Let's hear God's word now from Romans chapter 15, verses 14 and 15. Romans chapter 15, verses 14 and 15. Here Paul is bringing his letter to a close And he reflects on this and makes a few important comments to these Christians and to us. This is God's word, let us give our attention to it. I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. May God bless this bird to us. So as I mentioned, Paul is finishing, he's concluding this wonderful letter, the letter to the Romans. He's taking things that he introduced at the very beginning of the letter, has developed throughout the middle, and is now, he's taking these things and he's bringing them to an end. He's concluding. And he concludes with a kind of confession. He wants to frame the things he's been saying in a particular way to help the people understand. In other words, we might say, here's how I want you to read and hear Romans. It's a way of him indicating how they are to think about the things that he's been said. And it's helpful for us as well. It teaches us how we ought to hear and read Romans, of course, in our own context, applied to our own church and lives. What is it that he says? He says in verse 14 something very positive. He says, I'm satisfied about you, my brothers. And then he commends them. He gives them these wonderful encouragements. You yourselves are full of goodness, he says. He says, you yourselves are filled with all knowledge. You're able to instruct one another. So you hear what he's saying, he's reminding them, he's saying, I'm telling you these things not because I think that you don't know anything. I'm not telling these things because I think that your church is a disaster and you've got all kinds of problems. He saves those letters for other churches. He says, here though, to the Romans, he says, things are going well. And sometimes that happens, right? There is such a thing as a healthy church. No such thing as a perfect church until the Lord comes again. But there is such a thing as a healthy church. A church that's doing well. A church that, as he describes here, is full of goodness. What a wonderful description of a church. Filled with all knowledge. Of course, not meaning knowledge of all things, but particularly of the faith. The knowledge of the things that he's been speaking about. They know what Jesus has done. They know who he is. They know why he's done these things. He even says, you know these things so well and you have the right heart about you and goodness that I know you're able to instruct one another. And so he sort of steps out of the situation for a moment and he says, I'm not saying that none of these things are true. They are true of you. But on some points I have written to you Not boldly, very boldly, he says. I've written to you very boldly by way of reminder. He says, this is how I want you to think about some of these hard things that I've been saying. I've been writing to you by way of reminder. And then he gives them the reason. He says, here's why I've done that. One, to remind you, and on the basis of this, because of the grace given me by God to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God so that the offering of the Gentiles might be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. I want to think with you this morning about how we ought to read Romans, how we ought to understand it, how we ought to apply it. Sometimes people approach Romans and they're really excited because it has all of this doctrine in it, wonderful doctrine, consistent doctrine, fascinating doctrine, and all of that's very true. But notice that Paul doesn't say, I've presented these things to you so that you can impress other people with your knowledge. That's not his reason. He doesn't say, I've presented these things to you so that you can have a kind of self-justification by check-marking doctrinal boxes and saying, look how much I know. That of course would undermine the whole message, right? He's not saying I'm presenting these things to you so that you can be proud in your knowledge. What does he say? He says, I've said these things to you some places very boldly to remind you so that something can happen. Namely, so that the offering of the Gentiles might be given. so that I might do my job as an apostle in the priestly service of God to call or to preach this gospel so that the Gentiles may be brought in. You see, Paul connects the things that he's been teaching, these things that he's written very boldly about in certain places, some things that are hard to accept in certain places, not just so that they might be said, And especially so that people might not become proud, but so that the Gentiles might be saved. Paul grounds his theology, and his theology is shaped by his mission. And this should be true for us as well. Our theology, the things that we know about God, should be shaped by the will of God. who God is, what he's doing, what he wants from us, his plans in history, all of these things. He gives us this outline of our faith in Romans so that we might connect these things. doctrine or doctrines in scripture, which are very prevalent in Romans and wonderful and beautiful, but they are never meant to be a skeleton, a skeleton of ideas devoid of life, a skeleton of ideas simply meant to be propped up, that we might as scientists, lording over the skeleton, examining its bits and pieces and saying, isn't it interesting that this joint moves here and don't you see how the arm moves up and down this way? learning dry bone by dry bone. That's not what he's done. It's not what the Bible is. The structure of faith, the contents of faith, is to be in each of us, and it holds us up, but it's made vital by the spirit working in us. The body in which we live, in which we work, in which we serve, in which we do. Paul's theology is not His mission is not like an add-on to the doctrine. It is what he's doing. It doesn't deny doctrine. It doesn't deny teachings, things that must be known. He says, I've written to you very boldly. I've been really clear at certain points to remind you of these things. But it's not just a bunch of dry bones. It's something alive and active. Knowledge is connected with goodness, you notice he says. Knowledge is aimed at a particular thing. This helps us to understand his mission. It helps us to understand why he talks about himself in this way. And it helps us to understand what the gospel is doing, or rather what God is doing in the preaching of the gospel. In sending out the apostle Paul to teach these things, he's on a mission. as we confessed earlier, to save sinners from their sins. You remember what Paul says, maybe you remember what Paul says at the beginning of Romans. He says, I'm not ashamed of the gospel because it's really, really true. No, although that is true, and a good reason not to be ashamed of it. He says, I'm not ashamed of the gospel because it's the power of God unto salvation for all who believe, first to the Jews and then to the Gentiles. He describes it as the word of God going forth and having this effect in people's lives. I've written these things to you in some places very boldly by way of reminder so that this work of God to the Gentiles might be done. What's amazing is that even as Paul is saying this, we get to see that what God has said is true, because of course he's speaking to Gentile Christians, Jews as well, but Gentiles here in the Church of Rome who are filled with goodness, filled with knowledge, former idol worshipers who are now able to instruct people in the things of Yahweh. That's a remarkable thing. That's the power of God unto salvation, isn't it? That's what he's done. And he says this, look at yourselves. You see the fruit of God here in your lives right now. You see what it's done and what it does. In saying this, Paul reminds us of one of the great themes and purposes of Romans. to teach us that through faith in Jesus Christ, the Gentiles are brought in to the family of God. They become children of Abraham. And if I might stop speaking in the third person for a moment, we can perhaps add that we have become children of Abraham. That many of the things that Paul is testifying to here about the work of the word in the world applies to us. When you think about your family and your ancestors, perhaps some of you don't have to go back many generations to point out and to see the work of God in your life, in the life of your family. Most of us, I don't know you, but my guess is that most of us are not biological children of Abraham, are not Jews to whom have been given the patriarchs and the glory and the covenants and other things that he mentions in Romans. Our moms and dads, maybe one, two, three, or even whether it's 12 generations back, were worshiping idols. They were out in forests and lighting fires and sacrificing children, perhaps in a very civilized way, but still doing it, still worshiping and trusting false gods. It is an amazing thing that we, if you do, confess the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the work of God that has gone out into the world. As far as Rome and as far as Mesa, Tucson, that's an incredible thing. And it's a testimony to the power of this word. You see why we can't just take it as a checklist of things to believe, though we must believe all that is there? We can't merely take it that way. We can't treat it that way in our lives. There's a few other things that we might add to this as well. I want to point out that when Paul says to the Romans that they are full of goodness and filled with all knowledge, this is a reminder to us that just as the gospel goes into the world to save the Gentiles, it does it in these very specific ways. And that we ought to praise God for it. When we hear things that we have heard before, perhaps you know that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. Perhaps you've heard that we were born under sin, that no one is righteous, no not one. But when we hear these things, if we believe that God is working through them, and that they are the power of God into salvation, and we see them in our lives, what do we do? Do we say, well yeah, I know all that stuff, that's not a big deal. or it's time for me to move on to something else, or I'm bored. No, when God says to them, yes, when God says to them through his apostle that they have been filled with goodness and all knowledge, that's never an excuse for us to neglect the things that God has given to us. When we have received the mercies and the goodness of God, that is an opportunity for us to be thankful He's saying that they are being characterized by something positive. Their lives are not characterized by hypocrisy, by lawlessness. It's a healthy church. They are full of goodness. They're like a tree. Imagine a tree full of good and ripe fruit. You walk out into your backyard, maybe some of you have orange trees or something like that. You walk out into your backyard, The oranges have grown and full and you say, that's a good tree. That's a healthy tree. That's a tree that's full of goodness. It doesn't mean that there aren't dead leaves on it. It doesn't mean that there might be a infestation of bugs of some sort or a fungus over here or problems over there or gophers going under your yard. It's not a perfect tree, but it's full of goodness. Sometimes in a desire to emphasize are the sinful nature of the flesh, we do so in a way that neglects the goodness of the things that God is doing. It's not an either or situation though, it's a both and. We can simultaneously look at ourselves and say, sinner, and I abhor him. I abhor that fungus. I abhor those parasites. I abhor the situation that I find myself in where I'm constantly attacked and given to temptation and all the rest. But I also recognize that the work of the Spirit is in me. And in us as a church, that good things are happening and that we can praise God for them. We ought never to be afraid to recognize and say the truth about what God is doing or about who we are. And this is why Paul says this. Paul points this out so that they might give praise to God. Not so that they would be puffed up Not so that they would neglect all the things that he said, but so they would see the work of God in their midst and pursue it all the more. That they would see the power of the gospel at work in their lives. The things, all the things that he's been saying about Jesus, and run to him all the more. Trust him all the more. Want to hear of it all the more. Speak more boldly, Paul. Remind us even more. Because this is our life. So what are the things that Paul has spoken boldly of? The things that we ought never to be above hearing these kinds of reminders? Well, there's a lot of them. It's a big book. But I do want to survey some of them with you at least. If you have your Bibles, you can take a look. We're gonna have some fun here. If not, or if you'd rather just listen, that's fine too. First chapter one. These are things that I believe are some of the places that Paul has in mind when he says, I've spoken very boldly to you. Not every place is very boldly. These are some of them that I think perhaps you in reading through Romans might notice others. There are many, but here's one. Verse 16 of chapter one, I've quoted it already. For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. I'm not ashamed of the gospel. That's a bold thing. When somebody starts saying, I'm not ashamed, and I'm about to tell you something, you know they're speaking strongly. Do whatever you want. You can't embarrass me. You can't stop me. Because I know something, and I know it's true. He's not going to care about the attacks, the slandering, the imprisonment, the mocking. He believes this point. God has given him this point to preach so that people might be saved. Another bold place, chapter two, verse one. Therefore, you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges, for in passing judgment on one another, you condemn yourself. Oh man, you who judge those and practice such things, he goes on to say, and yet do them yourself, do you think that you will escape the judgment of God? That is a strong thing to say. Every single one of you. You know right from wrong, he says. You know how to say, that's not fair. Do you think that you who knows how to judge other people will escape the judge of the heavens and the earth? Or verse five, but because of your hard and impenitent heart, you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed. Many, many people today balk at hearing about sin, about judgment. The word that we used earlier from Mark, the word that Jesus used, evil, that is a strong word. We often avoid it, but Paul is not afraid, and he's not afraid of applying it to his own hearers. And in these passages, no one gets a pass. And he goes, and you'll have to read it for yourself, but through all kinds of various arguments, he condemns the whole world, Jew and Greek, and he explains how both are accountable, both are sinful, both will come under the righteous judgment of God. Here's another one, chapter three, verse 21. After coming legitimately and righteously under the righteous judgment of God, the whole world, then we get to chapter three, verse 21, where he says, now, the righteousness of God, as it benefits us, the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law. Skipping on a little bit, he says, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. Or as he puts it in chapter five, verse six, while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. One of the arguments he makes there is he says, surely a person might die for a friend or for a righteous person, but Christ died for the ungodly. The judge who comes to judge and condemns all the sinners in the world then comes and pays their penalty for them. The righteousness that they were not able to earn for themselves, God gives to them. He says many other things in strong ways. But let's skip to chapter eight, verse 31. And I'll end with this one. Let's start with verse one, actually. Chapter eight, verse one. after telling us about the work of Jesus Christ, after proving through various arguments that because of our judgment, because of our condemnation, nothing can save us but faith alone in Christ alone. He comes to this conclusion in chapter eight, verse one. that because God has done the work, because God has saved our wretched souls to the highest degree and has made us and has given us an eternal salvation, because of Jesus Christ, Romans 8 verse one, there is therefore now no condemnation. The early chapters of Romans are condemnation, condemnation, condemnation, judgment, judgment, storing up wrath, everyone's a sinner, no one's righteous, no not one. But when we put our faith in Jesus, when we trust in the one whom God has given us for our salvation, what's the result? Here's a very strong reminder to you this morning. There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law weakened by the flesh could not do by sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin He condemned the sin. He condemned sin in the flesh in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, the ungodly, the unrighteous. Then he takes it a step further. Look at chapter eight, verse 31. This is what I'll end with. What shall we say to these things? What shall we say to these things? If God is for us, he answers his question, if God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own son, but gave him up for us all, how will he not also graciously give us all things? Who can bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies, who is to condemn. Christ Jesus is the one who died, more than that who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, and who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword, pause, all the things which came into the world because of sin, Continue, as it is written, for your sake, we are being killed all the day long. We are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered. No. In all these things, we are more than conquerors. Remember, I've written to you, not boldly, but very boldly. This is one of those very boldly things. He could have said, in all these things, we are conquerors through him who loved us. No, he says, no, in all these things we are more than conquerors. I'm not even sure what that is, but it's a lot. It's conquering, conquering, conquering. We are more than conquerors through him who loved us, for I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else, in all of creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus, our Lord. And we're only at chapter eight. I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, not because, hey, remember, there's a few more things you gotta remember. Does that feel like a few more things you've gotta remember? Or does that feel like life? Like hope? Like salvation? From nakedness and famine and sword and power and height and depth and death and on and on and on. This is our life. Jesus Christ is our life. We ought never to be above reminders. We ought never to be above these things. The gospel. One famous violinist, Judy Menuhin, practiced every day. The thing he practiced and was known for practicing a lot were his scales over and over and over again. Now you musicians, I'm one of you. I know you're rolling your eyes. You're saying, I don't like scales. And sometimes we don't like scales. And sometimes we don't like practicing our chords. And sometimes we don't like doing these things. But isn't there something true about practicing the fundamentals that really works? It does. When I was in seminary in Escondido, I was teaching a lot of private lessons, lots and lots of private lessons. And most of my kids were beginners, almost all of them. I was sitting in a small, tiny room, about as big as this chancel or platform here, maybe even smaller, with another, it was about half of this actually. There was me here, and another cellist here, and it was hours and hours, every day of me going, Put your first finger on this tape, and your third finger on this tape, and your fourth finger on this tape, and me just playing that every day, over and over and over. My intonation was never better. I wasn't practicing anything hard. I wasn't doing anything fancy. I wasn't doing any kind of spectacular method. I was just playing first position, fourth position notes again, and again, and again, really carefully, really thoughtfully, as best I could to model for their benefit. And after those years, I remember saying to my dad, who's a musician, I said, Dad, intonation's getting really good. And this is what I'm doing. When we come to the Bible, and we come to it in this proud way, I know my stuff. I'm ready for fancy things. Give me meat. I don't want to hear about these basic things anymore. It's game over, spiritually. If we try to teach our children in that way, okay, here's the 500 things you need to know. Game over. It doesn't mean we shouldn't be systematic. It doesn't mean we shouldn't practice our scales. It doesn't mean that these things aren't true. They are. But we have to understand that they are what Paul says they are. He tells them how to read Romans. And he says, Read Romans in this way. Recognize that through the word of God, the message of Jesus Christ that I've been talking to you about, these things that I, Christopher Chalke, I've been talking to you about this morning, these things are the power of God unto salvation. And you're seeing it in your lives. You're seeing the work of God in your hearts. I'm saying these things to you, not because that's not true, But because there's something more to happen, we need to be reminded of these things. We forget these things. And there's a mission that the Gentiles might be brought in. And not just brought in, not just sign a line, but become disciples of Jesus, followers of him, as it says in the Great Commission, of everything that I've commanded of you. So we go to the Lord and go to the word to follow him. because that's where we find his grace. That's where we find our salvation. A salvation that we can't conjure up, a salvation that isn't earned by simply believing a certain set of things, but a salvation that comes by trusting in Jesus Christ alone as he is revealed in all of these doctrinal truths of the word. It's in him, not in our imaginations, but in him as he is presented to us and revealed here in this book and in all the other books that we must believe. And when we believe, God promises us that there is no condemnation for us, that there is salvation for all of us, and that nothing can separate us from his love. Praise be to God.