When the Holy Spirit anointed the Apostle Paul to write the Formal Letter (Epistle) to the Christians at Rome, we call “Romans”, and is considered Paul’s greatest work, giving us the most systematic doctrinal presentation of the significance of Jesus’ sacrificial death, and stated resurrection, making “Romans” much more than a book of facts to be believed, but the life to be experienced daily; thus, the Holy Spirit does gives life-giving facts for us to believe, love, obey, and live by, so we can daily have a close, intimate, peaceful, sweet, loving relationship with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
“The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Romans” is a joyous “Epistle” (Formal Letter) to those the Apostle Paul had been praying he could visit, preach, and teach there, so both they and he could share what the Holy Spirit had told each of them, so Paul was looking forward to the visit.
When we are still in sin, reading our hearing the Bible taught or preached, usually causes us to feel God, through the teacher or preacher, is singling us out, because of our rebellion against God and His word, but once we wise up, believe, love, obey God, receive Jesus Christ as Lord, Savior, Salvation, Master, Creator, and Owner, we begin to understand “the Bible” is “God’s love-letters” written especially to each of us, so we know how much He loves and cares for us.
The first chapter of Romans is filled with God’s love, showing us how to live an overcoming life, is the reason Paul wanted to share it with those in the church at Rome, for he wanted them to know how Satan and his deceptive demonic spirits, will do anything to come between God and those He created to be with Him now and throughout eternity, so the Holy Spirit wanted these lies exposed, so people would be aware of Satan’s deceptive persuasion to poison our mind, so we “hate God” and serve him.
Romans 1:1-7 is Paul’s greetings and introduction to those in the church at Rome, and Romans 1:8-15 is Paul’s explanation of why he desires to visit and share Christ with the people at Rome.
Romans 1:18-23 is Paul’s explanation of how Satan and his wicked spirits use “natural things” to warp our thinking, so we allow the satanic forces to pervert “natural things”, so they become corrupted, unnatural, and worse than animal behavior, all because we allowed Satan to possess our thinking, so he now fills our mind with detestable, ungodly, God-hating, rebellion against God, His word, His love, His grace, His mercy, and His forgiveness—anything to revolt against God and His character, yet we seem to enjoy everything Satan “invents” to oppose God.
Romans 1:24-32 explains in explicit word-pictures how we allow the satanic forces to twist and warp our mind, until it is so dead, that sensible reason, and human-reality are no longer possible in our thought life, for this nine-verse list of mental forfeitures has now become our god-idol, we now worship instead of God, our Creator, Provider, Sustainer, and Owner, for Satan is now our owner, slave-master, controller, and who is leading us to the lake of fire.
The phrase “debased (reprobate) mind” in verse 28 means, “thinking rejected by God and beyond hope of His salvation”. That is frightening; therefore, we must always obey God!
The question arises to all who see what we have now become: Why would a Holy God love us so much He would give such detailed word-pictures of how the satanic forces can so easily deceive us into believing he, not God, cares more about us, and is willing to destroy our thinking, so we can “think” we are joyously happy, peaceful, and thriving successfully in our “slavery to his life of sin to steal-kill-and-destroy us”? Yet, some enjoy rebelling against God, but why?
The Holy Spirit, speaking through the Apostle Paul, is not angry at anyone, is not fooling anyone, and is not willing for the satanic forces to deceive, degrade, or destroy anyone, for Jesus willingly gave His life, to destroy the works of the devil, but He must have our willingness for Him to rescue us from Satan’s control over our mind; thus, God gives us enough faith and grace to call on Him for His help, so if you are in this situation, then cry out to God for His help, and He will hear and help you, for He loves you more than you can imagine, also ask liberated Christians to pray with you, read, and explain Scripture to you, until you are free from all this.
Jesus, in John 14:12-14, promises He will do whatever we ask if we ask in His name, so ask the Lord Jesus to remove from you the desire to sin, so you will believe and obey Scripture. You can also ask, in Jesus’ name, for everything to be removed from you that causes you to disobey God and His word. God is waiting for you to need His help, for He already has it worked out.
Jim Nabors
