In the epistle to the Romans Christians are looked at as men living and walking on the earth, but possessing the life of Christ and the Holy Spirit, so that they are in Christ. They have the forgiveness of sins, and are justified by the work of Christ. Their duty is to present their bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, whilst they are transformed by the renewing of their mind, that they may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God. (Chapter 12:1,2)
The epistle begins with the responsibility of man, proving all to be guilty on the ground of what they have done, and then showing the result of the death of Christ in the forgiveness of sins and the justification of those who believe. Afterward the apostle considers the condition in which man is found consequent on Adam’s sin, and shows how he is delivered from the power of sin.
In Romans it is not a question of the counsels of God, except in three or four verses of chapter 8., and then only to prove that the work of His grace is unchangeable, and that, when once it has been appropriated by the call of grace, it is stable and sure, and continues till the glory. The work of Christ is accomplished, and those who believe in Him will be conformed to His image. Thus all is perfectly secure. Possessing the life of Christ, so that we suffer with Him, we shall be also glorified with Him. The epistle contains nothing more relative to the counsels of God. If we want to learn about them we must turn to the epistle to the Ephesians, whilst the epistle to the Colossians speaks of the life of a man who by faith is risen with Christ. In Romans we find the work of God in grace for the justification of the ungodly by the death and resurrection of Christ, their acceptance in Christ, and believers looked at as in Him.
As we have intimated above, the doctrine of the epistle to the Romans comprises two parts, the first of which, up to chapter 5:11, treats of sins, their putting away, and the grace of God therein unfolded. From there up to the end of chapter 8. the apostle takes up the second part; namely, sin in the flesh, the condition in which we are found consequent on Adam’s sin, as well as our deliverance from the same, and our new standing in Christ. Then follow as an appendix three chapters, explaining how the doctrine of the universal condition of sin in which man is found and of the reconciliation by faith of all with God, coincide with the special promises made to the Jews. The remaining chapters contain exhortations and the rehearsal of certain important principles. The exposition of the doctrine of justification by faith contained in the first part of the epistle is introduced by a sort of preface in which the gospel is founded on the Person of Christ, and is presented as being the revelation of the righteousness of God.
We see then in this epistle how God has met us in perfect grace, when, according to our responsibility as men and in presence of His righteousness, we were totally lost; how out of pure grace He has given to us salvation and eternal life, when we were alienated from Him by sin, and in enmity to Him after the flesh.
Before considering more closely the doctrine of the epistle, and the order and contents of its different parts, we may say a word about the apostle himself. He had never been at Rome; but, clad with divine authority, he was the apostle of the Gentiles, and for this reason he could write to the Romans, although he had not been instrumental in their conversion. He knew some of them well, for Rome itself being the center of the known world, people from all countries were found there. This, however, gives a special character to the epistle, different to that of the greater part of his other writings. It is more of a treatise than a letter from the apostle to one of the churches which he had himself established. The lack of reference to circumstances and persons gives more room for positive doctrine, and although at the close of the epistle Paul salutes those saints whom he knew, as at its commencement he sought to establish a link of affection with the Roman Christians, still it is apostleship which is primarily the basis of his communications to the believers at Rome. No apostle had founded the assembly at Rome. Paul had not yet been there; later on, Peter went there to offer up his life in testimony for the Lord, but until that moment he had had nothing to do with Rome, being the apostle of the circumcision.