Thrive Creative Journaling Devotional Bible - Flipbook - Page 9
ROMANS is the longest and most elaborate of Paul’s letters, and it reads more like a
theological treatise than a personal letter. Paul presents the case for the gospel by writing about humanity’s relationship to God. Once he establishes the basic concept that all
human beings are violators of God’s holy law, Paul offers the solution: the sacrifice of
Jesus Christ. Those who believe in Jesus Christ receive forgiveness for sin and gain new
life in the Holy Spirit. Paul also gives practical applications of redemption through Jesus
Christ. Build your faith on the deep truths from Paul’s presentation of the gospel to the
Roman believers.
X
R OM A N S
Greetings from Paul
This letter is from Paul, a slave of Christ
Jesus, chosen by God to be an apostle
and sent out to preach his Good News. 2God
promised this Good News long ago through
his prophets in the holy Scriptures. 3 The
Good News is about his Son. In his earthly
life he was born into King David’s family line,
4 and he was shown to be* the Son of God
when he was raised from the dead by the
power of the Holy Spirit.* He is Jesus Christ
our Lord. 5Through Christ, God has given us
the privilege* and authority as apostles to
tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done
for them, so that they will believe and obey
him, bringing glory to his name.
6And you are included among those Gentiles who have been called to belong to Jesus
Christ. 7I am writing to all of you in Rome
who are loved by God and are called to be his
own holy people.
May God our Father and the Lord Jesus
Christ give you grace and peace.
1
God’s Good News
8Let me say first that I thank my God through
Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith
in him is being talked about all over the world.
9God knows how often I pray for you. Day and
night I bring you and your needs in prayer
to God, whom I serve with all my heart* by
spreading the Good News about his Son.
X
10One of the things I always pray for is the
opportunity, God willing, to come at last to
see you. 11For I long to visit you so I can bring
you some spiritual gift that will help you
grow strong in the Lord. 12When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith,
but I also want to be encouraged by yours.
13 I want you to know, dear brothers and
sisters,* that I planned many times to visit
you, but I was prevented until now. I want to
work among you and see spiritual fruit, just
as I have seen among other Gentiles. 14For
I have a great sense of obligation to people
in both the civilized world and the rest of
the world,* to the educated and uneducated
alike. 15 So I am eager to come to you in
Rome, too, to preach the Good News.
16For I am not ashamed of this Good News
about Christ. It is the power of God at work,
saving everyone who believes—the Jew first
and also the Gentile.* 17This Good News tells
us how God makes us right in his sight. This
is accomplished from start to finish by faith.
As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that
a righteous person has life.”*
God’s Anger at Sin
God shows his anger from heaven
against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness.* 19They
know the truth about God because he has
made it obvious to them. 20 For ever since
18 But
1:4a Or and was designated. 1:4b Or by the Spirit of holiness; or in the new realm of the Spirit. 1:5 Or the grace. 1:9 Or in my spirit.
1:13 Greek brothers. 1:14 Greek to Greeks and barbarians. 1:16 Greek also the Greek. 1:17 Or “The righteous will live by faith.”
Hab 2:4. 1:18 Or who, by their wickedness, prevent the truth from being known.
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