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Letters from Paul

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Running head: ROMANS: A TIMELESS LETTER FROM PAUL

ROMANS: A TIMELESS LETTER FROM PAUL
T Staggs

ROMANS: A TIMELESS LETTER FROM PAUL

Thesis

The headline in the morning paper reads: THE CURSE of SIN NATURE-All Humans are Born with it (Stewart, n.d.). Many people would be drawn to the ‘story’ because bad news sells. Few would read it with an open mind, most would feel a self-righteous indignation. “Where is the good news in all this?” We continue to read. Turning the page we see THERE IS AN ANSWER! SALVATION FOR ONE AND ALL THROUGH JESUS CHRIST. The scenario is not as farfetched as it may sound. In the Book of Romans, Paul wrote a letter to Jews and Gentiles alike that brought such news.

ROMANS: A TIMELESS LETTER FROM PAUL

Romans: A Timeless Letter from Paul

The Natural World
With his words, God formed a perfect world in 6 days. Since the beginning, mankind has been able to see that the world around them is of God. Paul writes:
Since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse ( Romans 1:19-20 NIV). He is writing to Jews and Gentiles alike, none are without sin. Time has not changed these truths. Some deny God’s existence at all but will use His name as an expletive to make their point. Others who believe in God’s existence fail to notice and appreciate God’s creation; his beauty and majesty are everywhere, seen and unseen.

Human Identity Genesis 1:27 (NIV) tells us “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” God meant for mankind to be stewards over all his creation and to enjoy it. We are all descendants of Adam. His spiritual death due to sin has been passed down through all the generations, leaving none of us righteous and without sin. Mankind turned away from the creator, all but forgotten, to live life as they saw fit. Man became foolish, creating their identities and lifestyle to suit themselves forgetting the very existence of God. These are the very issues that Paul writes of in his letter to the Romans. Three times in Romans 1:24-32 (NIV) Paul states “God gave them over…” (Stevenson, n.d.). God allowed people to make their choices and suffer the consequences. He still allows this today although just as in Paul’s time, we are have the knowledge that there is a Savior that was sent to us by God and through our Savior, Jesus Christ we can have a new identity with him and in him.

ROMANS: A TIMELESS MESSAGE FROM PAUL

Human Relationships
Without God, our purpose and meaning in life becomes useless; Sin controls our lives. Paul writes in Romans 1:24-28 (NIV):
Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator who is forever praised. Amen. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error. Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12). Adam’s sinful nature inherited by all caused these things to come about making a relationship with God impossible. There is hope. Paul continues “Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous” (Romans 5:18-19). It is hard to accept that people are inherently prone to sin but the Bible clears up any misconceptions. Even Abraham who God called “the father of many nations” (Genesis 17: NIV) wasn’t without sin. He wasn’t made righteous through works but through faith (Romans 4:12 NIV). Because of this one called Jesus, we are able to have a relationship with God so that through us, we can share God’s story of love and redemption.

Culture In Paul’s letter to the Romans, he gives a clear description to the culture and society. He states:
They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them (Romans 1:29-32 NIV).
ROMANS: A TIMELESS LETTER FROM PAUL

Sadly, thousands of years later, little has changed. “The Spirit of God strives with man. But it does not strive forever. And when men continue to reject the God who has been revealed to them, then he will ultimately respond in judgment” (Stevenson, n.d.). Throughout the book of Romans, Paul makes it clear to the Jews and Gentiles that only by accepting God’s gift of salvation through his son Jesus can a relationship with him be made possible. This very same message is meant for us today. Unfortunately, we live in an instant, want and need it now world. This causes us to stray further and further away from God. We make our lives much harder than they need to be.
Conclusion
As the title states, Paul’s letter is timeless. Throughout every chapter it is not hard to relate his message to the world we live in today. I believe whole heartedly that we are living in the last days before Jesus returns for his father’s children. Preachers have said for years that ‘it is time to be about the Father’s business.’ Many live their lives doing just that, preaching the Gospel and reaching out to lost souls. It is up to us individually to pay heed to what God is speaking to us. We have to be diligent to stay in God’s inspired word, to approach it in a prayerful manner so that we may understand what God would have us to know. This way we will not be led astray by false doctrine that will someday split the gates of hell wide open.

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ROMANS: A TIMELESS LETTER FROM PAUL

Bibliography

Stevenson, J. (n.d.). WHEN GOD GIVES UP. Retrieved from http://www.angelfire.com/nt/theology/rom01-24.html
Stewart, D. J. (n.d.) The Sinfulness of Mankind. Retrieved from http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/salvation_webpages/03-sinfulness_of_mankind.htm

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