Romans is a call to follow Jesus, to Say Yes to Jesus.

Our world is captured and distorted by sin.

Paul teaches us through one big section of Romans that presents a sustained argument about how sin is affecting and infecting everything. (Romans 1:17-3:23)

Three points to understand about Paul's writing:
- Groups not individuals
- Access and expectations
- Wrath is a good thing.

Groups not individuals: Paul is a collective thinker whereas we are more inclined to think in individualistic terms.
Therefore to understand Romans well we should be thinking of things like groups, cultures, communities, parties, powers or society.

Access and expectations: Everyone has the opportunity to know God since He has revealed himself to everyone.

Wrath is a good thing:
God stands against injustice
God stands against people who oppress people by twisting the truth
God stands against those who suppress the truth for their own gain.
If He wasn't against these things he wouldn't be a just God.

In the broader text Romans 1:19-32 Paul is talking about idolatry taking the gentile nations captive.

Romans 1:25-26 give specific contextual examples which have been discussed in the Four Conversations. If you wish to dig further into these scriptures by participating in the Four Conversations you can email jamie@bethanycc.ca this week.

Idolatry, sin and distortion is capturing Gentile people's hearts and minds. This is summarized in Romans 1:31-32

Everyone is tainted by sin

We all need saving
We all need rescuing
We all need to be justified.

Every single person is corrupted and distorted by sin.

Recap:
Sin has captured us all, it has distorted everything and we need freedom and redemption from it.

We can be saved from the power of sin through the faithfulness of Christ.

You can say yes to Jesus and be saved by Jesus.

Say yes to Jesus by confessing, Say yes to confessing.

You can’t change something or be freed from something - As long as you are denying, or hiding it.
Hiding never leads to true living.

Russel Moore an Evangelical Leader puts it this way: "We now see young evangelicals walking away from evangelicalism not because they do not believe what the church teaches, but because they believe the church itself does not believe what the church teaches"

Andrew's confession on behalf of church leadership for their collective failures.

Challenge:
Confess. Not to apologize but to do something deeper: confess.