God's Fellowship

A Rescue Story

Romans 4:25-5:11

A man named Paul wrote many of the New Testament letters (also called epistles) to new churches in the ancient world. The letters were first read out loud to a specific church, then they were passed on to other churches so those believers could also listen and learn. Paul’s letters include both important doctrines (things that are true about God and his creation) and practical advice.

Two thousand years later, the doctrines are still true and the advice is still solid.

God’s children should learn the doctrines and pay attention to the advice. When the advice tells us how to live for God, being true to his plans and purposes, we should do it obediently and faithfully.

Romans 4:25-5:11, from one of Paul's letters, is a summary of Christ’s rescue mission that both saved people and launched God's Kingdom on earth.

In just 12 verses, you’ll read about sin, the crucifixion, the resurrection, a new relationship with God, and the role of the Holy Spirit in new life.

Just before these verses, Paul wrote about God’s promise to Abraham in the first book of the Bible, made thousands of years earlier. Remember that Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection are connected to the events of history recorded in the Old Testament. The crucifixion and resurrection are the centerpiece of Jesus’ earthly life, but the whole Bible points to Jesus and tells his story.

Read & Reflect

Romans 4:25-5:11

Look for all the cause-effect relationships in these verses. List them in a way that shows the connections between them. For example:

our sins → Jesus’ death
Jesus’ resurrection → we're made right with God
being made right with God → we have peace with God

Verse 2 talks about both our present and future lives. How have you experienced joyful hope because of what lies ahead? How have you experienced joyful hope while facing present difficulties?
What do you learn about God in these verses? (When Paul writes "God" he almost always means the Father.)
What do you learn about Jesus in these verses? (When Paul writes "Lord" he almost always means Jesus).
What do you learn about the Holy Spirit in these verses?
What do you learn about humanity and yourself in these verses?

Extra Info

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Paul was a faithful Jewish religious leader who was devoted to the one true God. He studied the Hebrew scriptures diligently and did his best to follow them carefully. When he heard that people were following and worshipping someone named “Jesus of Galilee” Paul went into action, doing all he could to protect the honor of the true God by oppressing Christians. He did not realize that Jesus him- self was the true God and promised Messiah until God grabbed his attention and changed his life. You can read about that in Acts 9.
Paul went on many missionary journeys and helped establish some of the first churches.
Paul is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Saul.

Extra Verses

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Matthew 1:20-21

Luke 19:10

1 Timothy 1:15

1 John 4:13-14

Extra Things

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Listen to this spoken word about how Jesus rescues us.

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Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007, 2103 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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