The Gospel Through the Lens of Romans

Romans is a treasure trove of theological doctrine and truths central to Christian beliefs. At the heart of this book is the most important of all doctrines: the Gospel. John Calvin described Romans as the "absolute epitome of the Gospel." The Gospel is the heart of the Christian faith (quite literally) and, using the book of Romans, I will attempt to give a basic explanation of the Gospel - the "Good News" - of Jesus Christ.

To understand one's need for a Savior, we must first acknowledge a fact: that every person has sinned. Romans 3:23 states: "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." There is no one who is sinless - not one, and - as a result of that sin - we deserve eternal punishment. Romans 6:23 states: "For the wages of sin is death." Thus, we have established two clear facts: each person has committed sin that is deserving of death and eternal separation from God - so where is this Good News?

The Gospel changes everything upon our arrival at Romans 5:8, which states: "but God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." The same people who sinned against the God of incomprehensible holiness and purity are the same ones that God came down to earth to save through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Jesus - fully God and fully man - lived the only sinless life ever to be lived and took our place on the cross. This news is the best we could ever hope to hear, but how do we make it real in our lives?

Romans 10:9-10 states: "because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and you believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved." From this verse, anyone who wishes to receive the Gospel truth can see how to exchange their sinful nature for the atoning blood of Christ. By confessing with one's mouth and believing in their heart, the Gospel will transform a person's life and they shall be saved from their sin and the punishment due for that sin. Rather, as the second half of Romans 6:23 says: "...but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

These verses encompass the truth of the Gospel: we are sinners in need of salvation who deserve eternal punishment for this sin; but the very God who we sin against has loved us so much that His only begotten Son - Jesus Christ - died on the cross. in order that whoever believes in Him shall receive eternal life.

C.S. Lewis once stated, "Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and, if true, of infinite importance, the only thing it cannot be is moderately important." Nonetheless, for the majority of my life I lived in a manner that minimized the importance of the Gospel. I had what Chad Hampsch (one of our teachers at the Kanakuk Institute) would describe as a "Gospel problem" - a lack of true understanding of the Gospel of Jesus. Nonetheless, I worked at Kanakuk K-2 after my sophomore year of college and came face to face with this "Good News" in its totality - if Jesus died for my sins, how can I continue to sin? Paul asks this very questions in Romans 6:1-4, when he asks: "What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were buried therefore with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life." The Gospel has been radically transforming my life as I seek to live a life worthy of the calling I have received. I believe that I am saved by grace through faith - not the law - and a pursuit of personal intimacy with Jesus has led to a transformation of the desires of my heart.