Bible Study with Danelle

When I first read this chapter in Romans, I had a bit of a hard time trying to fully understand what Paul was trying to say. Sometimes when the Bible is translated to English from he original language, it can make it a little difficult to understand the full concept. This is when it can be helpful to read different versions of the Bible. My paper study Bible is an English Standard Version (ESV), but sometimes I use the Bible App or Bible.com to switch between versions to get a better understanding and insight. I highly encourage this if you are trying to understand what is being said. For this chapter, I find the Message version is helpful.

Paul is again writing to the Romans to continue to establish that even though under Old Testament Law the Jews were the chosen people, we are all sinners and Jesus came down and shed his blood for all of us.

I look at it in our present day on if you grew up in a Christian household or not. You didn’t have to grow up in a Christian household to become and Christian and be saved. And just because you grew up in a Christian household does not make one a true Christian.

Paul speaks a lot about the righteousness of God. My study Bible explained it as God’s redemptive activity as it relates to human sin. Since we could never deserve his mercy or favor by our own efforts, through His grace he provided the way through Jesus. Jesus’ death was the perfect justice. It was God’s gift to all of us. Receiving this gift and our faith in Jesus as our Savior and Lord is what makes a person righteous (right with God).

Paul points out that without God, human nature is to sin and apart from God we a drawn toward the evil and rebellious ways of the world. When we don’t have the fear of God in us, we don’t turn away from evil. (See verses 11-18.)

I have heard some preachers talk about that the 10 Commandments (God’s Law) no longer applied after Jesus arrived. I do not agree with this and I think Paul lines out why.

Just because we have spiritual salvation through faith in Jesus does not mean that God’s law goes away.

Again I am going to quote from my study Bible as they explain it so much better than I can. LOL.

“It was God’s law that exposed our offenses against Him and revealed our need for His mercy and salvation. When we respond to God’s mercy and are restored to a personal relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ, we are renewed from the inside out by the power of the Holy Spirit. As a result, we gain power and ability to honor and obey God’s moral law.”

Basically, without God’s law, we would not even know what sin is or what God finds acceptable in His people. And if we have faith in Jesus, through God’s grace, we are renewed in relationship with Him. By having that personal relationship, we gain the power needed to follow God’s moral law that we could never do completely on our own. By following God’s law, we are honoring the sacrifice that Jesus made and acknowledging the gift we have been given.

Phew! That is ALOT to process, but what a blessing! To know that I am not going to be alone in trying to turn away from sin and the way of the world. I have the power of Jesus with me all the way.

I pray today that you remember Jesus loves you and the sacrifice He made that allows you a direct line to the Father. Remember that you are not alone in turning away from sin. You have help that comes directly from above.