Intro to Romans: Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God - the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 1:16

Guy's Night: March 12, 7:00pm stay tuned for details, 7:00pm, Tony's House please RSVP by e-mailing me

Last Sunday's ABF Recap: Romans 1:16
mary agbovi

ABF began today with a lovely senior picture of Tony! With lots of curly hair, a gorgeous tie and a party invitation to Robin on the back... it was a great way to start the morning. Apparently they decided to keep that party going!

The book of Romans was authored by Paul to the believers in Rome. At this point, Paul had not yet been to the city but it is believed that this church was founded due to the trade and travel of people through Corinth and Thessalonica. The power of Pentecost spread throughout the region.

There are three main themes that we discover throughout the book of Romans.

What do we know about this verse specifically? The subject is the GOSPEL with a cause and effect structure that will change our world.

A closer look at Romans chapter One reveals 7 specific things about the Gospel

Point number three above is the most important part of this equation. Because Jesus declared himself and was declared to be the Son of God, He was WILLING to save us. Because Jesus came in the flesh and was born, He was ABLE to save us. Romans 1:3-4

An analogy used was having two people in a boat. Both are unable to swim. One person falls in. The person still in the boat may be willing to save the drowning victim, but without the skills of swimming he is unable to do so.

Jesus' position made him both willing and able to save us. It is only through him that we have access to the Father as identified in the scriptures below.

True Worship is to the Father
John 4:23-24
Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks. God is spirit and his worshippers must worship in spirit and truth.

Jesus is the WAY to the Father
John 14:6
Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me.

The Gospel is a series of historical facts, not theory. The Gospel is contained in the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Belief in the Person and Position of Jesus results in the power of God for Salvation. I Corinthians 15:1-8

Salvation is derived from a Latin word meaning "Health." After being convicted of our need for salvation we can be saved from the depravity of our sin nature.

As we grow in our relationship with God and focus on the Gospel, our sin nature will continue to be conquered, with the end goal being the absence of sin in heaven.

1 Peter 1:3
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection for Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade- kept in heaven for you.

Conclusion of Romans 1:16 to follow next Sunday. Hope to see you there.

Have a great end to your week. Send an encouraging e-mail to a friend.

RG