The Book off R
Romans
the book that
changed the world
A
drian Rogers believed the book
of Romans to be the foundational
book of the Christian faith—the
“Constitution of Christianity.”
Coleridge said, “It is the greatest piece of
literature ever written.” Dr. Rogers said, “I
believe if we’ll study together the book of
Romans, we will have corporate and personal
revival.” An understanding of Romans is
fundamental to our faith and growth as
believers. That’s why we’re devoting an extended
time on air in January and February to Romans.
Only a handful of books have changed the
world. Hitler’s Mein Kampf unfortunately is
one. Nietzsche’s Man and Superman inspired
Hitler. Karl Marx’s Das Kapital and Communist
Manifesto enslaved millions. Darwin’s Origin of
the Species proclaimed we are the product of
blind evolutionary forces, not created by Almighty
God. Books have incredible power. But no book
has ever impacted the world like Romans.
A monk named Martin Luther, doing all he
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knees, “Oh God, I want to know You, to be right
with You.” Studying Romans 1:17, a light burst
into his heart: “The just shall live by faith.” He
saw he wasn’t saved by good works, religion,
ritual, or good intentions, but by grace when
he put his faith in what Jesus did for him on
the cross. Born again, Martin Luther began
the Protestant Reformation in 1517 which
changed the entire world.
Augustine, living in degradation, opened
the book of Romans, found Jesus, and became
a church father.
John Wesley had even served as a
missionary. But returning to England, he knew
his heart was empty. In Aldersgate, he slipped
into a Bible study on the book of Romans and
wrote in his journal, “I felt my heart strangely
warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ alone for
salvation, and assurance was given to me that
He had taken away my sins, even mine, and
saved me from the law of sin and death.” The
Wesleyan Revival began.
This all began in Paul’s letter to that little
colony of Heaven in Rome when the Empire was
at its height. Rome ruled the world, but this
little colony was about to turn Rome upside
down through the book that changed the world.
The Outline: Sin, Salvation, Sanctification, Sovereignty, Service
Chapters 1–3 tell us our problem—sin
and God’s holiness compared to our sin.
Chapters 4 and 5 give us our answer—
salvation. Chapters 6 through 8 talk about
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knowledge of Christ. Chapters 9 through 11
show us our sovereign God—He rules the world
and the nations. Chapters 12 through
16 deal with service.
The Author
The ultimate author is God
the Holy Spirit, but the
human author is “Paul,
a servant of Jesus
Christ, called to be
an Apostle” (1:1).
Paul was unique:
a Jew, yet a
Roman citizen—
an honors
graduate from
the University
of Tarsus, world-
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scholar of Gamaliel, known as the greatest
teacher in the world at that time. He was a
Pharisee of the Pharisees; a leader of the
leaders. But he was surrendered, sent, and
separated “unto the Gospel of God.”
The Hero
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declared the Promised One “promised afore
by His prophets in the holy Scriptures,” the
Provided One “made of the seed of David,” the
Powerful One “declared to be the Son of God
with power,” and the Pure One “according to
the spirit of holiness.”
After Saul met Jesus on the road to
Damascus, he went into the Arabian Desert
with the books of Moses, Psalms, and the
prophets in his knapsack. He came back out
with Romans, Galatians and Ephesians in his
mind. Why? Because on every page of the Old
Testament, he saw Jesus.
The Theme—the Gospel
Jesus is the Gospel. Romans reveals the story
of lost, ruined sinners such as we, saved by the
glorious Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
As we study in depth this marvelous
book on our broadcasts, the majesty of
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your heart, “the righteousness of God
revealed from faith to faith: The just
shall live by faith.”
For the complete volumes of Foundations
for Our Faith, visit lwf.org/store or call
1-800-274-5683.