Rm7

How much influence should the law and sin have on our daily activity? Paul's answer, "The same as a widowed spouse!" The Spirit and righteousness has come and eliminated the former relationship we had with sin and flesh.

Yet…we are still alive to sin and tempted by our flesh. Paul says, "For in my inner self, I joyfully agree with God's law. But I see a different law in the parts of my body, waging war…" To live the christian life is not a "walk in the park", but rather, a daily war against two real and living desires.

To live for God and what truly matters is a choice that we will have to make every day! It is a choice that will be unnatural to us until we escape this life and are able to literally be with Jesus.

Choose to live for Christ today.

Rm6

What runs our lives? Is it pursuing God and His desires or is it pursuing our own selfish desires? There really are only two paths. Either we are pursuing God and His righteousness or SIN. Selfish pursuits are sinful pursuits.

The "old way of life" (which is actually death) is defined by self and sin. The "new way of life" (which is real life) is defined by God and righteousness. What is clear in this text is that the gospel changes everything! The primary thing it changes is WHO is the leader in our lives.

Will we continue to be slaves to our own desires and pursue what we want? Or will we choose to follow Jesus and refuse to give in to ourselves and sin? These are two very different paths. We cannot unite the two. There is no such thing as pursuing Jesus for selfish reasons.

Rm5

Because of Christ, we have been given an "all access" pass to God! What once would have been a pouring out of God's wrath, has now become the overflow of His grace and mercy!

There is no better news. This is the gospel. What we could not do, Jesus did. What we could have never done, Jesus did for us. Though we were at one time far from God, we can now draw near to Him. Without fear. Without Judgement. Without guilt. Without condemnation.

Are we grateful for the cross today. "While we were sinners, Christ died for us." Wow. Ponder this thought today.

Rm4

Abraham was "declared" righteous because of his faith. Prior to God's declaration, he was totally unrighteous. His "works" did not justify him, it was "God's work", by faith.

No work or amount of works could ever have justified Abraham. And no work or amount of works can ever justify us. Anyone and everyone who is "made righteous", is made righteous by God. Salvation is an act of God's mercy, made possible through His grace. Our faith, not works, is the connector between God's gift and our salvation.

I am so grateful for God's grace that has brought about our salvation. 

Rm3

We are "justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." There is no better news than this. Period.

What we have done (sin), is enough to destroy any possibility of a relationship with God. What Jesus did, (died for our sin), is enough to bring us into relationship with Him. Jesus did what we could have never done, so that we could have what He has always had…relationship with God!

How does it get any better than that? I am so grateful that my sin has been paid for by Jesus! I don't have to die because of what I have done that is deserving of death. I don't have to suffer the consequences that I deserve. I get hope. I get life. I get heaven.

Thank you Jesus!!!!

Rm2

The greatest distraction to the gospel is often those who claim to know it! Are people drawn to know Jesus because we claim to know Him? If not, we maybe should reevaluate our "knowledge".

Romans 2 challenges our lives and motives. Are we "practicing" what we preach? Do we say one thing and yet do another? Are we quick to judge those who believe different than us, but actually have never convinced anyone to believe what we believe? Do people want to know Jesus because we know Jesus?

Paul was not unclear. We will all stand before God someday. Our words on that day will mean nothing. Our hearts will be examined and our lives will give testimony to the reality of our hearts. 

Rm1

What were the sins of these "depraved people"? They did not "glorify God as God or show gratitude" and they "did not think it worthwhile to acknowledge God." So God gave them over to their own desires…more sin!

Sin is the natural result of not seeking after God. It is unnatural for any human to follow hard after Jesus. It is easy to deny Him, serve self and follow after sinful and shameful ways. The big sins listed in this chapter are not same sex immoralities, but rather failing to worship and serve the One true God. Sin is the natural result of a lack of worship!!

We tend to rank sins. The worst sins are those "we don't do". Yet Romans 1 makes it clear, the worst sin that sits at the beginning of all of these sins is, failure to worship God and give Him glory and gratitude.

Will we worship God today with our lives? Will His word and His ways be a priority to us? If not, we are no better than those who engage in what we would consider the "worst of sins", because we are sinning in the "worst possible way!"