In chapter 4, Paul gets sophisticated in arguing for we are justified by faith alone.
He specifically addresses the Jewish audience who still cannot believe that
being Abraham's descendants was not adequate to be deemed righteous in
God's view. Here, he proves that it was by faith that God reckoned Abraham to
be righteous; Paul brilliantly succeeds in placing the Jews and the Gentiles into
the same category of being justified.
Understand the death and resurrection of Christ. The cross represents that all guilt brought upon by the sin of
humanity is atoned for, and the empty tomb of Jesus represents that nothing, even death, shall overcome us.
We learn what the proper response to Christ’s death and resurrection is for those that follow Christ.
Romans 3:23-26
Of all characteristics of our God, is there any more powerful / meaningful than
His grace? We are drawn mostly to His unfailing grace. When we are at our
worst, he meets us with His absolute best. He waits for us; He scolds us not, He
condemns us not. He reminds us that we are unworthy not worthless. As He
shares His forbearing love with us, so we move toward others with the same
love. Paul’s Gospel contains the richness of God’s forbearing love and we are so
powerfully impacted by it.
Romans 3:21-26
We reach the heart of Paul’s Gospel in chapter 3. Paul exclaims that justification comes only by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ—all, Jew or Gentile, have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Today, we are reminded of God’s wonderful gift of salvation for us all. He has made a way for us to be reconciled unto God; instead of judgment, He elevates us to a place where we could never reach on our own.
Romans 2:17-29
We often place our trust in wrong things. And we do, we will eventually be met with pain and disappointment. The sense of false security also paralyzed the Jews when the good news tried to reach them. They had relied too much in that they were God’s chosen and that they were given His Law, living out their Godly identity was not their priority. Many Christians also fall into this trap where we falsely rely on our works and having nominal faith. We pray to rid of false security and come to the Cross in full humility and repentance.
Romans 2:1-11
It’s so easy to miss the Good News. The Jews, while hearing and seeing, failed to recognize that the Gospel was for them. Their pride and stubbornness which stemmed from their self-righteousness made them feel better than everyone else, too good for the Gospel to actually apply to them. We must be careful in not making the same error as the Jews, instead, we should be humble and be quick to repent of our selfish ways.
Romans 1:18-32
So much attention has been given to the topic of homosexuality in recent history in both secular and Christian platforms. In spite of the bright spotlight, many Christians lack the Biblical understanding of what homosexuality is and how we as believers of Christ ought to respond to those that identify as homosexuals. We want to discern and be equipped with proper disposition and service as we can engage the topic more competently with others.
Romans 1:16-17
Paul faced heavy persecution for his faith as well as his commitment to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He reminds that such opposition/persecution is an expectation not an exception for all believers. While we are shamed, we don’t have to be ashamed. We ought to stand committed to the One that has not only saved us from sin but also commissioned us to share the Good News.
Romans 1:1-7
Paul had a singular passion in his life—as the good news of Jesus Christ transformed him, he dedicated his life to share that same news with as many people as possible. His eloquent claim begins with the affirmation of Christ’s legitimacy as the Messiah that the world (Jews and Gentiles) have been waiting for. We must ask ourselves if we, too, live with such vigor to encounter and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ as Paul did.
Romans 1:1-6
Today, we embark on a new journey through the book of Romans. Apostle Paul, a central figure in the New Testament and a revered pastor, missionary, and theologian, eloquently communicates the theology of his gospel in this book. Paul’s unequivocal claim as the archetypal Jew is dismantled as God’s grace meets him over and over again in a profound way. As we look deeper into Paul’s conversion, we will have a clearer view of salvation and our relationship with God.