Romans 4-7
Common Theme
Paul explains that righteousness has always come through faith, using Abraham as the model, and shows how believers are freed from sin’s rule through union with Christ. He also highlights the ongoing battle with the flesh that remains even after salvation.
Questions
- How does Abraham’s example shape your understanding of what it means to trust God.
- In what areas do you feel the tension between wanting to obey God and the pull of your old patterns.
God Shot
God reveals Himself as the One who justifies the ungodly through faith, not performance. He shows His power and mercy by uniting believers with Christ, breaking sin’s dominion and sustaining them even in their struggle.
Deeper
Romans 4
The text discusses Abraham’s justification by faith rather than by works. It emphasizes that Abraham’s belief in God was credited to him as righteousness before his circumcision, making him the father of all believers, both circumcised and uncircumcised. The promise to Abraham and his descendants is based on faith, not the law, ensuring that it is accessible to all who share Abraham’s faith. The law brings wrath, but faith allows for grace and guarantees the promise to all offspring. Abraham’s unwavering faith, despite his old age and Sarah’s barrenness, exemplifies trust in God’s promises. Ultimately, the text asserts that faith in Jesus, who was raised for our justification, is essential for righteousness, extending the blessing of Abraham to all believers.
Romans 5
The text discusses the concept of peace with God through faith in Jesus Christ, emphasizing that believers are justified by faith and have access to grace. It highlights the importance of suffering, which leads to endurance, character, and hope, all rooted in God’s love through the Holy Spirit. The passage explains that Christ died for sinners, demonstrating God’s love, and assures believers of salvation from God’s wrath due to reconciliation through Christ’s death. It contrasts the consequences of Adam’s sin, which brought death, with the grace and righteousness offered through Jesus, leading to justification and eternal life. Ultimately, it underscores the triumph of grace over sin and death.
Romans 6
The text discusses the transformation from sin to righteousness through faith in Christ. It emphasizes that believers, having died to sin through baptism, should not continue to live in sin but instead embrace a new life in Christ. This new life signifies freedom from sin’s dominion, as Christ’s resurrection assures believers of their own future resurrection. The passage contrasts being slaves to sin, which leads to death, with being slaves to righteousness, which leads to sanctification and eternal life. Ultimately, it highlights that while sin results in death, God’s grace offers the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ.
Romans 7
The text discusses the relationship between the law, sin, and believers in Christ. It explains that the law is binding only while one is alive, using the analogy of marriage: a woman is bound to her husband until his death, after which she is free to remarry without being labeled an adulteress. Similarly, believers have died to the law through Christ, allowing them to serve God in a new way through the Spirit. The text emphasizes that the law is not sinful; rather, it reveals sin. The author expresses a struggle between the desire to do good and the reality of sin’s influence, ultimately recognizing that deliverance comes through Jesus Christ, leading to a conflict between serving God’s law and the law of sin.