Bible Matters 475: Romans Gospel of Love

As you study the New Testament using the preponderance of evidence standard, you can see the doctrine from the books align.  This is to be expected as the eight witnesses talked to each other.  Paul had high regard for Mark’s doctrine of Jesus.  Mark was profitable for the ministry. 

2 Timothy 4:11 – Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.

Paul wrote fourteen epistles of which Romans it the first listed in the New Testament.   Paul was persecuted by the Jews and he demanded to be heard by Caesar in Rome.  Paul and Silas experienced a great earthquake and were freed of their chains.  The magistrates freed Paul and Silas, but they demanded to be heard in Rome. 

Acts 16:26,36-38 – And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.   And the keeper of the prison told this saying to Paul, The magistrates have sent to let you go: now therefore depart, and go in peace.  But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out privily? nay verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us out.  And the serjeants told these words unto the magistrates: and they feared, when they heard that they were Romans.

In a dream, Paul was commanded to be a witness for the Lord in Rome.

Acts 23:11 – And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.

Paul stood his ground and demanded that his case be heard before Caesar.

Acts 25:10-11,16 – Then said Paul, I stand at Caesar’s judgment seat, where I ought to be judged: to the Jews have I done no wrong, as thou very well knowest.  For if I be an offender, or have committed anything worthy of death, I refuse not to die: but if there be none of these things whereof these accuse me, no man may deliver me unto them. I appeal unto Caesar.  To whom I answered, It is not the manner of the Romans to deliver any man to die, before that he which is accused have the accusers face to face, and have license to answer for himself concerning the crime laid against him.

Although Jews were being extradited from Rome, Paul remained for two years teaching the kingdom of God.

Acts 28:16,19,30 – And when we came to Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard: but Paul was suffered to dwell by himself with a soldier that kept him.  But when the Jews spake against it, I was constrained to appeal unto Caesar; not that I had ought to accuse my nation of.  And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him,

Paul endured pain and suffering on his way to Rome, but he did as God commanded.  His testimony is that he endured to the end, serving God.  Although Paul only spent 15 days with Peter and Jesus’s brother James, his epistle to the Romans confirmed God’s gospel of Love doctrine, brought to the earth by Jesus. 

 Let’s review the Paul’s epistle to the Romans establishing God’s gospel of Love. 

• Believe in one God

Romans 1:16,17 – For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.  For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

Romans 3:10-12,18 – As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:  There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.  They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.  There is no fear of God before their eyes.

Romans 10:17 – So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

• Repent of your sins and surrender to God.

Romans 6:1-2 – What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?  God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

Romans 8:12-13, 21 – Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.  Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

Romans 12:1-2 – I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

• Judge no one

Romans 2:2-3,5 – But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?  But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;

• Love God – When you love God, you seek to serve him.

Romans 8:21 – Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

Romans 8:28 – And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Romans 10:10-11 – For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

• Love your Neighbor

Romans 13:8-10 – Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.  Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

• Keep yourself in the love of God, unto eternal life.

Romans 14:8-12 – For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.  But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.

Romans 5:21 – That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 6:22 – But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

Believe that God has a plan for you.  Have faith, worship only God and go live his gospel of Love.  God rewards those that diligently seek him

To God be the glory in all you do, Amen.