Romans Writeup

                Studying the Bible Book of Romans is an exciting opportunity to really understand how we can be made right with God. How can sinners ever be right with God, a question that is answered by the author of this epistle. That answer begins, after the introduction, by stating quite simply that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (cf. Romans 3: 23). To back that point from chapter 1:18 -3:20 Paul has made it clear that no one is good enough to make themselves right with God; no one can meet God’s standard of perfection to be made right with God; not even those who rely on their interpretation of the law can be made right with God. The only way to be right with God is through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe (cf. Romans 3: 22).

                Chapters four through five continue to support the fact that we are only made right with God due to his grace and the faith He bestows in us to believe, and that evidence of being right with God on the basis of faith alone is even found in the record of how Abraham was made righteous with God. Chapters six through eight focus on the life of a Christian, or in other words, what does a Christian life look like and how do we deal with continuing sin. Chapters 9-11 focus on God’s future workings with Israel, but also how we relate through Abraham, and finally chapters 12-16 focus on how to live in light of the truths presented in the first eleven chapters.

                Studying the Book of Romans, understanding it and applying it should encourage all to recognize that we are only made right with God because Jesus died for our sins, and defeated the power of sin through his resurrection from the dead. We will fully understand that there is nothing in us worthy of salvation, there is nothing we can do to be “good enough,” and better than others do not qualify either. We all come through the one portal of the Blood of Jesus, and through the grace of God which is greater than all our sin. But from chapter five on we also learn that being justified, God is working through the power of the Holy Spirit to sanctify us, and that is a lifelong process of making us more and more like Jesus Christ. The objective of a Christian is not just to get to heaven, but also to live for Jesus in the here and now, but we are challenged often by temptations that we must learn how to defeat.

                After some of the deepest doctrines of Scripture we will be challenged by the practical. Since we are in Christ we are to present our bodies a living and holy sacrifice . . . and  called on to not be conformed to the world, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind (Romans 12: 1-2); we are to exercise our spiritual gifts in the service to the Lord and to the benefits of others, and demonstrate Godly love to all; we are to honor government and pay what is due; we are to not be judgmental on gray areas or what is called matters of conscience, that being those things Scripture does not clarify; and then with final words we will close out the study encouraged to serve God with all we got.

This course is designed for anyone, regardless of his or her knowledge of the Bible. All Notes, will be distributed to each student who signs up for the class. I look forward to seeing you starting Sunday the 8^th of September at 6pm.

Dr. Kenneth R. Terry, Th.D