Where are we up to? Romans

“Ok, where are we up to?”“I’m learning so much and really loving the Roman series, can you please give me a reminder of what we have learnt.”“Jimmy I need a re-cap of what has been preached on so I can piece this thing together.”These are just a few of the comments that I have heard as we have been preaching and studying the book of Romans over the last 5 weeks. It has been a whirlwind look at what many people believe is the greatest and most influential literature ever written. World-renowned theologians Fee and Stuart write “Theologically minded people love it, others steer away from it (except for a few favorite passages), thinking it is too deep for them. This does not have to be the case, it can be uncovered with a little spadework.” Don’t worry about the spade let’s fire up the digger and have a look back at some of the gold nuggets that we have discovered so far.Week 1 we looked at the author of Romans, Paul. This law abiding, Pharisaical, totally flawed genius thought he had life licked until the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus confronted him. This experience unraveled his life as he turned from a Jesus hater and a persecutor of his followers, to a Jesus lover and the greatest defender and spreader of the gospel.Week 2 we focused on the context of the letter. Paul wrote this letter to help the spread of the gospel west to Spain, but he had a doozy of a pastoral situation to address in the Roman church itself. The Jewish members had returned to Rome after a short holiday away (they had been brutally exiled), to find that the Gentiles were now part of the game. The Jews wanted the Gentiles to do Christianity “their way” (the law included), while the Gentiles wanted the Jews to do Christianity “their way” (all grace and no law).Week 3 we wrestled with the first three chapters. Paul teaches the church that all people are tainted and stained by sin but made right by the blood of Jesus. We are all on the same level playing field. We are made right by grace and not our works.Week 4 we looked at chapter 4, 5 and 6 discovering Paul emphasizing grace and highlighting how all believers should make their position in Christ their priority and not their fallen sinful condition. When we focus on our position we are free to live life to the full.Week 5 we trawled over chapters 7 & 8. We see Paul grappling with his fallen condition. What a wretched man he thought he was as he tried to do the right thing but ends up, as hard as he tried, doing the wrong thing. He teaches that although this is the condition of all people the deeper truth is that God is for all followers of Jesus and that there is nothing that can severe this relationship.Week 6 we took on chapters 9-11. In these difficult chapters Paul reminds the church that following God has always been about grace and the Gentiles need to suck it up and accept the second round offer, rejoice in that fact and get on with following Jesus.So this week we find ourselves on the home stretch (12 & 13) as we see the power of sacrificial and submissive lives. Let’s crank up the digger as there is still more digging to do!BlessingsJames