SUMMARY REVIEW: 13 IMPORTANT TRUTHS WE ARE REMINDED OF FROM THE BOOK OF ROMANS
1) The most sobering problem in the world today is the wrath of God on all humanity (1:18-32). We tend to think it is terrorism, stock market crashes, unexpected earthquakes, AIDS, or global warming.
2) Religion - even religion that has its basis in God's revelation - cannot put people right with God (2:17-27).
3) People are hopelessly depraved in every faculty of their being (3:9-20). This goes right against the grain of our culture's thinking. We often speak of what potential we have as humans, or about all that we can achieve if we just get more educated, or do A, B and C.
4) It is God alone who must take - and has taken - the initiative to put people "in the right" with Himself to save them from His wrath (1:16-17). He achieved this by pouring His wrath onto God the Son, Jesus Christ - who went willingly to the cross to pay the penalty for our rebellion (3:21-26).
5) Faith in Jesus and His work does not result merely in God's forgiveness of the wicked, but also in His declaration that they are completely just in His sight (3:21-4:25), because Christ's perfect righteousness has been credited to them (5:18-19).
6) True faith in Christ means that the believer has placed no confidence in his own works, either to gain favour with God or maintain it (4:1-25).
7) The certainty of Christians that they will soon dwell with Christ, and reflect His glory, in the new heavens and earth is infinitely more than worth the suffering, sin-killing, and perseverance that God requires of them to get there - and the Holy Spirit, through the power he gives, ensures that they will get there (5:1-11; 8:1-39).
8) Just because Christians are free from the bondage of sin does not mean they are free from its presence; indeed, they must constantly resist it because they are never far from being mastered by it again (6:1-23; 13:11-14).
9) Just because Christians are free from the Law does not mean they are free to do what they want, because they now belong to another - Jesus Christ (7:1-25).
10) God's promises to, and purposes for, the true Israel will not be broken - even if the present time may seem to suggest otherwise (9-11).
11) Christian love is borne of a reflection on God's mercy, and this leads to an intention to transform one's thinking, a desire to use one's God-given gifts, an inclination to respect and obey authority, and a preparation to do good even to enemies (12:1-13:10).
12) In the realm of disputable matters, Christians must view the "building up of each other" as more important than their own rights and opinions (14:1-15:13).
13) The communication of Christian truth must be enveloped in the kind of genuine caring and affection that shares of oneself, and imparts encouraging words (1:1-15; 15:14-16:27).
