Title: PAUL’S LETTER TO THE ROMANS Post by: Ambassador4Christ on June 22, 2004, 05:01:27 PM One of the most enlightening books of the Bible, and indeed of all literature, is St. Paul’s great Epistle to the Romans.
Paul was by nature and training a logician, perhaps the greatest logician of all time, and in this case his words were Spirit-inspired, so that we have in his Epistle to the Romans a powerful logical argument about God and man, condemnation and justification. It is wonderful thus to have God’s plan of salva-tion explained for us. This is all too lacking in modern evangelism. The doctrinal argument of Romans begins with a demonstration of the moral depravity of man. It says, even to the self-righteous: "Thou art inexcusable..." (2:1). The Apostle then goes on to show that the Law was given, not to help men to be good, but "that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may be brought in guilty before God" (3:19). The conclusion: "Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin" (3:20). The Apostle presses his argument further by showing how the Lord Jesus Christ gave Himself as a satisfaction for sin that we might be "justified freely by [God’s] grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (3:24). His conclusion again: "Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith, without [apart from] the deeds of the law" (3:28). "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (5:1). Next he shows how those who trust in Christ are "baptized into Christ" (6:3), made one with Him by faith. The final conclusion: "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus" (8:1). And the Apostle closes the doctrinal part of this great epistle by exclaiming: "Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? ...Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" (8:33,35). Our advice to those who have questions about salvation: Study Paul’s Epistle to the Romans, thoughtfully and prayerfully. By C. R. Stam Title: Re:PAUL’S LETTER TO THE ROMANS Post by: Heidi on June 24, 2004, 09:05:32 AM Very good post, Ambassador. I love Paul's words! He explains exaclty what Christ's death means for us. Unfortunately, i find it sad how few understand them! He explains how the law exists to convict us of sin and how we cannot obey the law because the law '"Do not covet" breeds every kind of covetoues desire in me."' Therefore it exists merely to show us right from wrong and how Jesus's death is the only remedy for it. Because Jesus fulfilled the law for us, now all we have to do is "come to me and i will give ye rest." As we ask for forgiveness when we break the law, Hid forgiveness REPLACES our sinful desires until one day, all that's left in us is the spirit instead of our sinful nature. IT IS FINISHED.
Title: PAUL’S LETTER TO THE ROMANS Post by: Brother Love on July 22, 2004, 06:47:27 AM IT IS FINISHED.
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