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To Bring About the Obedience of Faith To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints:Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." (Rom 1:7) If you were a Christian in first-century Rome:* You lived in one of the most incredible cities of the ancient world.* You very well may have heard the gospel from someone who was in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost in AD 30 when peter first proclaimed the crucified Jesus as "Lord and Christ" (Acts 2:l-14,22-24,32-47). * You very well may have known Jewish brothers and sisters who were expelled from Rome in AD 49 by Emperor Claudius (AD 41-54) because of strife over"Christ us" (Acts f A:1-4). * You very well may have welcomed your Jewish brethren back in AD 54 after Emperor Claudius died. * In AD 57, you and your brothers and sisters in Christ received a letter from the apostle Paul who was writing from Corinth during his third missionary journey (Acts 20:1-3). * You very well may have traveled to the Forum of Appius and Three Taverns in AD 60 to personally meet Paul (Acts 28:11-16). * You very well may have visited with Paul throughout AD 60-62 and listened to him boldly proclaim the kingdom of God and teach extensively about the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 28:3031). * You very well may have heard in person many of the encouragements and teachings Paul wrote in Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon (Phil 1:12-14). * You were probably aware of the fact that, by that point in time, there were saints even in Caesar's own household (phil 4:21-22).* Your city suffered a terrible fire in the summer of AD 64 that burned for six days and seven nights,consuming almost three-fourths of the city. Word would have spread to you quickly that Emperor Nero had set the fire for his own amusement. your life would have changed dramatically once Nero laid blame for the fire on Christians.* You would have been personally familiar with persecution (Rom 8:31-39). * You would have had some serious decisions to make.Paul had been clear in his letter about his God-defined mission and how it related to you....we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith... (Rom 1:5) Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of.Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations,according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith-to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen. (Rom16:25-27) Are you willing to "present" your body "as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship"? Will you refuse to be "conformed to this world," choosing instead to be "transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect"? (Rom 12:1-2)The letter of Paul to the Romans systematically reasons that the gospel is "the power of Cod for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek."For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, "The righteous shall live by faith." (Rom 7:16-17)