Romans 7

For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do.  v.15

Read chapter 7
Tongue twister in these verses.  What Paul wants to do he doesn't but what he doesn't want to do he does.  How true is that.  We want to get healthy but we find ourselves gorging on sweets, what our flesh desires is fighting with what our mind desires.
Now this doesn't mean we can justify our sin because even Paul said he did things he didn't want to do.  Paul is talking about being under the law.  Under the law he couldn't keep all that God commanded and so he's not doing what he wants to do since the laws requirements could only be upheld fully for those inside the holy land.  He hates breaking God's law, but that's what he's doing because he's outside the land and cannot uphold all the law.  He and the Jews in Roman didn't have the means to keep the law unless they moved back to Israel- which was not necessarily feasible at that time.  Today when we struggle with sin, we cannot say we don't have the means to stop this stumbling, for one we have the Holy Spirit, but also it's not the law of the Old Testament we're trying to uphold, but living for Christ wherever we're at.  Usually it's because we don't want to stop sinning, not that there's no means to stop.  We also as believers can desire to live for Christ always but it's not realistic that we will never sin against Him again, the tendency to lean towards sin is far too real and we can fall into a lifestyle or habit of something we hate.
What are you doing that you will not to do?  What do you will to do that you are not?  

Romans 6

What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!  Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? vv.15-16

Read chapter 6
Who's your master?  Everyone has a master whether they choose to admit it or not.  Someone or something that has the ability or power to use or control or dispose of something is our master.  
Seemed like at the time of believers understanding grace verses the law that people started having the mindset that it was okay to sin so that grace could do more work.  Yet Paul responds "Certainly NOT."  For what we choose to obey that we choose to be our master.  We were once slave to sin, but when we have become believers in Christ we become His slave.  Being Christ's slave doesn't mean this horrible bondage, rather it means freedom!  Freedom to what we thought was freedom by doing whatever we wanted and giving in to the flesh that ultimately trapped us.  The saying is true: First the man takes a drink, then the drink takes a drink, than the drink takes the man.  There is not fruit or benefit of sin, for "What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.  But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life" (Romans 6:21-22).
Often we are deceived by the devil believing we can never defeat a sin in our lives so we give up trying.  We think we can never have consistent victory so we stop the fight for it. Having this mindset we're already defeated for what we believe determines how we live.  Our efforts on our own cant defeat sin, but Christ's already finished work can.  Let us follow our master Christ who brings us into righteousness and eternal life and not return the bondage of our old master Satan who only brings defeat and death.
Nancy Leigh DeMoss says, "One single hour lived in truth can become a day, a week, a month, a year, a lifetime.  Christ has conquered.  Live in His victory" (The Quiet Place, July 29th).  What sin do you feel most defeated by?  How can you choose to live today as Christ as your master?

Romans 5

For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. vv.7-8

Read chapter 5

Is Jesus Christ sufficient to save even an underserving person like yourself?

Who in your life do you love and care about so much you would die for them?  Do you know anyone that would do the same for you?  Can you grasp that Christ didn't die for only the people that have it all together in their life, for only the happy people that have no struggles, for only the people that have never experience pain or hurt (there's no one in history that meets any of these), but Christ died for sinners, while we were still in our mess. 
Bible teacher Nathan Johnson explains this passage so beautifully and true for the sinner, 

Jesus Christ is God Himself. When He died for you, His death more than paid for your sins. He is the Creator Himself, as John 1:1-3 tells us. Therefore, His life is worth more than all creation…more than all of us put together. When He set out to save us by paying the penalty for our sins, He was more than sufficient to do it. His life was so much more precious than ours, that there was just no question but that it was sufficient to pay for ours. Our sin is so small and insignificant next to the price He paid to redeem us that every wrong thing we have ever done is washed away by His blood. You do not have to stare at yourself for months and years and cry and wish and despair. The Lord Jesus Christ IS the Savior of sinners like you. He DID pay for every sin you have ever committed or will commit. When He is your Savior, you WILL be forgiven and you WILL have life. Considering Him and Who and What He is, there can just be no doubt of this. (Can I Be Saved, www.precepts.wordpress.org)

The answer to my first questions is YES, yes Jesus Christ is sufficient to save the most undeserving person that includes you and every human being- we and they all just have to realize that and accept His free gift of salvation.  Do you ever struggle with thinking your sin is to grave to be forgiven?  Or do you look at someone else thinking even Jesus can't save them?  Put your trust in God's work, not man's. 

Romans 4

For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.  v.13

Read chapter 4
The promise to Abraham by God that he would be a father of many nations was 430 years before the law as given.  Here where it says "heir of the world" doesn't mean he's going to be the king of the world, but that he's going inherit a portion in the kingdom, the coming world.  Because of his faith in God's promise it was accounted to him as righteousness, having nothing to do with upholding the rules and commands of the law that was later given to the people Israel (Abraham being their forefather).  These believing Jews that Paul is writing to in this letter to Romans were still so hung up on religion than faith in Jesus Christ.  Paul wasn't annulling the law at this time, but he was telling Jewish believers that it's not by upholding the law that they are saved or else faith is null (v.14). The law was to reveal their sin for without the law there is no transgression (v.15).  So faith is according to grace so that the promise is available to all and not just those that can uphold the law (v.16).  This promise of Abraham was inherited to all the Jews if they had faith because he was their father.  Paul was showing this example of Abrahams faith that it is not by works that please God but faith.  
Having faith as a gentile believer doesn't make you a son or daughter of Abraham, but it does make you a child of God!  Think of it today, you may of many godly father figures in your life but just because they are an image of a father to you doesn't mean you become their biological family, but what you learned from them has helped shaped and grown your faith.
Who are some godly father figures in your life that have helped you in your faith walk with God?

Romans 3

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. v.23

Read chapter 3
A well known and used verse: Romans 3:23.  This verse has led many to life in Christ, realizing they fall short in this life, never quite able to reach what they don't even know they're grasping for.  But this isn't just a verse to prove to people that they're not God, but to show their need for a savior and that Christ by His grace is the savior they need.  ALL have sinned, not just some.  Often there's the thought "my sin isn't really that bad" or the complete opposite "my sin God can't even forgive," yet Jesus' sacrifice on the cross was the answer to forgive EVERY sin, to fulfill every denial of need for a savior and every doubt of His love. So why do we all need a savior?  Bible teacher Otis Sellers puts it to the point:

The lesson all should learn here is that while we may be highly esteemed by our friends, family, and fellowmen, yet because we are sinners we are lacking the esteem of God. You may be extolled in life or at death as having been a good citizen, good father, and good churchman, but you are still lacking the esteem of God. Your children may esteem you highly as a good mother and your husband may praise you as a good wife, but you are still lacking the esteem of God. Something must be brought into your life, there must be some definite act of yours that will bring you to God's favorable attention that will result in Him esteeming you for what you are and what you have done. As to what this is there can be no question. Your neglect of the God appointed Savior must cease. You must appropriate God's great provision for your great need - your need of a Savior. You must be able to stand before Him as a sinner who has a Savior - not a sinner without one. This will cause Him to esteem you as a believer, and you will no longer lack the esteem of God. It is your crying need that you bring-yourself to some final dealing with God in regard to this. Truly, you need a Savior. (www.seedandbread.org)

Have you realized your need for a savior?  Are you a sinner that has The Savior or are you without one?

Romans 2

 You, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that a man should not steal, do you steal?  You who say, “Do not commit adultery,” do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?  You who make your boast in the law, do you dishonor God through breaking the law? vv.21-23

Read chapter 2
This letter of Romans we have to remember is written to Jews, not gentile believers (though for a brief aside in chapter 11), for this is seen over and over again throughout (1:7, 2:17, 3:9, 4:1, 7:1, 9:3-4 to name a few).  Spiritual pride was going on and Paul's not afraid to call them out.  And how does he do this?  He asks questions.  Questions that will make them think of the answer themselves instead of Paul telling them flat out.  How easy it is when we notice hypocrisy in someone to want to tell them flat out what they've done or do wrong, but how much more are we or others willing to change from our sin when we realize it ourselves.  Sometimes just a simple question can turn a heart for they come to an answer on one's own rather than being told.  These Jews were living in hypocrisy of saying one thing and doing another which caused the gentiles to see blaspheme of God's name.  And this is still sadly an outcome today that non-believers see the hypocrisy of believers and therefore don't want anything to do with God.  Yes we should not trust or distrust in God based on fallen sinful people whether believers or not, but we must know that as believers we're looked at and watched more carefully and under the microscope for any fault to blame God.
What hypocrisy might you be living in and what question has sparked a desire for change in you?
Do you tell people how to live?  How can you ask good questions to others to encourage them in their walk with Christ?  

Romans 1

For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.  Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. vv.20-23

Read chapter 1
Everyone knows there's a god even if they've never seen a Bible or heard of the creator. Creation clearly shows there's an intelligent designer behind it all that even evolutionist marvel-whether they give someone or something the glory instead of God Himself.  Through creation God's invisible attributes are clearly seen (seems like an oxymoron, but this is understood by the things that are made as a result).  The Greek word for see here is intensified that means we don't just see but "see down to the core."  This is said to show that men are without excuse.  Without excuse that they never had the chance to wonder about the Creator.  Yet many choose to go from adoration to speculation.  People have to actively choose not to believe in God.  And doing this they have actually become fools rather than wise.  I wonder what men of the past knew that today many think man came from apes or a swamp or a rock.  Paul is speaking to Jews that lived in Rome who knew God on a more intimate level than the nations, so are held at a higher standard. 
How do you see God in creation?  How do you think others can know the true God without having a Bible?