Dana Hagstrom – Page 384

Romans 3:1-8 – God is Faithful

No matter how far we stray, God is always faithful. That is a truth we can rely on. We, on the other hand, have to really work at it. We tend to make excuses and cover up our sinfulness. We cannot. God sees all.

I had to chuckle at the line, “our sinfulness serves a good purpose, for it helps people see how righteous God is.” Our sinfulness does set us apart from God, but he will always be superior. Our sinning doesn’t make God look better. He is the best no matter what we do.

Romans 2:17-29 – Get a Grip

Read Romans 2:17-29

What do people think about God when they look at your life? Take a moment to ponder that for a moment. Whether we are Jew or Gentile, how we live matters to God.

Paul is rattling some cages here of his Jewish contemporaries. Paul, also a Jew, focuses on making sure these Jews in Rome did not think they had a “free pass” just because they were Jews. Jews were God’s chosen people, but that wasn’t enough.

Romans 2:1-16 – Who’s the Judge?

Read Romans 2:1-16

We all have, from time to time, wanted to be the judge. I don’t think anyone I know can say that they didn’t give a disapproving look a time or two, or avoid a certain person because of “their” sin. We need to remember our role, and it’s NOT to judge others.

This was a great passage to convict us of that very truth. If we only look in the mirror, we soon see our own imperfections and weaknesses. I don’t want to condemn myself for judging someone else’s issues. What’s the point? We know who is in charge and who will be the final judge. Why do we think we should even open our mouth?

Romans 1:18-32 – Sin

Read Romans 1:18-32

It’s no surprise that God hates sin. Sin would be those acts, deeds, and thoughts that keep us separated from God. Satan will do anything to deceive us and make us believe we are not sinful. Remember Eve and the serpent? We need to be so sure of God and his desires for us that we can sniff out the evil one when we are weak and vulnerable.

Romans 1:8-17 – The Good News

Read Romans 1:8-17

It is certainly Good News to know that Jesus Christ is Lord. Our Lord is also our friend. He laid down his life for us. Paul has been consumed with sharing this truth since his fateful day on the road to Damascus. He has now devoted himself to making sure everyone knows of the love of Jesus.

He seems particularly drawn to the Christians in Rome. It’s not known for sure who started the church, or what the demographic of Jew and Gentile was at the time. Do we really need to know? What we do see are Paul’s actions. What is he doing? Praying for them, encouraging them, and now teaching them.