Romans Part 2 - Faithናሙና

FAITH JUSTIFIES US

In the preceding chapter of Romans, Paul discussed the behavior of irreligious, immoral pagans. Here, in Romans 3, he discusses the behavior of the religious, outwardly moral person; surprisingly, he concludes that all men deserve God’s judgment (Romans 3:9-20), moral or oral. Here is the good news: in verse 22, it says, “The righteousness of God is through faith in Jesus Christ.”

Jesus changes everything!

More than that; there is no distinction made between Jew or Greek! Paul had written to the Galatians a few years earlier, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

Paul had also written to the Ephesians, describing the “mystery of Christ,” which clarifies that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus. Romans 1:16-18 says,

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘but the righteous man shall live by faith.’”

Our righteousness comes through Christ’s atoning sacrifice, when we believe in Him.

This passage gives us a greater understanding of who God is and who we are in Him. We have been made right with God through faith in Jesus Christ. It is not the family we were born into or the church we belong to that justifies us; it is the faith we have in Christ Jesus that justifies us.

-Wendy Vander Dussen

Family Corner Questions

Does Jesus look at our nationality, or what we look like and decided who He wants to save?

Who did Jesus die for?