The book of Romans is the greatest treatise on the gospel, the good news, of God that we have. It also contains bad news. One cannot understand just how good the good news is without knowing and understanding just how bad the bad news is.
Paul starts out looking at the bad news in the first chapter in verse 18. Paul calls the bad news “the wrath of God”. Then in chapter three he starts out look at the good news in detail.
He uses some words that will give us some idea of just how good the gospel is:
1. Justified or justification.
2. Redemption or redeem.
3. Reconciliation or reconciled.
4. Sonship or adoption.
I cannot explain all these terms now but for the next few weeks I will try to give you some understanding of these words. First, let’s consider the bad news.
The bad news is “the wrath of God.”
The bad news is so bad it will put you in hell if you do not receive the good news of Jesus Christ! The good news is so good it will put you in heaven so you can live forever!
The bad news starts in the first book of the Bible, “And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, ‘Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: {17} But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eat thereof thou shalt surely die’ (Genesis 2:16-17).“
The man was commanded not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, but he did. So, God cursed man and we are still cursed and God’s wrath is on all men who have sinned.
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness (Romans 1:18).”
The bad news is that “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).“
The good news is the gospel.
The good news is that God in his grace has made it possible for us to be justified by faith in his Son the Lord Jesus Christ.
In justification, the sinner stands before God as the accused and is declared righteous. When God justified by faith that does not mean that he is not guilty of sin, but it means that in grace God has given him forgiveness of his sins.
Paul says, “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: {2} By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God (Romans 5:1-2).”
If you have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, you can rejoice because you have been justified and your hope is certain, God has fulfilled His promise and given you everlasting life!
(Written by Ralph Williams, retired pastor and member of One Hope Mobile.)
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