Introduction
The Big Idea
An Introduction to Be Right
by Ken Baugh
Even if you aren’t a die-hard UCLA basketball fan, you have to admire coach John Wooden. He is a living legend in college basketball, having coached the UCLA Bruins from 1948–1975, during which time he won ten NCAA national championships. He has won more titles than any coach in the history of the game. One of my prized possessions is a basketball signed by Coach Wooden; it sits in a glass case on a shelf in my office. I might have to sell the ball some day to pay for my girl’s college education, but right now I keep it as a reminder of what made him so great. You might be asking, “Why is he so special?” The answer is simple: He was relentless in coaching his players on the fundamentals of the game.
I had the privilege to attend one of Coach Wooden’s basketball camps at Point Loma College in San Diego during my sophomore year in high school. I remember one morning, I woke up early and looked out my dorm-room window to see Coach Wooden walking around the outdoor courts with the tallest man I had ever seen in my life. Later that morning, I asked one of the coaches I was working with what Coach Wooden was doing, and he told me that professional basketball players from all over would come to seek Coach Wooden’s advice if they were in a slump. That advice always consisted of only one thing: fundamentals.
You see, Coach Wooden would not tolerate flashy basketball. Rather, his practices would consist of drill after drill designed to help his players master the fundamentals—things like defense, dribbling, how to make good passes, and the proper form for a jump shot. It’s even been said that on the first day of practice before every new season, Coach Wooden would instruct his players on the proper way to put on their socks and tie their shoes so they wouldn’t get blisters. He left nothing to chance. Reinforcing the fundamentals of basketball was the secret to Coach Wooden’s great success.
Periodically, I believe that every follower of Christ needs to get back to the basics of their Christian faith as well—and what better way to do that than by studying the book of Romans? Martin Luther said that Romans is “the chief part of the New Testament.” John Calvin wrote, “When anyone gains a knowledge of this epistle he has an entrance opened to him to all the most hidden treasures of Scripture.” And John Chrysostom, considered by many to be the greatest preacher of the third century, said, “Romans is unquestionably the fullest, deepest compendium of all sacred foundational truths.” Clearly the book of Romans is essential to anyone wishing to better understand the foundations of the Christian faith, as it addresses things like sanctification, justification, the deity of Jesus Christ, and the forgiveness of sin. And yet, in the midst of all of that important and life-changing information, there exists a central theme—one “BIG IDEA” to tie it all together: the righteousness of God.
When we say that God is righteous, what we mean is that He is the standard by which we measure all other things. In his Systematic Theology, Dr. Wayne Grudem puts it this way: “God’s righteousness means that God always acts in accordance with what is right and is Himself the final standard of what is right” (Zondervan, 1995; 203). This is an important concept to grasp because in this day and age many people have convinced themselves that there are no absolute standards, believing that people can do whatever they want to do as long as nobody gets hurt. But God’s Word makes it clear that there is a measure by which everything else will be judged, and that measure is perfection. Paul says,
There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one … for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Rom. 3:10–12, 23 NIV)
Therefore, if God is righteous and His standard is perfection, yet we are imperfect, then we have a big problem. Unfortunately, that problem is called sin, and if we’re not careful it will result in separating us from God for all eternity. Thankfully, though, we also have a God who is gracious and seeks to redeem us through a relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ. In 2 Corinthians 5:21 Paul tells us, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” In this way, Paul says, our spirits can be renewed and we can find “eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 6:23).
So the book of Romans not only reinforces the fundamentals of the Christian faith, but it also declares the nature of God as both righteous and gracious. Should you read this commentary and study the book of Romans? Yes, a thousand times yes! But more than just study it, you should come back to it again and again so that your faith may remain founded on sound doctrine. It is in this way that will build your house of faith on a solid foundation (Luke 6:48), and avoid becoming like children who are “tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine” (Eph. 4:14 ESV).
***
Dr. Wiersbe’s commentaries have been a source of guidance and strength to me over the many years that I have been a pastor. His unique style is not overly academic, but theologically sound. He explains the deep truths of Scripture in a way that everyone can understand and apply. Whether you’re a Bible scholar or a brand-new believer in Christ, you will benefit, as I have, from Warren’s insights. With your Bible in one hand and Dr. Wiersbe’s commentary in the other, you will be able to accurately unpack the deep truths of God’s Word and learn how to apply them to your life.
Drink deeply, my friend, of the truths of God’s Word, for in them you will find Jesus Christ, and there is freedom, peace, assurance, and joy.
—Ken Baugh
Pastor of Coast Hills Community Church
Aliso Viejo, California