Romans is such a difficult book, and I haven’t read it carefully for a while. I found that God’s Voice in Romans helped me to go through it again, diligently and thoughtfully. I read the book with great interest and pleasure. Just before the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, I first met John Quay for the first time when my wife and I visited him and his family in Sitiawan in August 2020. John and his family have been supporters of OMF for many years, and we were greatly blessed to meet them. We were amazed that John was writing a book to give a fresh look at Paul’s letter to the Romans in the context of the whole Bible. We thought of the book of Romans when we considered the doctrine of Justification by Faith – Martin Luther called the book “the purest gospel”. “There is no justification without sanctification, no forgiveness without renewal of life, no real faith from which the fruits of new obedience do not grow.”— Martin Luther. Luther went on to exhort us that “It is worthy not only that every Christian should know it word for word, by heart, but also that he should occupy himself with it every day as the daily bread of the soul. God’s Voice in Romans helps the reader to do just this. “Faith is both a one-time event and a lifelong process”. With its frequent cross-references to verses from other books of the Bible and the use of tables to present complex concepts like salvation (already and not yet), sanctification (our willingness and responsibility together with God’s grace and power), God’s Voice in Romans guides the reader through many difficult and hard-to-understand aspects of Romans. In doing so, I remind myself of the truth of William Tyndale’s words, “The more Romans is studied, the easier it is; the more it is chewed, the pleasanter it is.” ix This book stands out as it is written in a simple language beneficial to general readers, leaders, pastors and preachers. It gives them a fresh biblical perspective on sanctification, and it is also geared for Asian or third-world contexts. Above all and most importantly, however, God’s Voice exhorts us to obedience, faithfulness, and to live out Romans now as we read it. Listening to God’s voice means letting Him have a say in everything we say and do. That is our challenge.

 Tan Yu Keong
Former Executive Director of OMF Malaysia

Author: John BT Quay