Romans - Week 1

"Cappy, you should be a pastor!" I've heard that countless times over the years - and while folks mean well, they miss the very essence of how our Lord called us to walk. Loving Jesus and desiring to serve him does not require you to become a priest, a nun, or a pastor - but to please Him by walking with Him, just as Enoch did. Whether we serve in full time ministry at a church or at a secular job, we're ALL in full time ministry.

For many years I struggled with some of the Christian-ese... You know, words we use as Christians, but are not understood, really.  Grace, Faith, and Justification were some of those words, and they are ALL found here in Romans 4.  I always felt like faith was something I could increase, or aspire to, but also understood that we could never "do" enough "good works" to become righteous.  I felt like a hamster in a wheel.  The first few verses of Romans 4 states that Abraham was not justified by works, but by faith.  In this episode, we'll discuss this, and what expectations we should have on ourselves as Christians today!

In Romans 3, Paul puts an exclamation point on what he wrote in the first 2 chapters.  Just when all hope is lost for having any salvation by our own standards, we cry out "How Can I Be Saved?"  And in verse 21, Paul begins to expound upon the hope we have in the Gospel with the statement:  "But Then!"

The first chapter of Romans saw Paul talking about "THEM..." those that have not committed their lives to the Lord, but still know the righteous Judgement of God is fair.  Romans 2 shows him flipping the tables and speaking about US!  There is absolutely NO partiality with God, so pay attention!

What if I were to tell you that every person on the planet already KNOWS in their heart that there IS a God?  Further, they know that they are deserving of His righteous judgments!  Would you believe that?  As we discuss Romans 1, verses 18 - 23 in this episode, we will see the truth of these statements, and the purpose for this knowledge.  These scriptures reveal not only did God deposit the truth of His power and divine nature into the hearts of men, but that, by suppressing the Truth, mankind will fall further and further away from the Light of this Truth.  As Christians, Paul doesn't share this knowledge for us to use it as a sword against people, but as a confidence for us to to understand those walking in darkness and the power we have, in Christ, to give them Hope!

Take a deep dive into Romans 1, verses 1 through 17 with us as we learn not only the deeper meanings of well known Christian words, but also how they apply to our daily lives today.  

Pastor Chuck Swindoll wrote that “The letter to the Romans stands as the clearest and most systematic presentation of Christian doctrine in all the Scriptures.” During Week 1 of our study of this amazing Book of Romans, Don shares an overview of the book, and lays out a few scriptures and thoughts on the why and how to read, study and meditate on God's word, in preparation of our study.  

Suffering, and "bearing reproach" are not the best terms to use if you are "marketing" a lifestyle change to someone, yet those are exactly the phases used to describe how we are to live as Christians.  Deliberate sacrifice should be a way of life for us, and in this final chapter of the Book of Hebrews we are encouraged to do just that.  Follow along with us as we Walk Through the Word!

In this episode we learn that the "chastisement of God" is NOT the same thing as the "Punishment of God..." but how do we react when Godly correction comes to our lives?  Do we DESPISE the chastening?  Do we become DISCOURAGED when the rebuke comes?  These reactions are common, but are they beneficial to our running the race in such a way as to win the prize?  Come along with us and find out, as we Walk through the Word!

Hebrews 11, verse 6 tells us that "... without faith it is impossible to please (God)," but what is faith?  As Christians, I believe we were created to Love AND Please our creator... so this verse says that faith makes pleasing God possible.  In this week's study, Don takes us into a deep dive of Hebrews 11:1, and explains that until we understand THIS verse, we can't understand the rest of the chapter.  And, once we DO understand it, faith becomes the gateway to our future testimonies.  Join us as we again "Walk Through The Word...." (NOTE:  Word Study of Faith mentioned in this podcast can be found at https://biblehub.com/greek/4102.htm)