who says to the church at Rome, “help me get to Spain.”
• Does this describe you?
• Do you feel as if you have accomplished all you need to for Jesus?
• Paul further shows where his heart is in this statement.

Romans 1:8–9 (KJV)
8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. 9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers;

• Paul prayed for the church at Rome constantly though he wasn’t the founder of the work.

Philippians 2:4 (KJV)
4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

• Paul had the kingdom of God on his heart.

Romans Behind the Scenes

• The make-up of the church was mostly Gentile at the time of Paul ‘ visit though it was founded by Jews who had become believers.
• This was largely because of a decree by the Emperor Claudis who banished Jews from Rome for a seven year period (Acts 18:2).

Why Can Romans Be Difficult to Read?

Because you were looking for a story and you got doctrine instead.

• Romans is unlike Acts, the previous book in the order of the New Testament.
• No one gets healed or delivered from demons in Romans.
• No new churches are established.
• No riots take place and the dead are not raised.
• Acts has a storyline. Everyone loves a good story. Romans doesn’t fit the bill.
• When you come to Romans, all the activity comes to stop-sign halt.
• Romans is a different type of New Testament document.
• Romans is a doctrinal letter.
• In it, Paul presents what he believes the gospel is.
• Doctrine is important.
• The old adage, “If you don’t stand for something you’ll fall for anything” applies.

Because you ran into Paul’s comments to the Jews and thought to yourself, ‘This doesn’t apply to me.’

• At times, we all struggle with finding the application of certain Bible passages.
• All the Bible is written for us but not all the Bible is written to us is a true statement.
• As a general rule, instead of dismissing a passage because it ‘wasn’t written to you’, try to see if there’s an ‘eternal’ or universal God principle in the passage.

Because righteousness is a big deal in Romans but you only have a faint clue what it means.

• The phrase ‘the righteousness of God’ appears in Romans 8 times. Paul only uses it one other time outside of Romans.
• Righteousness and justification are big Bible words helping us to bridge to Paul’s idea of what the gospel is and does for mankind.

Because you were looking for the main point and you couldn’t find it.

• Paul raised several issues in communicating with this church.
• There isn’t just one main point.
• There are several. Knowing and walking in the principles espoused in these points this will add value to your life.

[Tweet “Being righteous forgiven children of God is not an excuse to live in sin.”]

What Issues Did Paul Raise with the Romans and Why Does It Matter?

• In Romans chapter 1, Paul Addresses the Issue of the Universal Need for Salvation.
  • Why is it important? Knowing How to Get to Heaven Matters
• In Romans Chapter 2, Paul Addresses the Issue of the Religious Hypocrite and His Guilt.
  • Why is it important? Knowing that everyone must come by way of the cross matters
• In Romans chapter 3, Paul Establishes Jesus is the answer for both Jew and Gentile.
  • Why is it important? Realizing the ground is level at the cross matters.
• In Romans chapter 4, Paul Gives Abraham and David as Examples of People Who Gained Righteous Status Before God Without Working for it.
  • Why is it important? Knowing you can’t work your way into heaven matters.
• In Romans chapter 5, Paul Shares Why the Free Gift of Righteous is a Good God Thing.
  • Why is it important? You can reign in life through a proper understanding of righteousness.
• In Romans chapter 6, Paul Addresses the Justified Believers Responsibility to Live Free from Sin.
  • Why is it important? Being righteous forgiven children of God is not an excuse to live in sin.
• Romans chapter 7, Paul Informs the Church the Reasons Why Faithfully Following the Law Doesn’t Work.
  • Why is it important? Knowing why the law doesn’t work will keep you from living a legalized Christian life.
• In Romans chapter 8, Paul Shows the Believer the Explosive Potential of Life in the Spirit.
  • Why is it important? This is the result of having doctrine at work in one’s life.
• In Romans chapter 9, Paul Lets the Jewish Brethren Know God Has Not Left Them Behind.
  • Why does it matter? God’s Great Covenantal Love and Mercy is Always on Display.
• In Romans chapter 10, Paul Summarizes Israel’s Current State of Rejection
  • Why does it matter? There Are Consequences for Rejecting God’s Ways.
• In Romans chapter 11, Paul Shows Rejected Israel Has Will Be Restored.
  • Why does it matter? There’s hope for even the most difficult and stubborn cases.
• In Romans chapter 12, Paul Addresses Living the Righteous Life.
• Why does it matter? Doctrine Must Make Its Way to Practical Everyday Living.
• In Romans chapter 13, Paul References the Christians Obligations to Government and Mankind.
  • Why does it matter? Respect is Huge in the Kingdom of God.
• In Romans Chapter 14, Paul Addresses Proper Conduct Toward a Weak Believer.
  • Why does it matter? Everything is not about you.
• In Romans chapter 15, Paul Conveys Walking in Love Toward Fellow Believers and His Desire to Go to Spain.
  • Why does it matter? Reaching out to Saved and Unsaved is the way of the Christian.
• In Romans 16, Paul Sends Greetings.
  • Why does it matter? These greetings let us know who some of the other believers were in Paul’s circle.

Call to Action:

Are you ready to engage Romans now? Pray and ask the Spirit of God to open your heart to the truths found in this letter.

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Questions: What insight have you received from this letter which changed your everyday life? Please leave your comments in the comments section below.