A Few Takeaways from Romans
Last quarter, the Sunday evening auditorium class focused on the book of Romans. Romans has so much for us to take away, and Romans influences how one views other parts of scripture. In case you weren’t in that class, this article will recap some takeaways. For those who were in the class, consider this another reference to aid in further study.
First, we can’t make ourselves righteous. God does that through Jesus Christ (3:21-26). Chapter 4 shows that we cannot stand before God pointing to our good deeds to claim He owes us anything. We are justified by Him alone on His terms, not because of our works.
Second, we serve a Benevolent Master. As Paul explains, we’re slaves to either sin, leading to death – or obedience, leading to righteousness (6:15ff). While we can’t make ourselves righteous through works, recognizing what He has done for us ought to cause us to want to do everything we can do in service to the Good Master, who spared nothing from us (8:32). At the same time, we should strive to leave who we used to be behind (6:4-10).
Third, we can be confident in God’s promises – chiefly, that He will save us eternally. We should avoid saying things like, “I hope I’ve lived good enough to get into heaven,” which seems to come from belief that our works make us righteous before God. Instead, we should renew our commitment daily to serve the Good Master who has done and continues to do so much for us. Biblical hope includes an expectation – and the way we live should demonstrate that we confidently expect God to deliver on His promises – our lives should exemplify the “Blessed Assurance” we sing about.
Fourth, we’re all in the same boat when it comes to sin and justification, regardless of background. The church at Rome included individuals from both Jewish and Gentile backgrounds, and Paul’s letter indicates they tended to divide along those lines, effectively rebuilding walls that Christ had torn down with His work on the cross. Who you were before your conversion is not who you are now, and our transformed lives (12:1-2) ought to demonstrate full belief that God’s promise of salvation is open to all (4:9-12; 9:24-26; 10:12).
Fifth, it is critical to understand the context of any book you read. Without contextual understanding, one might think they’ve found contradictions between scriptures where none exist. For example, 1 John 3:7 says “Whoever practices righteousness is righteous”, and Romans 3:10 says, “None is righteous”. Which is right? They both are, as a contextual understanding of both passages demonstrates.
It’s been said “If you get Romans, Romans will get you.” It’s our hope that these thoughts will help you in your study of Romans and other books of the Bible.