Notes: Romans

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners Christ died for us.

• Paul’s letter to the Christians in Rome about 20 years after he starts his ministry.
• Pauls’ on his way to Rome as he makes a trip to Spain, and he’s looking for funding for his ministry.
• Paul refers to himself as a slave of Christ. Starts talking about sin.
• He wants to explain that everyone has sinned (except Jesus) and is worthy of the death penalty. But God will forgive and pardon those who put their trust in Jesus.
• His letter “…tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith.” Romans 1:17
• Paul says sinners write God off or create wacky theories about Him. Then they do as they please. “Their lives become full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deciption, malicious behavior and gossip.” Romans 1:29
• We’ve all sinned. Judgement is God’s business and judgement day is coming.
• God is written in our hearts. That’s where our conscious comes in… it accuses us or tells us we are doing right.
• The day is coming when God, through Christ Jesus, will judge everyone’s secret life. Romans 2:16
• Pauls said our sinful ways were crucified with Jesus. He died to “break down the power of sin” Romans 6:10 and we died with Him. We rose again with Him too, free of sin’s power over us. Jesus took a journey to the grave and back and took us with Him.
• “Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires.” Romans 6:12
• Christians can, and sometimes do, return to the slavery of sin. Because we’re human, we have natural human desires.
• Romans 6:13 | …Use your whole body as an instrument and do what is right for the glory of God.
• In the Old Testament, God set up a sacrificial system for all humans because every human sins. He accepted the death of animals as the substitute punishment for sinful humans (sin is a capital offense according to God).
• God came to earth as a human, Jesus Christ, to set up a new covenant with humans.
  • That all people who believe in Jesus will find Him (God and the Kingdom of Heaven). Jesus was/and is the Way so you NEED Him to find your way home to the Kingdom of Heaven and to be able to get in.
• The new agreement/covenant: Romans 3:25 | People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed His life, shedding His blood.
• God came here as Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, to sacrifice Himself (as Jesus) even though we were still sinners. He was the sacrificial lamb for all of us. All people.
• John 14:6 | Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father excet through me.
• Romans 5:8-9 | We have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ. He will certainly save us from God’s condemnation.
• Paul says faith is more important than obeying Jewish laws. And it is our faith that determines our eternal destiny.

• Baptism. Paul compares Christing baptism to the death of Jesus. When we’re dipped under water we are symbolically dying with Jesus. And just as Jesus rose to life again, we rise from the baptismal water vowing to live new lives. 
• Crucifixtion. Pauls says our old, sinful selves were crucified with Jesus. He died “to break the power of sin.” Romans 6:10. And we died with Him, too, free of sins power over us. Jesus took a journey to the grave and back again, overpowering both sin and death. And He took us with Him (not very sure what this means.)
• Slavery. “Do not let sin control the way you live. Do not give in to sinfulness.” Romans 6:12
• Just because sin is powerless, because of what Christ did for us, that doewsn’t mean we can’t rais up our holy hands and invite sin to put the chains back on us. Christians can, and sometimes do, return to the slavery of sin.
• As humans we have natural desires. Food, intimacy, financial security… but we can go overboard which can lead us into sin.  Our eyes, even our hands.
• Romans 6:13 | Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whol body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God.

There’s more…