On Sunday, we begin a new verse-by-verse sermon series through the entire book of Romans! We’ll spend 16 weeks covering the 16 chapters in Romans. To get us started with the series, I’ll ask a question. What would change in your life if you truly believed—down to your core—that you are fully loved by God and have nothing to be ashamed of in Christ?
That’s the heartbeat of Romans 1 and the foundation of our summer series: Loved and Unashamed. In these opening verses, the Apostle Paul introduces a letter that has shaped church doctrine, reformed hearts, and transformed lives for centuries. Romans is not just theology on paper—it’s power for everyday people who desperately need Good News.
Paul writes, “I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes…” (Romans 1:16, NLT). And here’s why that matters: too often, we live as though we’re trying to earn God’s approval or hide our shame. But Paul reminds us, God’s love is not based on your performance. It’s based
on His power.
on His power.
The gospel is not good advice. It’s Good News. It’s not about what we do for God; it’s what He has done for us through Jesus. Paul says the Good News reveals how God makes us right in His sight. It starts with faith and ends with faith. From beginning to end, it’s all God.
But there’s a tension in Romans 1. Alongside God’s love, Paul describes God’s wrath. That might seem harsh, but it’s actually essential. You can’t have meaningful love without holy anger. Just like a parent feels righteous anger when their child self- destructs, God is not indifferent to our sin. He hates it because it destroys us. His wrath isn’t cruelty. It’s protective love.
And here’s the miracle: the same God who judges sin is the One who bore the penalty for it. Jesus took the full weight of God’s wrath on the cross, so that we don’t have to. That’s what it means to be “righteous”—not that we’ve done everything right, but that we’ve been made right through Jesus. His life, His death, His resurrection… that’s our righteousness.
Paul gives a sobering picture of what happens when we reject this truth. There’s a downward spiral—suppressing the truth, worshiping created things, trading truth for lies, embracing sin, and eventually leading others astray. But even here, hope remains. The spiral can stop. There is a way back.
Jesus saves.
And those who are saved live differently. We live loved. We live unashamed. Not proud of ourselves, but proud of the One who rescued us.
So, church, here’s the call: Don’t be silent with the Good News. Don’t be ashamed to live out your faith. You are loved by God and called to be His holy people (Romans 1:7). In a world chasing lies, you carry truth. In a culture drowning in shame, you’ve been set free.
Let’s be a people who live loved and unashamed—because in Christ, that’s exactly who we are.