Romans: Theology for Everybody (1-5)Sýnishorn

Nobody wants to admit that they are a bad person. Although everyone is a sinner by nature and choice, some people who live according to the conscience God gave them do live moral lives in comparison to the average person. This would include religious people who do not have the Holy Spirit but live by moral laws in their religion’s teachings. 

The problem is that moral people tend to make themselves the standard for morality, and then judge and look down on others as being morally inferior. The standard of morality is God and, in comparison to God, we are all sinners who need a Savior. Since pride is perhaps the worst sin of all, people who are proud of their morality are perhaps the worst sinners of all, as these were the arrogant religious types who killed Jesus thinking they were holy, and He was unholy.

People pursuing righteousness have three options. One, if you accept that you are an unrighteous sinner and do not believe anything can be done to change your status, you embrace your lot as a broken and bad person. Two, if you try to fix your unrighteousness by becoming a disciplined moral person, you fall into the trap of becoming self-righteous, which is just another form of being unrighteous. Three, if you accept that you are unrighteous, see Jesus Christ as the standard of righteousness, and accept His righteousness as a gift to you then you escape the traps of being unrighteous and self-righteous through His gift-righteousness.

Which option do you choose?

Reflection:

• In 2:4, we are told that the reason people get away with sin is that God is working on them. Who do you look down upon in judgment or have frustration with that God might be working on that you can give some kindness to?
• In 2:5-11, Paul compares and contrasts two groups of people – those who will experience the eternal wrath of God versus those who will experience the eternal grace of God. Make a list comparing and contrasting these two eternal realities.
• If you are a Christian, Jesus endured the wrath of God so that you could enjoy the grace of God. Take a few moments to stop and simply thank Jesus Christ for all the things the Holy Spirit brings to mind that you have been saved from.