~ LISTENING CENTER ~

Date: December 7, 2014 Title: Responding to the Revelation of God Passage: Romans 1:13-32 Speaker: Bob Corbin Sermon Note Sheet (PDF) Download Audio

* Last week we began a study in Paul's letter to the church of Rome by considering his theologically packed salutation. * Many would state that this Epistle would be the New Testament counterbalance to the Mosaic Law - the epic legal document providing the foundation for the transition from law to grace. However, I believe we will discover that in the plan of God, salvation all along has been an offering of grace to be received through faith ... and that the "law" was given primarily to protect and instruct us by our loving, benevolent Heavenly Father. * As we study this epistle we need to be mindful that it is a letter which has a fluid and continual thought pattern. It is not, as we commonly refer to it, a "book." Paul did not write in chapters. Rather, Paul's letter was segmented later. So, we want to consider Paul's purpose for the letter as a whole, as well as sub-themes within it. * Apparently, the church of Rome was struggling with many of the same issues that many of the churches in "uttermost parts of the world" were dealing with ... that concerning the union of Jewish and Gentile believers. The Jews believed that they were the chosen people and that in order for non-Jews to become "people" they had to proselytize themselves to the Jewish faith and adhere to the Mosaic Law. However, God was revealing throughout the world that He was not only the God of the Jews but of the Gentiles as well - and that salvation was not merited based upon adherence to the Mosaic Law but rather it was granted through God's grace upon the expression of individual faith in the One, True God who is the Creator of the heaven and earth, and the Redeemer of mankind. * Today, we consider Paul's opening argument of his presentation regarding salvation by grace through faith ... as he discusses the revelation of God and the response of man.