The Book of Romans is all about the gospel. Paul concludes the book with a mighty crescendo as he summarizes again the main elements of the gospel and shows how it all brings glory to God.
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The Ultimate Goal of the Gospel – The Glory of God!
Romans 16:21-27
My friends, we come at last to our last study in the Book of Romans. This is sermon number 72. We began our study in the book of Romans on January 24, 2018, and we will conclude on November 29, 2020 – two years and 10 months later. And what a wonderful, spiritually enriching book it has been!
In verses 21-24, Paul sends greetings from the brethren with him: Timothy, his fellow worker; Lucius, Jason and Sosipater, fellow Jews; Tertius, the one writing the letter that Paul was dictating; Gaius, the one who was hosting the church in his house in Corinth; Erastus, the city treasurer, and Quartus, the brother.
Now, having gotten all of the greetings out of the way, and the final exhortation to beware of false teachers, Paul is ready to sign off. However, he is not through until he takes one more grand, sweeping summary of the gospel.
The book of Romans is all about the gospel of Jesus Christ. We know that because in the very first verse of the letter Paul writes, “Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God.” In verse 9 Paul says that he serves God in his spirit in the preaching of the gospel of His Son. In verse 15 he writes, “So, for my part, I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.” Then, in verse 16-17, Paul lays down the thesis statement for the entire letter. If you want to know what Romans is all about, Paul tells us in two verses: “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 in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘But the righteous man shall live by faith.”
When we began the book of Romans I gave you this outline of the book:
- The Desperate Need of the Gospel (1:18 – 3:20)
2. The Divine Solution of the Gospel (3:21 – 4:25)
3. The Transforming Power of the Gospel (5:1 – 8:17)
4. The Ultimate Glory of the Gospel (8:18-27)
5. The Sovereign Application of the Gospel (8:28 – 9:29)
6. The Gracious Invitation of the Gospel (9:30 – 10:21)
7. The Inclusive Plan of the Gospel (11:1-36)
8. The Practical Outworking of the Gospel (12:1 – 15:13)
Paul has been expounding the gospel of Jesus Christ for 16 chapters! And now, that he is done, he can’t conclude his letter without giving a final summary of it. Notice verse 25, “Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ…”
So, this morning, our study is all about the gospel. Allow the Holy Spirit to cause you to overflow with gratitude, praise, and love for our Lord Jesus Christ, as we look one more time at the glorious gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
1. The Function Of The Gospel
Establish you. Establish who? Well, the people Paul was writing to, of course! Who were they? They were believers in Jesus Christ. Now, that’s interesting. Normally, we think that the function of the gospel is to save sinners, and that is absolutely true. In fact, Paul began this letter in chapter 1, verse 16 by saying, “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.” However, saving sinners is not the only function of the gospel. Here we learn that it establishes saints!
The word “establish” could also be translated “strengthen.” The gospel causes us to become firmly rooted so that we are established and made strong in faith. Saints, the gospel is not just for your unsaved friend or neighbor. The gospel is for you!
2. The Subject Of The Gospel
According to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ. Paul links together two ideas – his gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ. Why? Because his gospel was made known in the preaching of Jesus Christ. In other words, Jesus Christ is the embodiment of the gospel. There is no gospel without Him. The gospel is a Person. The gospel concerns the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. When we rightly preach Jesus Christ, we are preaching the gospel. In fact, Paul began this letter in 1:1-3 that he was set apart for the gospel of God, concerning His Son.”
And understanding the person and work of Christ not only saves from sin, but it strengthens, establishes and sanctifies Christians. Friends, that is why it is so important that you hear the gospel preached over and over, and preach it to yourself. You will never outgrow your need for the gospel as a Christian. God has designed it to be the message by which you enter the kingdom, and also the message by which you are sustained and strengthened until you reach heaven.
3. The Mystery Associated With The Gospel
According to the revelation of the mystery. There is a mystery associated with the gospel. In the Bible, a “mystery” is something that was once hidden, but is now revealed. So, exactly what was hidden in the Old Testament, but is now revealed through the gospel?
Well, probably the clearest expression of this mystery is found in Ephesians 3:4-6, “By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel…” So, according to Paul, the thing that was hidden in the Old Testament, but revealed in the New Testament was that the Gentiles would become part of the people of God, on exactly the same footing and standing as the Jews. The Gentiles would not be second class citizens in the kingdom of God. No, they are fellow heirs, fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise. And that mystery was revealed when the gospel was preached to the Gentiles.
In Colossians 1:27 Paul wrote, “to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
Colossians 2:2, “that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself…”
Colossians 4:3, “…so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned.”
The mystery is that Gentiles are same standing in the body of Christ as Jews; it is Christ dwelling in the believer, it is Christ Himself. The gospel reveals these truths to all.
4. The Foundation Of The Gospel
And by the Scriptures of the prophets. Here Paul gives us the foundation for the gospel. Even though there were mysteries associated with the gospel that were not understood in the Old Testament, the gospel had its foundations in the Scriptures of the prophets. What do I mean? I mean that the essence of the gospel was laid in the Old Testament prophets.
The first gospel promise is found in Genesis 3:15 where it is said that the seed of the woman will crush the head of the serpent. Over and over in the Old Testament, the Scriptures speak of Christ. Sometimes they do so through typology, where Christ is seen dimly through pictures, like the priesthood, the tabernacle, the sacrifices, Abraham offering up Isaac, the Passover, etc. And sometimes the Scriptures speak of Christ directly, like in Isaiah 53 and Psalm 22 and Daniel 9. And folks, this is exactly what Paul said at the very beginning of this letter. Romans 1:1-2 says, “set apart for the gospel of God, which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures…”
Since the beginning of time, God had been communicating the gospel through types and prophecies, but the people who came before Christ couldn’t see the gospel clearly. It was fuzzy, and hazy. But when Christ came, that hazy message now became crystal clear. That which was hidden was now revealed.
5. The Mandate Of The Gospel
According to the commandment of the eternal God has been made known to all the nations. The gospel came with a mandate. Jesus Christ gave a commandment to His disciples that they should publish the gospel to all the world.
Mark 16:15, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.”
Matthew 28:19, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations”
Luke 24:47 “repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations”
Acts 1:8, “but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”
Matthew 24:14, “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.”
My friends, because this gospel is suitable for all, and sufficient for all, and available to all, therefore it must be preached to all. And we are under a solemn obligation to get this gospel to the people around us.
6. The Outcome Of The Gospel
Leading to obedience of faith. What is the outcome God is looking for through the gospel? The obedience of faith. Now, it is important to notice that phrase. God is not looking for obedience alone. Nor is he looking for faith alone.
If a person were to obey the commands of Jesus, but did so without faith, this would not be the will of God. He wants all our obedience to flow from faith. Likewise, if we had faith but had no obedience, God would not be pleased either. God desires obedience which flows out of faith.
Therefore, if a person says they believe the gospel, but it does not lead to obedience to Christ, that “faith” is deficient.
Folks, this is how we know whether the gospel has taken root in a person’s life. If the gospel does not lead to the obedience of faith, it has no root. Many people profess to believe the gospel. They are like the rocky soil in Jesus’ parable. They immediately receive the word with joy, yet they have no firm root, and are only temporary, and so when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, they immediately fall away. Do you want to know when you see a true conversion? Look for the obedience of faith. This person will yield his will to Christ’s will and submit to Him as Lord. That is the necessary outcome of the gospel.
7. The Goal Of The Gospel
To the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen. Folks, Paul is finishing his letter with a great doxology, a high water mark, a grand crescendo. The word “doxology” comes from two Greek words – doxa and logos. “Doxa” means glory, and logos means word. Thus, a doxology is a word that scribes glory to God.
Paul has already given us a doxology at the conclusion of chapter 11. After teaching us how God’s plan for the elect Jews dovetails with His plan to include all elect Gentiles, He concludes with, “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to Him again? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.”
Now, at the end of the letter, Paul gives us another. The letter begins with mankind in sin, condemned under the righteousness of God and destined for His wrath. It ends with a profound summary of the gospel that gives glory to God.
But don’t miss this my friends. The ultimate goal of the gospel is not your salvation. The ultimate goal of the gospel is God’s glory. After elaborating and summarizing the gospel in verse 25 and 26, Paul comes to the final and ultimate goal of the gospel by saying, “to the only wise God through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen!”
In this respect, the gospel is a lot like the Bible as a whole. The Bible is not about us. Yes, it has things to say about us, but it is not about us. The Bible is about God. The Bible is God’s revelation to mankind of who He is, and what He has done. If you go to the Bible with the idea that everything in it is about you, you will be sorely disappointed. The Bible is a God-centered book. The gospel is a God-centered message.
God does all things for His glory. That’s why He created this world, and angels and men. That’s why He permitted the Fall. That’s why He chose the nation of Israel to be His special people. That’s why He sent His Son. That’s why He saves sinners. That’s why He sanctifies saints. That’s why He is going to create a new heavens and a new earth. It is all for His name’s sake!
And so, Paul ends his letter with worship. And that is the way I think we should end this church service. We have saved some special time here at the end to worship and magnify the Lord, especially for His saving gospel. So, let’s stand before the Lord and respond to His wonderful gospel with worship.
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