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Objective

In this lesson, we’ll discover how Paul demonstrates that every person—regardless of background, morality, or religious heritage—is a sinner in desperate need of God’s salvation.

Key Verse

Romans 1:16: For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.

Introduction

When you open the New Testament and look at Paul’s letters, you’ll notice that Romans appears first among all the epistles. This placement isn’t accidental. Romans holds this position for three important reasons that help us understand its significance in God’s Word.

First, Romans is the longest of Paul’s letters. With sixteen chapters, it contains more detailed teaching than any other epistle Paul wrote. Second, Romans serves as the doctrinal foundation of the New Testament. If you want to understand the core truths of Christianity, Romans is essential reading. Third, Romans connects closely with the ending of Acts, showing us how Paul’s missionary journeys led to his ultimate goal of reaching Rome with the gospel.

For many years, Paul had dreamed of visiting Rome and ministering to the believers there. This wasn’t just a passing wish—it was a burning desire that drove much of his missionary work.

Romans 1:10-15: I pray that now at last by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you. I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong—that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles. I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome.

Paul finally did reach Rome, but not in the way he had planned. He arrived as a prisoner at the end of his ministry, carried there in chains rather than walking as a free missionary.

Acts 28:14-31: There we found some brothers and sisters who invited us to spend a week with them. And so we came to Rome. The brothers and sisters there had heard that we were coming, and they traveled as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. At the sight of these people Paul thanked God and was encouraged. When we got to Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with a soldier to guard him… He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ—with all boldness and without hindrance!

Romans wasn’t Paul’s first letter—that distinction probably belongs to Galatians. However, the themes that Paul develops fully in Romans are already present in his earlier writings. When we read Galatians, we can see the seeds of the great doctrines that would bloom into full teaching in Romans.

Galatians 2:16-17: Know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified. But if, in seeking to be justified in Christ, we Jews find ourselves also among the sinners, doesn’t that mean that Christ promotes sin? Absolutely not!

In these verses from Galatians, we already see some of the key doctrines that Paul will teach more fully in Romans: sin and guilt, law and grace, and justification by faith. These themes form the backbone of Paul’s theology and are developed systematically in the first eight chapters of Romans. In chapters 1-3, we learn the sobering truth that we are all guilty before God. In chapters 4-8, we discover the wonderful truth that we can be justified by faith in Jesus Christ.

In this lesson, we’ll examine the first three chapters of Romans more closely. I want you to see how Paul builds his case step by step, showing that every category of person stands condemned before God:

• Paul’s introduction and the power of the gospel
• The sin of godless people who reject God
• The sin of moral people who trust in their own goodness
• The sin of religious people who rely on their heritage
• Paul’s conclusion that all people need salvation

Paul’s Introduction and the Power of the Gospel

Paul begins his letter by establishing his credentials and explaining the heart of his message. In the first seven verses, Paul teaches us profound truths about who Jesus Christ is. He tells us that Christ was promised by the prophets, that He is the Son of God and our Lord, that He was born into the family of David, that He was raised from the dead, and that He calls us to serve Him.

Paul then expresses his deep desire to visit Rome. He understood something that every Christian should remember: ministry always works in two directions. When we serve others, we bless them, but we are also blessed by them.

Romans 1:11-12: I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong—that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.

Paul then gives us the fundamental reason why he wanted to go to Rome. He understood that the gospel is not just good advice or moral teaching—it is the very power of God for salvation.

Romans 1:16: For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.

This verse contains one of the most important truths in all of Scripture. The power of the gospel is the only answer to the sinfulness of humanity. Paul will spend the next several chapters teaching about our desperate need for salvation through Christ. He will demonstrate that everyone—without exception—is a sinner. (Notebook Moment: Paul says he is “not ashamed” of the gospel. What are some reasons people today might feel ashamed of the gospel message? How can Paul’s confidence encourage us when we face opposition or mockery for our faith?)

The Sin of Godless People

Paul begins his systematic presentation of human sinfulness by discussing those who have turned completely away from God. These are people who have rejected the knowledge of God that is available to everyone through creation and conscience. Paul shows us that when people deny their Creator, they descend into complete wickedness.

Romans 1:18-22: The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools.

Paul explains that godless people make three devastating changes when they turn from God. First, they change God’s glory into false images and idols. Second, they change God’s truth into a lie. Third, they change what is natural into what is unnatural. Each of these changes takes them further from God and deeper into sin.

The progression Paul describes is both tragic and predictable. When people reject the true God, they don’t become free—they become enslaved to false gods of their own making. When they reject God’s truth, they don’t find enlightenment—they embrace lies that lead to destruction. When they reject God’s design for human relationships and sexuality, they don’t find fulfillment—they experience the broken consequences of living against God’s created order.

Paul concludes this section with a sobering statement: God has given the wicked up to their own wickedness.

Romans 1:28: Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done.

This is one of the most frightening judgments God can bring upon people—not destroying them immediately, but allowing them to pursue their rebellion until they experience its full consequences.

The Sin of Moral People

But Paul doesn’t stop with obviously wicked people. Not everyone is as godless as those described in chapter one. There are people who try to live moral lives, who condemn the wickedness they see around them, who believe they are better than those who live in obvious sin. What about them? Paul shows us that they too are sinners who stand condemned before God.

Romans 2:3: So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment?

Paul’s argument here is devastatingly simple. The very fact that we can recognize sin in others proves that we know right from wrong. But if we know right from wrong, and yet we sin anyway, we are without excuse. Our conscience bears witness against us, showing that we are sinners just like everyone else.

Romans 2:14-15: Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.

God has written His moral law on every human heart. When we violate that law—as we all do—our own conscience condemns us. We cannot claim ignorance of right and wrong, because God has made these truths known to everyone. (Notebook Moment: Think about times when your conscience has bothered you about something you did or said. How does this inner voice demonstrate that God has indeed written His law on your heart?)

The Sin of Religious People

Paul then turns to the most challenging group of all—the Jewish people who had received God’s law, been circumcised as a sign of God’s covenant, and possessed many spiritual privileges. Surely they would be acceptable to God? Paul demonstrates that even religious heritage and ceremony cannot make a person right with God.

Romans 2:17-23: Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and boast in God; if you know his will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law; if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of little children, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth—you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law?

Paul’s words cut to the heart of religious hypocrisy. Having the law doesn’t make a person righteous if they don’t keep the law perfectly. Being born into God’s chosen people doesn’t guarantee salvation if the heart remains unchanged. Even the sign of circumcision is meaningless if it’s only an external ceremony without internal transformation.

Romans 2:28-29: A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God.

Paul teaches us that God always looks at the heart, not just external appearances. Religious ceremonies, church membership, family heritage—none of these things can substitute for a genuine relationship with God through faith.

Paul’s Conclusion: All Need Salvation

After systematically showing that godless people, moral people, and religious people are all sinners, Paul draws his devastating conclusion: everyone needs salvation through Jesus Christ.

Romans 3:9-11: What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage? Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin. As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God.”

This is not what people want to hear, but it is what we all need to understand. The law shows us our need for Christ, but it cannot make us righteous because we cannot keep it perfectly.

Romans 3:20: Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.

The law serves as a mirror, showing us our spiritual condition, but it cannot cleanse us from sin. Only faith in Jesus Christ can make us righteous before God. Paul emphasizes that the whole Old Testament pointed ahead to Jesus Christ as the solution to our sin problem.

Romans 3:21-22: But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile.

This section concludes with Paul emphasizing once more that every person is a sinner. No matter how hard we try or how good a life we live, we always fall short of God’s perfect standard.

Romans 3:23: For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

(Notebook Moment: Paul says that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” How does understanding this truth about our universal need for salvation change the way we view ourselves and others? How should it affect our evangelism and our relationships with both believers and unbelievers?)

Conclusion

If Paul had ended his letter at this point, there would be no hope for any of us. We are all sinners, and we cannot save ourselves through good works, moral living, or religious observance. But Paul doesn’t leave us in despair. He will spend the next several chapters showing us God’s wonderful solution to the problem of sin.

Romans 3:24: And all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

Paul illustrates an important truth that applies to all who share the gospel today. When we speak to people about Jesus Christ, we must help them understand their need for salvation. If we weren’t sinners, we wouldn’t need Christ. If we could save ourselves through good works or religious activity, we wouldn’t need a Savior.

By carefully demonstrating our universal need for Christ, the first three chapters of Romans lay the essential foundation for everything else Paul will teach in this great epistle. Before we can truly appreciate God’s grace, we must understand our desperate condition without it. Before we can value Christ’s righteousness, we must recognize our own unrighteousness. Before we can celebrate our justification, we must acknowledge our condemnation.

This is why Romans begins not with good news, but with the sobering reality of human sinfulness. Paul understood that we cannot properly understand the gospel until we understand the problem it solves. The light of God’s grace shines brightest against the dark background of human sin. The sweetness of salvation is most fully appreciated by those who understand how lost they were without Christ.

As you continue studying Romans in future lessons, remember this foundational truth: we are all sinners who desperately need God’s grace. This understanding will make every promise of forgiveness more precious, every description of God’s love more meaningful, and every assurance of salvation more wonderful. The gospel truly is the power of God for salvation—but only for those who recognize they need to be saved.

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