what to study next for our Bible
study. You know, we've been going through
John, Gospel of John, and now in John 17, and now preaching
these messages. And the book of Romans kept coming
to mind and stayed with me, so I take that as being the Lord's
will that we're to look at this amazingly in the Lord's providence,
This was the very first book that we studied together when
I came here 28 years ago. Very first book we studied together
and then exactly 14 years later. I didn't plan it, but we studied
it again. All right, here it is another
14 years later. I did not plan that. But John Calvin, whom I esteem highly,
said, if you understand Romans, you'll understand all the Scripture,
all of the Bible. It is a summary of all the doctrine
of God, of Christ. And it is doctrine. It's teaching.
It's instruction from God's Word. It's His truth. But again, like
we looked at, when was it? The last time we met together
was last Wednesday night. Wednesday before last, wasn't
it? We looked at Deuteronomy 32 where he said, my doctrine
shall drop as rain and my speech as dew. So, if the Lord will
bless this, this will not just be doctrine, this will drop like
rain, be like dew, refreshing dew. It will refresh you and
bless you. If heard with hunger and thirst
to give you great peace and joy. Let's give you an interesting
story about this. Robert Haldane who wrote, dad
knows Robert Haldane, he wrote perhaps one of the best commentaries
on the Book of Romans ever. It's one of my favorite and a
favorite of many. He was a Scottish preacher back
in the 1700s. Well, he went to Switzerland
where the Reformation, Calvin, Knox, Wingly Huss, the Reformation
started. He went there just to visit and
he found some young students in the ministry there, but they
didn't know the Lord. Maybe they were ministerial students,
but they didn't know God, didn't know Christ, didn't know the
truth. And so he, Haldane, began to
teach these young, there were several of them, a dozen or more,
began to teach them through the book of Romans. Well, the Lord
saved most of those young men through his teaching and preaching
through Romans. And the Lord started a great
revival in Switzerland that carried over into France. And there was
a man named Frederick Monod who, anybody who's read the old writers,
he said, just a wonderful gospel preacher and writer. The Lord
used him to establish what's called the Free Churches in France. France is a predominantly Catholic
country. Well, the Lord sent the gospel
there through a man just teaching Romans. All of that started and
carried over through that. And Romans, you know, the church
Rome is where Paul, you know, wrote this to. Anyway, here's
a summary of the whole book of Romans, alright? It speaks of
God our Creator in chapter 1. It speaks of the Creator. It
speaks of His power, His Godhead. It speaks of the fall of man,
his corruption, his depravity. It speaks of man being dead. It speaks of the law of God.
It brings up the law of God. the purpose of the law, use of
the law. It speaks of salvation one way, Jesus Christ. Not the law, but by Jesus Christ. That's the theme of all of God's
words. Salvation by grace, justification
by faith. This is what Luther heard from
Romans that saved his soul. And justification by faith, not
law, faith in Christ. It speaks of election. It speaks
of predestination. It speaks of reprobation. It speaks of justification. It
speaks of propitiation. It speaks of sanctification. It speaks of the walk of faith. Grace that produces work. The
book of Romans. This is God's book. This is God's
Word. I look forward to going through
it with you. Romans. Look at it with me. Let's begin.
Verse 1. Paul, no title, not reverend doctor,
not the right reverend holy father doctor, no sir. No prophet ever
used the term prophet in front of his name, capitalized, ever.
No apostle ever took a title, never, no sir. John, of whom
the Lord said, There's no man ever greater born of woman than
John. He wouldn't even tell them his
name. Paul. Paul. A servant of Jesus Christ. He served Jesus Christ. His cause. The cause of Christ. The gospel. Christ's people. His church. That's what a true
God called servant does. He serves God's cause. Son, God's
Christ, God's gospel, God's people. That's what he's in it for. Verse
1, separated unto the gospel of God, totally sold out to,
separated unto, devoted to, similar word as sanctified, consecrated,
devoted to the gospel of God. He said, I'm called to be an
apostle. Now, apostle was a messenger
sent by Christ, a messenger. with a message, one message,
Christ and Him crucified, the gospel. He said, I was called
to be an apostle. Go over to Galatians 1 with me,
Galatians chapter 1. No prophet, no apostle ever applied
for the job. It's a calling. Same with evangelists,
pastors, preachers, and teachers. It's a calling. Galatians 1 verse
1. Here he is again. He says, an
apostle. Not THE apostle. Not THE apostle. AN apostle. One time he said,
I'm less than the least of all the saints. I'm not fit to be
called an apostle or a disciple. Humility. Meekness. An apostle. But not of men. They didn't make
me an apostle. Neither by man, but by Jesus
Christ. Listen to me. There are no more
apostles. An apostle had to have three
credentials. This is what made an apostle
an apostle, or rather who. An apostle had to see Jesus cry. And Paul did, didn't he? On the
road to Emmaus. An apostle had to receive his
calling, his ministry, from Jesus' cry. And Paul did. The Lord said,
you're a chosen vessel unto me to send the gospel out. And number
three, an apostle had to have the gifts, the miracles, the
signs, healing, languages, and so forth of the apostles. The apostles, some of them, raised
the dead. There are no more apostles. We
don't need them anymore. Don't need them. And those signs,
those miracles were credentials proving that God sent them, that
God equipped them, that they were men raised up by God. And what they said was not just
God's word, I mean, not their word, but God's word. And people must hear what they
said as being the word of God himself. There are no more apostles. Some take that title and they're
false, false apostles. Right? So Paul said, I'm called
to be an apostle. Look at verse 11 in Galatians
1. I certify you, brethren, that
the gospel which was preached of me is not after man, neither
I didn't receive it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation
of Jesus Christ. You see that? Look at verse 15. And when it pleased God, who
separated me from my mother's womb and called me by His grace
to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach him among the
heathen." He went on to say, I conferred not with flesh and
blood, no hierarchy. And then over in another place,
Paul said, he said, though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to
glory in, for necessity is laid upon me. Yea, woe is unto me
if I preach not the gospel. So an apostle The prophets preached
the gospel. An apostle was sent to preach
the gospel. Nothing else. To do nothing else.
So it is with evangelists, pastors, and teachers. Preach the gospel. All right? Go back to our text.
He said, I'm separated unto the gospel. Now here is a declaration
of the gospel. There's no clearer, plainer declaration
of the gospel in all of God's Word. Then right here, Paul immediately
begins to tell us what the gospel is. Here it is. There's a description
of the gospel. Number one, verse one. Separated
unto the gospel of God. The gospel begins with God. As
everything began with God. In the beginning, how's the whole
book begin? In the beginning, God. created
the heavens and the earth. God. The whole story of creation
is a gospel story. Brother Pruitt preached that
to us, didn't he? How that creation is such a clear
picture of salvation that's in Christ, who is the light. Genesis
1 goes on and on about that. The gospel of God, Paul said. It's the gospel of God. God the
creator. God the who reigns and rules in the armies
of heaven and the inhabitants of the earth. God who is God,
reigning and ruling. He's the architect. He is the
author in great wisdom and great glory. Amazing wisdom and glory created,
authored, was the architect of this greatest story ever told,
the gospel. This is God's gospel. He's the
one that purposed it. Go over to 2 Timothy chapter
1. Brother Don Bell, these are the
verses the Lord used to save his soul. You need to turn to
it. 2 Timothy chapter 1 speaks of
this gospel and its power. The gospel of God. When it began,
with whom it began. 2 Timothy 1, verse 8. He says
to young Timothy, don't be ashamed. Be not thou therefore ashamed
of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but be
thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the
power of God. It's the gospel of the power
of God who, here's the gospel, it's the gospel of God who hath
saved us. and called us," read on, "...with
an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to
His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus
before the world began." Here's the gospel. Began with God. God
purposed it. God authored it. Before the world
began. Christ is called the Lamb slain
before the world began. In the mind, the purpose of God,
it was all... He declared the end from the
beginning. The gospel, read on. But now,
verse 10, is made manifest, revealed, made clear by the appearing of
our Savior, Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death. Here's the gospel. What Christ
hath done. Abolished death and brought life
and immortality to light through the gospel. Whereunto the gospel
I am appointed a preacher, an apostle, a teacher." Go back
to our text. This is the gospel of God. It's
God's gospel. God's gospel. The gospel of God. Read verse 2 with me. "...which
He promised afore by His prophets in the Holy Scripture." This
is the gospel of the Old Testament. The gospel was preached by the
law and by the prophets. That's what Hebrews said. That
the gospel was preached to Abraham. Our Lord said, Abraham, rejoice
to see my day. Christ is the gospel. And he
said, Abraham, rejoice to see my day. He saw it. And he was
glad. Jacob. Who was it that wrestled
with Jacob? Christ did. Who was it that came
walking in the garden and spoke to the first two sinners? Jesus
Christ. He is the gospel. This is the
gospel promised in all the types, pictures, symbols, ceremonies. Nearly every person, place, and
thing in the Old Testament is a picture of, a type, represents
the Lord Jesus Christ, the gospel of Christ and Him crucified.
Everything. The Old Testament it is in picture,
in type, in promise, says, someone's coming. Someone's coming. Then the Gospels say, He's here,
of whom Moses wrote. He's here, of whom the prophets
spoke of. He's here, Christ said, I'm here. God said, He's here, the one
I promised, that I love, Isaiah 25, verse 9. Love it, love it,
love it. says, "...it shall be said in
that day, this is our God, we've waited on Him, He'll save us." That's Christ. He's God manifest
in the flesh. God our Savior, Jehovah, manifest
in the flesh. The Lord Himself, the Lord Jesus
Christ Himself preached Himself, didn't He? To those disciples
on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24, He began at Moses, the prophets,
and the Psalms, and expanded unto them in all the Scriptures
the things concerning Himself." Because that's what the gospel
is. Look at it in our text. Verse
3, this is concerning God's Son. Verse 3, the gospel of God promised
in picture and type in the Old Testament, the Holy Scripture,
is concerning His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. See, a child
was born, yeah, but the Son was given. The eternal Son of God,
who was with the Father in the beginning, daily His delight,
whose delights were with the sons of men, rejoicing in the
habitable parts of the earth. Proverbs 7, 8 speaks of Him. But He was made flesh. In the
volume of the book, it's written of Him. Lo, I come to do Thy
will, O God. A body hast Thou prepared me."
Christ came in the flesh, the Son of the Most High. This gospel
is concerning God's Son, sent by God. You see, the gospel of
man's salvation is not concerning man, but concerning God's Son. The gospel has to do with us
or the gospel is our salvation. But it is not man's will. The
gospel is God's will. Of his own will begat he us with
his word of truth. Born of God. Not of the will
of the flesh, the will of man. It is God that worketh in us
to will. Not of him that willeth or runneth, but of God. This
gospel of God is not concerning man's will. Man wasn't even around
when God willed it. when God purposed it. This is
God's will. It's out of God's will. This
is not man's choice. The gospel is not something that
concerns man's choice, but completely concerns God's choice. God chose
whom He would, to save whom He would, because He would. This
is not concerning man's work. The gospel. The gospel is not
concerning man's works. No, no. This gospel is concerning
God's work, Christ's work. the Holy Spirit's work. And that's
what makes it such good news to sinners that this is God's
work. And He that purposed this work
will perform it, will complete it. And He that hath begun a
good work in you, He'll finish it. My next message this morning
is Christ said, I've finished the work. This work of God. This great work of God's Son
is concerning God's Son who was sent by God to do this great
work of redemption by Himself. By Himself. He's the covenant head. He's
the surety. He's the Savior of His people. Look at verse 3. He was Jesus Christ, our Lord,
made Lord by God. That's what Psalm 2 says, doesn't
it? He was made Lord by God. He was made of the seed of David
according to the flesh. Now, it's not that Christ was
ever truly made, but a body hast thou prepared me, he said. God
made him a body. A body was made for him. He had
no beginning or end. He's a priest forever after the
order of Melchizedek. He is very God of very God. beginning,
no end of day. But he was given a body and that
body came from the line of David. David, by design, by purpose,
according to God's word, according to God's will, he was made, scripture
says, of the seed of David according to the flesh. Why David? Because David was God's chosen
king. You remember the story of David
over in 1 Samuel 16? It wouldn't take much for me
to go back there and preach that if somebody requested it. What a story. David, you know,
grew up and was a keeper of the sheep. And when it was time and
the fullness of time, God had him brought in before the prophet
Samuel, the prophet. David came in from keeping the
sheep out. He was ruddy, red in the face.
And our God said to Samuel, arise, anoint him, this is he. And that's what all the scriptures
say. He's coming, and when he came, this is what God says to
every prophet, this is he. This is what God says to every
knee, bow the knee, this is he. Every time, confess, this is
he. This is the anointed one. This is the Christ who was to
come. Why David? Because David was
God's king. God's king. Christ is even called
the son of David, though he's not. He didn't come from David. His mother and his father, his
so-called mother and his so-called father, Joseph, both did. But
when the angel announced his birth to Mary, she said, this
holy thing is not from man, but this is of God. This is the seed
of God. That's what He's called. The
seed of God. Seed of God. And so He came. Christ came of the line, the
lineage, the house of David because Christ was to be the King. The King of Israel. The King
of the Jews. Not over there. They rejected
Him. Didn't they? They crucified Him.
They don't want Him. And He's not ever going to sit
on a throne over there in Jerusalem. And I'm telling you right now,
He is the King of Israel. He is the King of the Jews. But
He's not a Jew, Romans 2 says it. He is not a Jew, which is
why outwardly, but inwardly. Salvation is of the Jews, alright.
Christ is the King of the Jews. And Christ is reigning right
now and ruling on the throne in Mount Zion. But it's an unseen
kingdom. This is why, part of the reason,
why he came from the seed of David. There's to be a king sitting
on the throne in Israel, but not that place. But Israel, New
Jerusalem, which someday is going to come down out of heaven, which
right now is here among you. Peter preached this over in Acts
2, this morning's message. I hope you heard it. In this
morning's message, Peter preached right now, Jesus Christ is seated
at the right hand of the majesty on high, reigning on the throne,
on the throne. Verse 3, verse 4, said he's made
of the seed of David according to the flesh and declared to
be the son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness
by the resurrection from the dead. He's declared to be the
son of God with power." God's gospel, the gospel declares the
eternal Son of God with power. How much power? Now people, this
is the gospel. Anything less than this is not
the gospel. Do you hear me? This is how they start. That
He's declared to be the Son of God with power. How much power?
What did Christ say? All power is given unto Me. as
thou hast given him power over..." Who? "...all flesh." Any gospel
less than that, any gospel, any so-called gospel preacher that
stands up and tells people, Jesus has done all He can do, now it's
up to you, is not the gospel. This is the gospel of the power
of Christ, the gospel of the power of God. It took the power
of God and the power of Christ and the power of the Spirit of
God to work out this gospel, to work out our salvation. All
power. Christ said, all authority is
given unto me in heaven and earth. Power over principalities and
powers. This is good news. This is good news. Our Christ
has all power. Unto Him that's able to present
us Keep us from falling. Power. All power. It is another
gospel that says Christ wants to. Wants to anything. Tries
to. He has power over all flesh. He has power over all principalities
in power. He has power to kill. Power to
make alive. Power to wound. Power to heal.
Power to save. Power to destroy. All power is
given unto me, Christ says. Any gospel less than that is
not The gospel is another Jesus. He created this world. Salvation
is His work. Providence is His work. All is
in the power of Jesus Christ. He upholds all things by the
word of His power. Especially His people. Isn't
that good news? This is the gospel. It's no good.
It's no gospel. It's no good news. He's done
all he can do. Now it's up to you. If anything's
up to me, I'm a goner. And he's a liar that says anything
less than this. All power. I wish I could preach
this with power. He declared to be the Son of
God with power, verse 4. Now here's how we know he has
all power. That he's the Son of God. God
in the flesh. The Spirit of holiness. He's
declared to be the Son of God by the Spirit of holiness. Two
things. At his baptism, you remember, it says, the Spirit of God descended
upon him as in the form of a dove, landed on him, declaring him,
the Holy Spirit of God. He's the anointed one. He's the
Christ. He's the Son of God, of whom the prophets spoke. This
is He. God the Father spoke out loud,
said, this is my Son. This is my well-beloved, only
begotten Son. Hear Him. The Spirit of God declares
that He's the Son of God. And by the Spirit of holiness,
my, my, by the Spirit of holiness, by His holiness, He had no sin. He had no sin. He's the Holy
One of Israel. He's the Holy One. He's the Just
One. There's not a just man on earth
that doeth good and sinneth not, Scripture says. where there was
one, just one, and He's the just one, the Holy One of God. No sin. In Him was no sin. That's
how you know He's not just a mere man. No sin. Declared to be the Son of God
by the Spirit of holiness. And verse 4, I'll quit with it.
And by the resurrection from the dead, He's declared to be
the Son of God, and here is the gospel, that Christ rose from
the dead. The gospel of God concerning
God's Son, who He is, why He came, what He did, who He did
it for, declares that He arose from the grave, proving beyond
a shadow of a doubt, proving He is who He is. He is who the
scripture said He was. Proving everything He said is
so. That everything He did was a complete accomplishment. by the resurrection from the
dead. Christ came out of that grave. He said, while on this
earth, they tried many times to kill Him, to take Him. He
said, mine hour is not yet come. Because man can't do anything
to God. Man can't touch God. God was
on the earth. He said, no man taketh my life
from me. And He proved that many times
when they tried to take Him. One last time before He went
to the cross, He proved it in a garden, didn't He? Whom seek
ye? They said, Jesus. And He said, I am. And they all
fell to the ground. He said, no man taketh My life
from Me. He said, I lay it down of Myself. I have this power.
Do you have that power? Does any man have that power?
No, that's not in man's power. This is not just a man. This
is the Son of God, who came, sent by God, for God's purpose
of saving His people, made to the seed of David, with all power,
power over all flesh, power over Satan, power over sin, power
over this world, power over His people, who came to accomplish
a work. And our next message, I can't
wait to get to it, is He did it. He finished it. Took away sin by the sacrifice
of himself. God put him in the grave. He
took our sins away like that pit man, like that scapegoat
in the wilderness. And he came out of that grave
like the high priest came out of the holy of holies. Sacrifice
accepted. And he's right now seated, reigning,
waiting till God makes his enemies his footstool. And he's coming
back to his people. Now that's the gospel in four
verses.