Romans

A long two weeks has come to an end and with it the burial of my dear Poppy. Although in my spirit I am rejoicing for he is whole now and with God, in my heart I am mourning the death of the one person who showed me the attributes of my heavenly Father and made it so easy to believe in a Father who loves all of His children without partiality. God wants no one to perish but all to abide with Him and in Him with the unity that the Holy Spirit provides.

This little light of mine I’m gonna let it shine!

Romans is a mighty leveler, for it declares that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (3:23). Since all are sinners, it comes as a delightful shock that “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (5:8).

We cannot save ourselves because as sinners we can never meet God’s requirements. Our only hope is faith in Jesus Christ. 

God loved us when we were still without strength and ungodly. God loved us so much He sent His Son to die for us. God loves us just the way we are, but He loves us too much to leave us the way we are. NKJ Bible. 

Both Jews and Gentiles have failed to live up to God’s standard; sin is universal. As a result, God’s provision of righteousness by faith, as opposed to law or race, relates to all people. Faithlife Bible.

Romans

Romans serves as the flagship of the fleet of Pauline letters within the New Testament. This letter has also loomed large in the history of Christianity. Countless men and women of faith have singled out Romans as the weapon God graciously used to bring about their surrender to Christ. Augustine, Martin Luther, John Wesley, and others received unexpected spiritual volleys from Romans that pierced their defenses and ended their rebellion against God.

Romans combines breadth, logic, and a mature understanding of the Old Testament Scriptures into a powerful arsenal. By the time it was written, the Holy Spirit had shaped the apostle Paul into a skillful communicator of the faith. The result is his letter to the Romans, a theological treatise that perfectly fits Paul’s description of all Scripture as “profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Tim. 3:16). 

The letter represents a full expression of apostolic theology. Paul’s arguments challenge the secular, pagan mind, yet they also pierce the shallow spiritual confidence of many nonpagans. Romans is a mighty leveler, for it declares that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (3:23). Since all are sinners, it comes as a delightful shock that “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (5:8). This is the Good News, which Paul so eloquently and systematically defends in this theological treatise addressed to the Romans. NKJ Bible.