Romans 1-7: The gift of God

We All Want to Be Right. But There Is Only One Righteousness That Truly Matters.

Every human being wants to be right — in the eyes of the law, in the eyes of those they respect, in the eyes of the people they love. We work hard to gain and keep this right standing. We build our identity around it. We are devastated when we lose it.

But there is another righteousness. One that is far better, far more important, and far more liberating than anything we could achieve or maintain ourselves. It is not a righteousness we earn — it is a righteousness we receive. A gift. From God.

Romans 1–7 is all about that righteousness.

In Romans 1–7: The Gift of God, Timothy Keller — founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City and one of the most gifted gospel communicators of his generation — leads readers through seven carefully crafted Bible studies on the first seven chapters of Romans. With the theological depth, cultural sharpness, and pastoral warmth that have made his teaching beloved by millions, Keller shows readers why they do not have this righteousness on their own, why they desperately need it, and how they can receive it as a gift through Jesus Christ.

The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23). These seven studies will help you unwrap that gift — and as they do, they will transform your heart, your life, your identity, and your perspective on everything.

What This Book Covers

Timothy Keller leads readers through seven Bible studies covering the key themes and passages of Romans 1–7:

The bad news — Romans 1–3: Why every human being, Jew and Gentile alike, stands under God’s just condemnation — and why we cannot earn our way out
The good news — Romans 3: The great turning point — the righteousness of God revealed in the gospel of Jesus Christ, available to all who believe
Justification by faith — Romans 3–4: What it means to be declared right with God through faith alone, and how Abraham’s story illustrates and confirms this truth
The fruits of justification — Romans 5: The extraordinary gifts that flow from being right with God — peace, access, hope, and the love of God poured into our hearts
Adam and Christ — Romans 5: The two humanities — how one man’s sin brought condemnation, and how one man’s righteousness brings life for all who are in him
Dead to sin, alive to God — Romans 6: What justification means for how we live — freed from sin’s dominion, united to Christ in his death and resurrection
The struggle with the law — Romans 7: Paul’s honest, searching account of the Christian’s ongoing struggle with sin — and why the gospel is the only answer

What Readers Will Learn

Why every human being needs a righteousness they cannot produce themselves — and what Paul’s diagnosis of the human condition in Romans 1–3 reveals
What the righteousness of God is — and how it is revealed in the gospel of Jesus Christ and received through faith alone
What justification means — and why being declared right with God is the most liberating truth a person can ever grasp
What flows from justification — peace with God, access to his grace, hope in suffering, and the love of God poured out by the Spirit
How Romans 5 answers the deepest questions about why sin and death entered the world — and how Christ has undone what Adam did
What it means to be dead to sin and alive to God — and how that identity shapes the way Christians approach temptation and obedience
Why the struggle with sin described in Romans 7 is not a sign of failed Christianity but of genuine Christian realism — and how the gospel speaks to it

How to Use This Book

Romans 1–7: The Gift of God is structured, accessible, and immediately usable:

Small group Bible study — Seven sessions provide a natural structure for a term of group meetings, with a Leader’s Guide included for group facilitators
Individual study — Rich enough for personal Bible study, with questions that prompt genuine reflection on one of the most important passages in all of Scripture
Church groups and adult Bible classes — A reliable, stimulating resource for any church wanting to study Romans 1–7 together with theological depth and practical application
New Christians — A particularly valuable introduction to the gospel’s foundations for those newer to the faith
Personal devotions — A structured companion for anyone wanting to work through Romans 1–7 with greater depth, clarity, and transforming effect

Who Should Read This Book

This book is for you if you are:

A Christian wanting to understand the gospel more deeply — especially the doctrines of justification, righteousness, and what it means to be right with God
A small group leader wanting a clear, theologically rich, and genuinely exciting guide to lead your group through the opening chapters of Romans
A new Christian who wants to grasp the foundations of the gospel as Paul lays them out in his greatest letter
A pastor or teacher looking for a reliable study guide to use with a congregation or Bible class working through Romans
Anyone who has ever read Romans and sensed that there is far more here than they have yet grasped — and wanted a guide who could help them unwrap it

About the Author

Timothy Keller was the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City — a congregation he planted in 1989 that grew to become one of the most influential churches in the world. He was also the Chairman of Redeemer City to City, a global church planting movement, and the author of numerous bestselling books including The Reason for God, The Prodigal God, and Prayer. Timothy Keller was widely regarded as one of the most gifted and influential Christian communicators of his generation — known for his ability to present the gospel with intellectual rigour, cultural relevance, and pastoral warmth. His seven studies in Romans 1–7: The Gift of God reflect both his lifelong love for Paul’s letter and his desire for every Christian to understand and be transformed by the righteousness that is a gift from God.

About the Good Book Guides Series

Romans 1–7: The Gift of God is part of the Good Book Guides series — a library of accessible, question-driven Bible study guides designed for use in small groups and individual study. Each guide provides structured questions, clear explanations, and practical application to help readers engage seriously and joyfully with a book or theme of Scripture.

Also available: Galatians: Gospel Matters — another Good Book Guide by Timothy Keller.