Hi everyone: Back from my week of R&R: Here is the summary of the first four chapters of Romans. It is pretty simple: St. Paul is arguing that the human race is broken, flawed, sinful and unable to help itself. The Old Testament Law only serves to show us how broken we are and how impossible it is to lift ourselves above our depravity. St. Paul goes on to argue that no amount of human striving and effort can change this. It is not possible to make ourselves righteous in the eyes of God. It is only in faith (trust that fully depends on) in Christ that the human being can be transformed, elevated and redeemed. See the end of Chapter 4:22-25 "therefore his (Abraham) faith 'was reckoned to him as righteousness.' Now the words, 'it was reckoned to him," were written not for his sake alone, bur for ours also. It will be reckoned to us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was handed over to death for our trespasses and was raised for our justification."
To be justified before God is to stand before God "just as if I'd never sinned" that is completely forgiven for our past sins and free to live into anew life.
bj
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I like how Paul tells the Jews that he knows they think that all is ok between them and God because God gave His laws to them. But, as Paul continues, he points out that even the Jews dishonor God by breaking His laws. Romans 3:1 made me chuckle, "what's the use use in being a Jew?". Paul is telling them that even they need to trust Jesus Christ and accept that Jesus has taken on the punishment for all our sins. We are saved by the Faith we have, not by the good deeds we do.
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