Cover of a Souls

We have all heard the saying, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” If the cover of a book looks interesting, chances are someone has their eye on it. Think about it, what is the purpose of a book cover? It’s supposed to visually show what's in the book to make the reader pick it up and buy it. The front cover attracts people to look at the back cover. The back cover educates about what's in the book, and the flap shares about the author. These are all parts of the cover that help “sell” a book. With over 700 million books sold every year in the United States, each book cover must stand out from all the others. The inside of the book needs to be just as good if not better than the cover. If the reader buys the book and doesn’t like it… it's game over. This is similar to how some people think about salvation. Many churchgoers believe that their outward cover of religion is what secures their passage into heaven. But their cover needs to be a reflection of what's on the inside. That's what we’re looking at in this episode of the Grafted Podcast…The Cover of a Soul.

Historical Context:

Once again, Paul is speaking to the flawed theology of Jews in the Roman church. They believed that their salvation was guaranteed due to being born a Jew. To them, circumcision was part of their identity, and they wore it like a badge of honor. Pride invaded their hearts, and they sought after the praise of men rather than God. In their arrogance, they forgot that their circumcision was in response to Abraham’s faith. The outward appearance became more important than their decision to believe in God and follow after him. 

We need to remember that Paul himself was both a Jew and a Roman citizen. He was educated not only in scripture but also in the law and culture of the day. What Paul writes from verses 12-27 leads up to the verses we are going to look at in this episode. 

In verse 13 he speaks against the thought that because they were Jews, they were automatically righteous before God. Paul told them, “For merely listening to the law doesn’t make us right with God. It is obeying the law that makes us right in his sight (NLT).” This is a continuation of what Paul talked about from Romans 1:28 through 2:12. The Jews knew what was required by God’s law, but they chose not to live by it. Then they Judged others for doing the same things that they were doing. Because of this, they were going to either suffer God’s wrath or spend eternity with him based on their deeds. In verse 23 he tells them, “You are so proud of knowing the law, but you dishonor God by breaking it (NLT).” He even said that because of the hypocrisy of the jews, the Gentiles denounced God.

Talk about a slap in the face for the Jewish believers! Now let's look at our key verses.

Romans 2:28-29 (ESV)

For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God. 

Outward Jew

Paul drew a harsh distinction between being a Jew and a true follower of God. Verse 28 talks about the Outward Jew. He says…

“For you are not a true Jew just because you were born of Jewish parents or because you have gone through the ceremony of circumcision. (NLT)”

A person's heritage doesn’t mean that they automatically stand right with God. This is what many of the Jews believed. They thought that they were automatically given salvation because they were born into a Jewish family, and they didn’t need to follow the law. They also believed that their circumcision was a badge that represented their guarantee of Salvation. What Paul was getting at here is that the outward signs of being a Jew are meaningless when it comes to salvation. It didn’t matter that they were born a Jew and went through the ceremonial circumcision or not. Many Jews followed God’s laws while they were in the public eye, but when it came to their hearts, they were not right with God. They had put on an outer cover to show their place as God’s chosen people, but their hearts didn’t match up on the inside. 

Paul teaches about this further in Romans 9:8 where he says, “This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring.” Paul is referring back to the original promise of Abraham that led to the sign of circumcision. Abraham had faith in God and was accepted by God long before he was circumcised. Circumcision came as a sign of the Covenant God had with Abraham because of his faith. The Jews that Paul was talking to forgot about this. Instead, they were dishonoring God by breaking the law, while at the same time they bragged about God’s law in public. 

These outward appearances of the Jews did not represent the inner faith of a true believer. 

Today, we see this similarly played out all the time with social media. Everyone has their social profiles that make them seem like they have everything together and are living the dream. The outward appearance we see on social media doesn’t show us is the inner turmoil that is going on in a person's life.

The same is true for many churchgoers today. There are a large number of people who put on a Christian persona. They attend church and know christianese. They believe that being born into a Christian home, going to church, or even being baptized is what saves them. In fact, there are some Christian groups that delay baptism until the end of life to make sure all their sins are covered and washed away. They put on a good show with outward appearances for church, but their hearts don't reflect true Christian faith or character. We see this all the time in Spain when we are talking with people. We will ask someone if they are going to church. They will say something like, “Yea, I’m Catholic and attend mass,” but in the same sentence say “I don’t believe.’” They believe that the outward appearance of religion is what will get them into heaven. Many people think that simply having the outward appearance of being a Christian through religion is their ticket to salvation. But this is what Paul was teaching against.  

Just like there is a difference between being a Jew and a true follower of God, there is also a difference between calling ourselves a Christian and being a true Disciple of Christ. 

Inside

Paul is teaching the Jewish believers in the Roman church about what God looks for in a true believer. God values faith and obedience on the inside more than the outward appearance of circumcision. 

Romans 2:29 (ESV)

But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. 

Paul makes the switch from talking about outward appearances to what God sees on the inside of people…the heart. The Jew that is right with God in their heart is the true Jew. Peter also teaches about this in 1 Peter 3 when he is talking about how wives and husbands are to treat each other. The people of the church are the “bride” of Christ, which makes Christ the head of the church. 

1 Peter 3:3-4

Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— 4 but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.

God doesn’t want his church, his bride, to be an just outward sign. Not at all! God wants his church to be right with him in their heart. When the heart is right with God, so are the outward appearances. That is what Paul was referring to as circumcision being a matter of the heart. 

Just like circumcision was a sign and a seal of the covenant God made with Abraham, Circumcision of the heart is a sign of a true believer's genuine loyalty and obedience to God. Paul is referring to the prophecy to the people of Judah in Jeremiah 4:4 that says,

Jeremiah 4:4

“Circumcise yourselves to the Lord; remove the foreskin of your hearts, O man of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem; lest my wrath go forth like fire, and burn with none to quench it, because of the evil of your deeds.”

Being a true believer isn’t a matter of following a religious structure, or just “doing” the law like many of the Jews believed. For Paul, being a true believer is a matter of becoming a new creation through faith in Jesus. Circumcision of the heart happens as a true believer allows the Holy Spirit to change them. This leads to the believer separating themselves from the world and dedicating their life to God. This is what the Baptism of a true believer is all about. Baptism represents that the believer has accepted Christ, made the decision to die to the world, and raised to a new life in Christ. It is the outward expression of an inner change of the believer's heart.

Praise

The Jews Paul was talking to looked for the approval of people. They wanted others to see what they were doing in public and applause them for it. Paul tells them that this is the wrong place to seek approval.

Romans 2:29b (ESV)

His praise is not from man but from God.

As believers' hearts are changed through the leading of the Holy Spirit, and they have devoted their lives to following God, something else happens. They start seeking approval from God. Paul teaches both the Corinthians and the Thessalonians about this. 

2 Corinthians 10:18 (NLT)

When people commend themselves, it doesn’t count for much. The important thing is for the Lord to commend them.

1 Thessalonians 2:4 (NLT)

For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts.

Seeking the approval of God is what Paul wanted the believers in the Roman Church to do. When people seek after the approval of others they are upside down in their theology and faith. But when people seek after the approval of God, they may not be popular with others, but they will be right with God. Which is way more important. 

Application

How does this apply to us today since many of us aren’t Jewish believers?

If we rephrase this verse for us today it might read more like this:

Romans 2:28-29 (Adam’s modern paraphrase)

For you are not a true Christian because you were born into a Christian family, or because you have gone through the ceremonies of confirmation or baptism. No, a true Christian is one whose heart is right with God. And true baptism represents not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it shows a change of heart that has been produced by the Holy Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people.  

Going to church and practicing religion is not what makes us christians. 

When I was a teenager, I attended the United Methodist Church. When I was 17 years old that meant that it was time for me to go through Confirmation. For the Methodist Church, Confirmation marks the first time a baptized Christian publicly "confirms" their intention to be a professing member of the local congregation. For me this was several weeks of classes with my pastor. I learned about church history, sacraments of the church, special days and seasons, and about church doctrine. Basically I learned what it meant to be a Methodist.  

When this class was over, there was a special service for me and others who attended the class. We were presented to the church. Our pastor asked us questions like, “Do you renounce evil?”, and “do you commit to Jesus Christ?” to which we all answered “I do.” Then I was baptized by sprinkling. Then the church accepted all of us who took the class as members of the Church. 

For me, this was simply just something that everyone who went to the church did. It was part of the act of religion. Going through all of this did not mean that I was a true Christian. My heart wasn’t in it at all. People who looked at me saw my outward appearance, my cover of religion, but they didn’t know what was inside my heart.  It was 3 years later, when I was 20, that I had a true change of heart to follow Jesus and was baptized by immersion.

I believe that classes like the confirmation class I went through are very important. I believe that as Christians we need to know about the things that are learned in these classes. But just because we go to these classes and learn these things does not mean that we are true Christians. What makes us true Christians is based on our confession of faith, and our new heart that shows the work of Jesus in our lives as we become doers of God’s Word. If we were books, our outer covers accurately represent the pages of our inner hearts. 

In God’s eyes we are an open book. He sees all the secrets in our hearts and lives. He isn’t impressed with how religious we are, but he looks to see if our hearts have truly been changed by the Holy Spirit. If your life was a book on the shelf at your local bookstore, and God was browsing the shelves, would your cover represent the story of a changed heart that He wants to read?

Growth Point Questions:

1. If your life was a book, would your outer cover match the story written on inner pages?”

2. Did you grow up in a religious environment? What was that experience like? Was it good or bad?

3. When was your heart circumcised, and what was your life like before and after you became a new creation?

4. How can other people tell that God’s Word is written on our hearts?

5. What is the defining characteristic of a true Christian?

Who Are You To Judge?

When I was in 9th grade, I was the new kid to the school that year. It had been several months since school started, and other students were still trying to figure me out. Then one day one of the students in homeroom asked me, “Are you a Christian?” And I said, “No.” Then he along with others sitting around me, started judging me and talking about all the sins they thought I might have possibly committed. I remember thinking at one point, “Who are you to judge me?” and said to them “Why should I be a Christian if you're not living the way you're supposed to?” Then the bell rang, and it was time to go to the next class. What they didn’t know was that, while I wasn't a Christian, I did go to church. The students who sat around me judging were known for doing things they should not have been doing. These students had mouths worse than sailors, they were gossips, they were disobedient to their parents, foolish, and there was one girl who was known for being promiscuous. That was in 1999. I didn’t accept Jesus in 2004. 

Last Episode Recap

Thanks for tuning in to this Episode of the Grafted Podcast. I just want to say a quick thank you for everyone that has been praying for our family and supporting our ministry. We just hit 80% of our monthly missions budget and have started the VISA process. We have $1800 left in monthly support to raise before we can go back to Spain. Our goal is to be finished fundraising by December, and if the Lord wills to move to Madrid by the end of December. Thank you again for your prayers and financial support. To find out more about how you can become one of our ministry partners please visit our website www.showingtheworld.com and click on the Donate Now tab. 

Last episode we looked at Romans chapter 1 vs 28-32 and what happens for those who don’t acknowledge or have faith in God. Through Paul's example, we saw how God never gives up on anyone, but he will, however, allow them to go their own way, and to live the way they want to live. Today that relates to people living the “You do you” lifestyle, then to help themselves feel better they encourage others to do the same things they were doing. Eventually, this leads to suffering the consequences of their actions. As Christians, we should use Paul's example to live for Christ, stay on the right track with God, and do our best to live up to his standards through our faith in Jesus. 

Intro

In this episode, we are looking at Romans 2:1-5, Who are you to judge!?

Remember Paul is addressing the Church in Rome which was made up of both Jewish and Gentile believers. There was a small group of Jewish believers that Paul is calling out here. This group considered themselves to have the highest of morals. So they looked down on and judged others because they had higher standards of living than the other people living in the community. They also believed that God’s condemnation did not apply to them. 

So let's look at these first 5 verses of Romans chapter 2:

“Therefore you have no excuse, O man, everyone of you who judges. For in passing judgement on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. We know that the judgement of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgement of God? Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But because of your hard and impenitent heart, you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgement will be revealed.”

Before we dig in, I want to point out two things. First, while Paul is talking about judging, he is not talking about judging for Church discipline. There is a time and a place for church discipline to happen. This typically happens when a believer has had what is considered a moral failure and is unrepentant. At that point, the pastor, church board, deacons, elders, and other church governing authorities step in to judge and discipline. This is Biblical and each Christian denomination has their own set of bylaws that helps guide this process. As an ordained Assemblies of God Minister, I have witnessed church discipline, and it is not fun for anyone or any side that is involved. BUT, this is not what we are talking about in this episode. 

The second thing I want to point out is that Paul is not talking about judging our fellow Christians as a form of accountability. This is where one Christian notices another who is struggling in an area that may be known or unknown. When a Christian sees another doing something they are not supposed to, they are to judge as in, calling into question the situation. But this is not to judge, as in condemning the person, but instead to gently help them stay right with God. Again, not what we are talking about in this episode.

Now that we have that out of the way, we can look at what Paul is really talking about. 

Calling Out the Judges

Paul starts chapter 2 by saying, “You have no excuse! You may think you can condemn such people, but you are just as bad.(NLT)” He is directly referring to what he said in Chapter 1 verses 28-32 where God let people go to live their own way and to do what should not be done, and then he gave a list of the things they were doing. The small group of Jewish believers we talked about earlier along with other believers were judging people for their ungodly living. 

The issue with that is that the same people who were judging non-believers, were doing some of the same exact things. While they believed in Jesus Christ, they were still actively involved in sinful acts such as gossiping, slandering, boastful, heartless, and being envious and deceitful. While they know the rules, they thought that their faith would allow them to still practice these things. But that was not the case. 

Paul calls these judgy people out by saying “When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are condemning yourself, for you who judge others do these very same things. (NLT)” These believers were caught red-handed! There is a story in John chapter 8 where the Pharisees brought Jesus a woman who had been caught in adultery. The believers Paul was referring to, were acting just like the Pharisees. Romans 2:1 was Paul’s way of saying what Jesus said in John 8:7 “Let those who are without sin be the first to throw a stone…(mixed translation)”

The Thought Process

Paul knew about the two thought processes that these people had in the back of their mind who thought they were better than others. 

First thought

Their first thought is that they had Escaped God’s Judgment. This is found in verse 3. 

“Since you judge others for doing these things, why do you think you can avoid God’s judgement when you do the same things?”

They thought that because they had faith in Jesus, that they would escape the judgement of God. They also forgot who the judge, jury and executioner actually is, so they began taking it upon themselves to be those three things. And they showed absolutely no mercy to those they were judging. Paul insisted that they were condemned because they were doing the same exact things they were judging others for. He knew that someday every one, including us today, will appear in our true character and stand in judgement before Jesus. When we do, we will receive what is due to us (our reward or punishment) based on the things we have done while living. Paul suggests that when believers judge others for something they do also, that they are going to be judged the same way. 

Jesus talked about judging others in Matthew chapter 7. In verse 2 he said,

“for with the judgement you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.” 

This is judging in the sense of sentencing someone or condemning someone for their actions. There is a difference between wondering if  someone is going to Hell because they don’t have faith in Jesus, and condemning someone to hell because of their sinful lifestyle. 

In 1 Corinthians 4:4b & 5 while talking about the ministry of the Apostles Paul said,

“It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.”

The Second Thought

The second is that they took for granted what God had done for them. 

We see this in verse 4 where Paul said, 

“Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin? (NLT)”

These Judgy believers had grown arrogant and entitled. They had a false sense of security believing that since they were Jewish believers, they had possession of God’s law. They became self-righteous. This caused them to take for granted that God was patient with them, and how He gave them time to turn from their evil rebellious ways. In the way they were judging others, they became ignorant of what God did for them. 

Paul was concerned that their overconfidence in their “special” status with God, and their unwillingness to repent of sin, showed disrespect for God’s blessings. So he reminded them that God’s purpose is to lead people toward repentance and to return to Him. This happens through God's kindness and His patience. 

Peter teaches in 2 Peter 3:9

“The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”

Instead of showing people God in a positive light, these Jewish believers were judging others in a way that showed contempt for the kindness, tolerance and patience of God. 

Paul’s Warning

So now that Paul has called out these two through processes, he brings down the hammer on the arrogant believers with a warning in verse 5. 

“Because you are stubborn and refuse to turn from your sin, you are storing up terrible punishment for yourself. For a day of anger is coming, when God’s righteous judgement will be revealed.” 

Paul was enforcing the idea that because they were judging others for the same things that they were doing, they were throwing judgement and condemnation on themselves. This was his way of telling them they need to ask for forgiveness and turn from their sin or there will be consequences when the day Judgement comes. 

Even Jesus mentions this in Matthew 7:3-5. 

“And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? 4 How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye. (NLT)”

Application

While Paul was calling out high moralist believers in the Church in Rome, today we can learn from their mishaps. What we learn from this is that we need to be extremely careful in judging other people. Especially if we are judging someone else for doing something we are guilty of doing ourselves. 

It's probably safe to say that we all know someone who is guilty of being like the people Paul was referring to. We may even be putting ourselves in check thinking about it. 

My family studies Brazilian Jiu-jitsu together. It’s fun, it’s a great heart pumping exercise, and it's a great thing to do as a family. If you have ever been to a martial arts gym, there are all kinds of people from just about every walk of life. Some are Christian, some are from other religious backgrounds and lifestyles. There is a lot of ministry that can happen on the mats. About 6 months or so ago, there was a mixed martial arts fighter at our gym that everyone knew was Christian and attended church. Now the people in this story are people that I personally know and respect, and they could kick my butt, so I’m changing their names. We’ll say his name is Andy. He was an outspoken Christian. One day he was talking to one of the lady mma fighters. We will say her name is Kelly. During that conversation, Kelly let the “F” word slip out. Andy completely lost his mind, started yelling, and raked Kelly over the coals. He told her how she was on a path straight to hell because of her foul mouth, and that she needed to apologize to him for cussing in front of him. Wow, thanks Andy for showing God’s kindness and passion there. Come to find out by looking at Andy’s social media accounts, he was involved in some questionable lifestyle choices himself. He just chose cussing to be the mountain he wanted to die on that day. And in the process, he ruined his reputation as a Christian at the gym. I don’t know if Andy was having a bad day that day, if he was being a little on the self-righteous side or if he used to cuss like a sailor or something. But For whatever reason he decided to judge someone else when he knew his lifestyle didn’t fit with Gods standard as well. 

As Christians, we are called to a higher standard of living which includes our morals and ethics. Where we need to be careful is that we don’t become self-righteous and start judging people when we know that we mess up too. There isn’t a single one of us who is guiltless. While we are supposed to speak out against sin, we need to do so with a humble heart. 

When we find ourselves justifiably upset about someone else's sin, we are to show that person the same kindness, tolerance, and patience that God has shown to us in our wrongdoing. That doesn’t mean we are giving approval of wrong living, but instead we are being gentle and prayerful of how we handle the person. More often than not, the sins we see most clearly in others are the ones that have taken root in us the most. Before attending to someone else's issues, we need to evaluate ourselves first and remember what God has done for us.

Remember, God shows us his kindness in allowing us to live and enjoy life, he is tolerant as he bears with us as we don’t live up to his standards, and he is patient with us as he postpones his judgment and punishment so that his kindness will lead us and others into repentance and a relationship with him. 

Growth Points

There are two parts to the growth points for this episode. First are to help us examine ourselves, and the second set are for discussion. 

Self-examine:

1. Have you ever found yourself judging or looking down on someone else? If so, why?

2. What ways have you experienced God’s kindness, tolerance, and patience in your life?

3. Have you ever taken what God has done for granted? If so, how?

4. Are there currently things in your life that you have tried to hide in darkness that you know will be revealed during God’s judgement? If so, what are they?

Discussion:

1. Have you ever experienced someone else judging you for something? 

2. We all know judgemental, self-righteous people. What type of things do they tend to judge others for?

3. What excuses do people make to defend their reasoning for judging someone else?

4. In what ways can we show others God’s kindness, tolerance, and patience?

Don't Suppress The Good News

Don’t Suppress the Good News

The Good News is being censored. Every last news channel has been ridiculed for being one-sided and suppressing the truth. Their biases tend to get in the way and they blind people from seeing every side of the story. Many times the good that goes on is concealed in favor of showing the bad.

Sometimes that bad news is even portrayed as being a good thing. This is what the enemy tries to do with the gospel. He tries to convince people to suppress the good news of the gospel. That's what we're talking about on this episode of the Grafted podcast…Don't suppress the good news.

Welcome to the Grafted podcast. I'm your host, Adam Weatherly. I want to help encourage you to have an act of faith, to engage in God's word, and to discover your purpose in life. In each episode we will examine verses from the Bible, find their original meaning, and apply them to our lives today. Each message will end with growth point questions for us to think about. Let's dove into this installment of the Grafted Podcast.

How's it going, everyone? Welcome to the Grafted podcast, where we help you develop your faith through God's word. I'm your host, Adam Weatherly. And today we are starting a new journey together in the book of Romans. This episode is called Don't Suppress the Good News. Now, before we dig into the book of Romans to our lesson for today, I want to give you a quick overview.

Romans… A Quick Overview

The book of Romans, it was a letter that was written by Paul during his third missionary journey. Paul had never ministered in Rome, and so he wanted to write them and ask them to come and minister there. And he did that while he was on his three month stay in Corinth.

He wanted the church in Rome to be his launching point. He was looking to take the gospel westward into Spain, and he hoped that the church in Rome would consider helping to sustain his ministry while he headed out west.

Man, Paul was a missionary. And this is one of the things and one of the reasons why missionaries itinerate and fundraise the way that they do today. The church in Rome consisted mainly of gentiles, but it also had some strong Jewish believers as well.

Paul had heard that there were some squabbles over cultural issues between the Jewish and the Gentile believers. This also led to several problems where unbiblical ideas were being taught that needed to be corrected. Paul wanted to help unify the believers in Rome and did that by presenting them with some of the most in-depth theology that he had

ever written. We're going to start our study in the book of Romans in Chapter one verses 16 through 18. The first part of Chapter one in verses one through 15, Paul is introducing himself and his ministry to the leaders of the Roman Church.

And he shares about how he wanted to come and visit and encouraged them. Now, I do want to say through this journey, through the book of Romans, I'm not going to cover every verse going verse by verse. I'm going to pick out what I feel like are key verses that we need to learn from.

And so I encourage you to go and read the book of Romans for yourself from beginning to end and study it for yourself. And I'm just here to help guide that study through what I feel like are important issues that we need to talk about.

Romans 1:16-18

So Romans Chapter 1 verses 16 through 18 says,

for I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes to the Jew first and also to the Greek for the righteousness of God is revealed from start to finish by faith as it is written, the righteous shall live by faith, for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all, and godliness and unrighteousness of men who, by their unrighteousness, suppress the truth.

Main Idea

The main idea in these verses is don't suppress the truth. The good news of Jesus Christ is nothing we should be ashamed of or embarrassed about. Instead, we should be shamelessly confident in it. It is through the gospel that the power of God makes us right. And through our faith, it brings us eternal life. As we live out our faith, we will experience the power, wisdom, and goodness of God.

Part 1: Not Ashamed

Paul starts off by saying, I am not ashamed of the gospel. I think it's safe to say that every last one of us have done something at one point or another that we are ashamed of or embarrassed about.

Some of these things are because we were being stupid, like the kid at the swimming pool who jumps off the high dove and loses his swimming trunks because he refused to tie the waistband. Other times, we're ashamed of things due to cultural experiences and expectations.

This is like when everyone in their dog is watching the newest Netflix series. It may be extremely well written and well filmed, but you don't watch it because it's rated TV, M.A. And you know, there's a ton of gory violence, foul language, graphic nudity, and things that you just don't want to see.

This happened to me when everyone was watching Game of Thrones. I had a coworker that said she knows of other Christians who are watching it. So I needed to quit being so prudish, chill out and watch it anyways. To this day, I still have not seen a single episode of that series because of my personal convictions.

When Paul wrote the letter to the Roman Church, when somebody accepted Jesus during that time, it meant that they might bring shame to their families and possibly their community that they lived in.

Sometimes this meant being thrown out of the family and even put to death. Christians were afraid of what might happen to them if others found out about their beliefs because of this, they suppressed the good news in their faith.

Now, why exactly was that for the Jews? This was viewed as putting aside or even rejecting their culture and family. For the pagans, it was the same, but it was also rejecting the ancestral family gods. It had a bigger impact than what it does on our culture today.

Today in America, someone may ridicule you or think that you have fallen for something that seems foolish. But back then, it was viewed as disrespect and rejection.

There was a Muslim woman who moved to Spain while we were there with her family when she first moved in. She had the cable guy come to install TV into their apartment, and he asked her what all stations that she wanted. And so she said she wanted all of the Arabic language channels. There were only two or three of these channels, so it was really easy for the technician. One day, as she was flipping through the TV channels, the only station that had anything playing on it was a Christian channel. So she began watching the station during the day when she was at home because it was the only thing on that she could actually understand. It was in Arabic. She didn't dare tell her husband or her two adult sons who were living there as well. After several months of watching all the Bible studies and sermons on the Christian Channel, she responded to a presentation of the gospel and accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord, God, and savior. One day she forgot to change the channel before turning the TV off. And when her husband came home, he turned on the TV and he couldn't believe what he saw. There was a Bible study going on and it was on a Christian channel. He confronted his wife about it, so she told him everything she had been watching and about how she became a Christian. Due to her newfound faith in Christ, her husband humiliated her by taking away everything that she owned. He divorced her and threw her out on the street. Her own two sons wouldn't even help take care of her, and they disowned her as well. She had nowhere to turn but the church, and it was the church who helped her get back up on her feet. And today, she's living and serving God in her local congregation.

Paul used the word ashamed to mean humiliate or put to shame. Paul endured persecution everywhere he went because he told the truth about Jesus to everyone. Paul boldly stated that he would continue sharing the whole gospel regardless of how he was treated.

He wanted the church leaders in Rome to know that he was bold in his faith and he was not going to suppress the good news of the gospel. And he wasn't afraid of the shame, ridicule, or disapproval of others that came because of the gospel.

Paul also knew that Jesus said in Mark Chapter 8 verses 38, for whoever is ashamed of me, in my words, in this adulterous and sinful generation of him, will the son of man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels?

You see because Paul loved Jesus and the good news of the gospel so much. There was no reluctance for him to preach the full truth of the gospel. One thing that Paul understood is that the power of God is shown through the good news of the gospel.

We may not face the same kind of persecution that the woman in our story faced or even that the people were facing in Paul's day. More than likely, what will come up against is the question in the back of our minds, what are others going to think if they know I'm a Christian?

Part 2: The Power of God

Verse 16, the second half of it says,

For the power of God is salvation to everyone who believes the power of God is shown through Jesus being raised from the dead in order to conquer not only death, but sin and hell as well.

This is the power of God to save people from their own demise, from their own wicked human nature. This is why it's called good news. People who believe and have faith in Jesus will enjoy the benefits of God's power in their lives.

First Corinthians chapter 1, verse 18, says,

for the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved. It is the power of God. The power of God saves us from our wicked human nature.

The power of God saves us from our wicked human nature. God's power in the gospel is the life-giving message to a lost and dying world. This was a problem for the Jews and the Gentiles. The Jews thought the Messiah would reign as an earthly king during their time for the Gentiles.

This power was offensive because it turns people away from their pagan gods. But for those who believed in the good news of Jesus Christ, the power of God came in the form of salvation and being made right with God before I became a believer.

I thought going to church, singing worship songs, and listening to his sermon was totally foolish and a waste of time. But now, today, I understand what Jesus did and what he saved me from. He saved me from my own wickedness today, believing in Jesus. For me, it's extremely logical in something that is worth doing.

Part 3: God Makes Us Right!

You see the good news. It shows us how we all fall short of God's standards. And this is seen in verse 17 that says,

For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from start to finish by faith, as it is written,

By faith, God's righteousness is revealed through the gospel. Righteousness here refers to God being holy right. And just. It shows that God is honorable and morally just in his actions.

The gospel shows us the character. Of God in how separated we are from him. This means that in our human nature we are guilty, unjust, and wicked. This is otherwise known as being sinful by sin from start to finish, by faith.

Paul challenges the Jewish thought process that righteousness only comes by keeping the law. The Jews were the first to believe in the one true God. But they became so legalistic that they tossed their relationship with God out the window.

Now, Paul isn't referring to living a perfect life like the Jews thought. In fact, that is impossible. Instead, he is referring to having a right relationship with God. This is why salvation is both for the Jew and the Gentile.

God makes us right in his eyes through the good news of Jesus Christ. This relationship begins as we respond in faith to the good news. Our response in faith is a process that continues throughout our entire lives. My response to faith happened on April 4th of 2004.

That was the day that God made me right in his eyes. Ever since then, my life has been an ongoing process of growing in faith. Now, I'll admit that there was a short time where I was so legalistic that I neglected my relationship with God.

But thankfully, God pulled me out of that. And now my relationship with him is stronger than ever. And it has been growing ever since.

Part 4: The Righteous Live By Faith

Once we've heard the good news and believe in the gospel, our faith begins to mold our behavior.

The second part of verse 17 says,

as it is written, the righteous shall live by faith.

Paul is directly referring to Habakkuk, chapter 2, verse 4, where it says, “Look at the proud they trust in themselves and their lives are crooked. But the righteous person will live by faith.”

This sounds like a lot of people that we know today. It's also a major part of the secularist movement that's happening around the United States in Europe today. People are extremely arrogant. They only trust in what they can do for themselves and they end up living outside of God's will for their lives. For those of us who have faith, we get to experience complete trust and confidence in the power, wisdom, and goodness of God.

People who truly live by faith are not proud. They don't trust themselves. And their lives are not crooked because they have aligned themselves with God and his word. Faith in God leads us to put our faith in action by obeying God's word, especially in obeying what Jesus taught about the greatest commandment in Matthew Chapter 22 verses 36 through 40. The sweetened condensed version is simply to love God and love people. As we continue to live by faith, we will continue growing in maturity from one level to the next. This means that we won't suppress the gospel.

We do not suppress the good news. But instead, we grow in faith as we obey his word and do what we can to live up to his standard. However, God's wrath is revealed for those who choose to live outside of God's protection.

Part 5: Wrath Revealed

Just as God revealed his righteousness to us, He also revealed his wrath against evil. Verse 18, says,

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who, by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.

Paul shares with the Roman Church that not only is he going to share the full truth of the gospel when he gets there, but he

will also share in the consequences of it as well. He reveals that the gospel is two-sided on one side. It's good news for those who respond in faith, but on the other. Well, it shows the wrath and the judgment of God for those who don't.

People who don't respond in faith to the good news, they continue in the opposite direction. Directly opposing God, God's wrath or punishment is not an emotional judgment like a lot of people think. It's actually a rational decision based on a person's decision to willfully choose to separate themselves from God.

Colossians chapter 3 verses 5 through 6, it mentions a few things that separate people from God and brings his wrath. These are things like sexual immorality, impurity, evil, desire and greed, just to name a few. Ephesians chapter five, verse six points out that the wrath of God will come on those.

Through their disobedience to God, whether it's through being hard-headed or having a hard heart when God's righteous judgment is revealed, those who are not believers will end up facing the wrath and anger of God, and they'll be punished consciously.

People still know the difference between right and wrong, but they encourage each other to abandon godliness, or, like verse 18 says, “to suppress the truth or suppressing the good news.” Because of this, people have become hostile towards God and they are ignorant of his ways.

They will eventually suffer the wrath and right judgment of God. I think that we all know people who are on a path that they really don't want to be on. In fact, I bet while you were listening to this last segment, a specific person came to mind.

We know that they're on their way to facing the wrath and the judgment of God. You see, we all have a decision to make. Are we going to respond to the good news of Jesus Christ in faith or are we going to suppress the truth and face his judgment?

Review

So to sum everything up, we should not suppress the good news. The good news of the gospel is something that we need to embrace and be shamelessly confident in. It's the power of God. It reveals our faith in Jesus Christ that brings us into a relationship with him and gives us eternal life in heaven.

From our first response to the good news in faith, God makes us right in his eyes and begins the process of maturing our faith for the rest of our lives as we grow closer to God. We will experience his power, his wisdom, and his goodness.

But on the other hand, if we choose to suppress the truth, well, it ain't going to be good for us.

Growth Points

So after everything that we've talked about today, I want to send you away with some growth points or some things to think about to help you grow in your faith. There are six of them for this episode.

1. Have you seen or heard the good news being suppressed?

2. Have you ever been in a situation where you have been ashamed of or embarrassed because of your faith? If so, what was the reason, and what was the outcome?

3. What types of things did the power of God save you from?

4. In the process of growing in faith and becoming closer to God, what changes have you seen God make in your life?

5. Think about the ways you have experienced the power, wisdom, and goodness of God. What are some of the situations that come to your mind?

6. Who are people that you know of who are hard-headed or hard-hearted towards the good news of Jesus Christ? What are some of the ways you can help them see the power and the salvation of God?

I hope you enjoyed this episode of the Grafted podcast. If you did, please help more people find it by liking, sharing, commenting, and subscribing.

My family serves as Assembly of God world missionaries, and our ministry is sustained through prayer and financial support from pastors, churches, and individuals like you. For more Bible teaching and to find out how you can become a ministry partner, please visit our website showing the world dot com.

And don't forget to follow us on social media. Until next time. Thanks for listening.