Romans In Real Life

“To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints.”  Romans 1:7

Here’s the truth.  In high school, my brother and sister had a teacher so boring that to pass the time his students would watch the second hand of the classroom clock go round and round and round.

Here’s the sad truth.  Instead of changing his lectures to make them more interesting, the teacher covered the clock with construction paper and kept on talking.

Here’s the tragic truth.  The man was the Bible teacher at a Christian school, and his classes were studying the fascinating book of Romans!

Perhaps you sympathize with the situation, for in sermons, Sunday School, or your own study, you may have found Romans to be a bit tedious and tiresome.  Honestly, most of us have at some time, but I hope all that is about to change as we spend the next few weeks looking at what was written back then and how it applies to us now. The Apostle Paul did not intend for his letter penned to the Christians in the city of Rome to be doctrinally dissected in dry lectures by boring teachers to weary students.  No, he wrote his words to regular people who lived real lives, and he hoped that what he said what encourage them, challenge them, and comfort them as they went to work, washed the dishes, or paid their taxes.

After introducing himself and expressing gratitude for their faith and his desire to meet them in person, Paul states that he is not ashamed of the good news that God saves.  He then spends the next several chapters explaining our need for help (our sin) and the only way to receive hope (our faith).  He uses Jewish history (the Law, circumcision, Adam, and Abraham) to build his case, and he uses everyday illustrations like marriage and slavery to make his point.  Paul spends the latter part of his letter describing what our response to such an amazing reality should be—the practical application of divine principles.  Throughout all his writing, Paul is honest about his own struggles and is heartfelt in his desire for us to experience and extend God’s grace, and, at the end, he closes with a proclamation of God’s glory.

Romans really is a great book. To be truthful, I’m a bit intimidated to write about it, but I’m excited to see how God’s Spirit uses what’s going on in my life and yours to help us understand His timeless truths.  Let’s not watch the clock, but, instead, let’s look into our hearts, look up to God’s grace, and thank Him that He gave us Romans for real life.