Not Ashamed of the Gospel (Romans 1) | R. C. H. Lenski

Deep Dive into The Interpretation of St. Paul’s Epistle to the Romans by R. C. H. Lenski - Romans 1In his Epistle to the Romans, the apostle Paul begins with an expanded salutation, introducing himself as a slave of Jesus Christ who is set apart to proclaim God's gospel. Addressing the Roman Christians as called saints who are beloved by God, he offers them grace and peace while establishing a warm bond of spiritual fellowship. Paul expresses deep gratitude that their faith is renowned worldwide and shares his constant, prayerful desire to finally visit them. He longs to impart a spiritual gift to strengthen them, resulting in mutual encouragement, and to gather a spiritual harvest in Rome to fulfill his apostolic obligation to preach to all people.Transitioning to the central theme of his letter, Paul declares he is not ashamed of the gospel because it is the very power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes. The gospel reveals God's righteousness, a status bestowed by God's judicial verdict upon the believer, which operates entirely out of faith and unto faith. This highlights the core doctrine of the sinner's personal justification by faith alone.In stark contrast to this saving righteousness, Paul outlines the constant revelation of God's wrath against humanity's ungodliness. Although God's eternal power and divine nature are clearly perceived through the created world, leaving people without excuse, men deliberately suppressed this truth. Instead of glorifying or thanking God, their reasoning became empty, and they exchanged the glory of the true God for the foolish worship of creaturely idols. Because of this rejection, God judicially gave them over to their lusts, resulting in rampant sexual degradation, unnatural passions, and a completely reprobate mind. Consequently, humanity became filled with destructive vices, practicing and applauding acts they inherently know deserve death according to God's righteous decree.Reformed Theologian GPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-XXwzX1gnv-reformed-theologianYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReformedExplainerSpotify Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1t5dz4vEgvHqUknYQfwpRI?si=e-tDRFR2Qf6By1sAcMdkdwhttps://buymeacoffee.com/edi2730