It is hard to believe it was eight months ago when we first cracked open Paul’s letter to the church at Rome.  And now we find ourselves with eight chapters under our belt.  (New readers join us all the time, so for those who would like to go back and reread earlier Romans briefings, go to www.pastorwoman.com, and click on Bible teaching, Morning Briefings, and scroll down to Romans.  All 66 studies from Romans are available and downloadable.  So, my friend Tomi, and my new friend from Ghana, please take a look!) 

The year was A.D. 58--our Lord had ascended into Heaven just 25 years earlier—when Paul wrote this letter from the town of Corinth.  Romans is the best summary of the Christian gospel in all the Bible.  Some believe it to be the most important human document ever written, because of the impact it made on the Christian church then, and down through the ages.  It was this book that dramatically impacted Martin Luther, sparking the Protestant Reformation.  Luther called Romans “the chief part of the New Testament,” and John Calvin said, “If we have gained a true understanding of this epistle (letter) we have an open door to all the most profound treasures of the Scripture.” 

After studying through just eight chapters, we have been able to grapple with Christian doctrine, but also get a feel for what an impassioned man Paul was.  For years now, when I thought of him, the first thing that came to mind was his intellect, then his Jewish pedigree and miraculous conversion to Christianity, but honestly….at this point, I think also of how radically he loved God.  That great love so perfectly informed his writing about Jesus.  Paul explained that God revealed himself through nature, through his created works, and in the fullness of time, God revealed himself to us through Jesus Christ, God in the flesh.  God became one of us.  Paul makes it clear that it is his life’s aim to preach the gospel, teaching the Jews that it was not the Law that saved them, but faith in Jesus Christ--the one who they had denied, the Messiah.

Paul seems to regularly point out that we were born with choices: to believe God or camp in doubt; to live for God or for ourselves; to strive for holiness or feed the desires of our flesh . . . When my Dylan was three years old, (my son who is in i.c.u. right now, 13 years later), he was already analyzing situations.  If he was trying to get his older brother or sister to play with him, he would say, “Here da choices,” holding open his little hands to them, “play trains, legos, or puzzles.”  Notice--he assumed the sale.  It wasn’t whether or not they would play with him, but what they would play.  But he gave them ‘da choices’.

As human beings, we are born with free will.  God opens his hands, says to us,

“Here Da Choices—life with me or life without me.  You are free to choose either one, and I will respect that choice.  If you think you would rather do life without me, not turning away from self-centeredness and evil ways, then just know that judgment will follow.  You will be judged according to your deeds, according to your sin.  On the other hand, you can be set free from sin and the coming judgment by choosing life—life more abundant—through Jesus, my Son.”  (I scratch my head and say, ‘Wouldn’t anyone choose Door Number 2?’)

It seems like we who think ourselves ‘spiritual’ can actually be a lot like some of the haughty Jews Paul was trying to reach; we have become spiritually smug, we are not very teachable, and apathy is rampant.  We readily see the sins of others, but do not worry too much about our own …    May it not be so with us.      

Instead, may we, like Paul, be swept up with the all-encompassing love of God; and may we daily seek him for ways to give that love away to others.  ‘They’ll know we are Christians by our love . . .’  Oh, I hope so---yes, let’s share love, huh?

Christine