The Greatest Chapter in the Bible

The vision for the sermons during the 2016 SBTC Annual Meeting is unique and compelling: six preachers will systematically preach through Romans 8 on the theme of the Holy Spirit. Picture a relay race in which each preacher is going to pick back up in Romans 8 where the last preacher left off. We believe this team-relay preaching through a chapter of the Bible will exalt Jesus Christ and bless the listeners, while also providing pastors with a six-part sermon series on the Holy Spirit’s work in sanctification.

The six preachers—Steven W. Smith, Dante Wright, Chris Osborne, Jim Richards, Nathan Lino, and Gregg Matte—have met with David Allen, dean of the School of Preaching at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, to study the chapter thoroughly and plan the preaching strategy. The following is an overview of the preaching plan to help attendees understand how the sermons are both six and one.

Romans 8 carries one stream of thought that leads to the conclusion that nothing can stop us and nothing can separate us from the love of God. However, the trajectory of the chapter begins long before Chapter 8 itself. In fact, Romans 8 can be seen as the rising floodwaters of Paul’s thought flow in the book of Romans.

After Paul addresses man’s sinfulness and God’s righteousness in Chapters 1-3:20, he says, “But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law … the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe.” After discussing justification in 3:20-5:11, he picks up the idea of sanctification in 5:12-8:39. The tide of the gospel rises highest in 8:31-39, where Paul declares that nothing can separate us from God’s love. This is the massive claim of the chapter. He builds toward that claim with five ideas expressed in five units of thought, leading to the conclusion. Think about this structure:

Because of the Spirit, God will not condemn the believer. (8:1-8)

Every believer is baptized in the Spirit. (8:9-11)

We must live the way of the Spirit. (8:12-17)

Suffering we experience now is inconsequential compared to heaven. (8:18-27)

God is at work in every believer for Christlikeness. (8:28-30)

All this is too much for the mind. It’s overwhelming that God would do all of this. It leaves us breathless, wondering who can separate us from the love of God?! Paul’s answer: nothing can prevail against the Christian, and nothing can stop what God has started. This is certain because of the power of the Holy Spirit.

It’s no wonder James Montgomery Boice called Romans 8 the “greatest chapter in the Bible” and “the heart of the gospel.” While his hyperbole is noted, the chapter is powerful. Romans 8 is not just a description of where the argument of the book is going; it is where we are going as well. This is our personal trajectory because of the Spirit.

Would you take a moment to pray for the men listed above? Would you take 10 minutes and read through Romans 8? We are praying for a moment when, with unified hearts, we gather around God’s Word and ask him to help us love and appreciate the work of the Spirit more as he sanctifies us into Christ’s likeness and holds us close to the love of God.

For more information on the 2016 SBTC Annual Meeting, go to sbtexas.com/am16.