Reflecting on Romans 1
Hopefully by now you have decided to believe the gospel of the grace of God for your salvation. If you are not yet convinced, then perhaps the next study in Romans chapter 2 will help you to see your need for a savior. To be saved today just believe how that Christ Jesus died for your sins, was buried and rose again for your justification. Eph 2:8-9 says, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."
Now I want to briefly do a little self-examination with you if you are a believer including for the more mature and stablished believers. I've found Romans chapter 1 not only helpful in understanding man's desperate need for salvation (including, of course, my own need before I was saved!) but it's also a reminder to me as a Believer of what I came out from (or, who I used to be!) because of what Jesus did for me and by simple faith in his finished work I am now a new creature in Christ.
As a new creature in Christ I need to ask myself :
• Am I now thankful to God for ALL that He has done for me? When I find myself getting discouraged I can refocus on what Jesus has done for me and I'm thankful.
• Do I understand what it truly means to give and bring God glory? Do I glorify God? Or do I try to exalt myself and/or religion, philosophy and man's wisdom etc over God and His word? When I find myself beginning to get sidetracked in anyway I can focus on whether or not this is going to bring God glory - anything and everything in me that doesn't bring glory to God will burn up at the judgment seat of Christ. Anything in the world that doesn't bring glory to God will burn up too one day.
• Do I behave selfishly or am I willing to serve others as I am capable and especially to serve God? I can only do this by having Christ live in and through me- so I need sound grace doctrine in my inner man in order to properly serve God and others from a place of love.
• Am I puffed up about my own knowledge or do I seek to live in truth based upon God's word over man's wisdom? Am I exalting any Bible study teachers, preachers, groups or anyone else above God and His word?
• Do I really grasp how important God's word really is to me personally as well as for all of mankind? Each day I can be truly grateful and thankful for His written word.
Often new believers fall right into the trap of religion and begin to exalt their denominational beliefs and man-made traditions over God's word. But, As we continue to study Romans and really all of Paul's Epistles and the whole Bible rightly divided, we will mature and grow up spiritually, which truly brings glory to God. If you are a brand new believer, please know that it takes time to mature spiritually, and it requires commitment to the Word of God rightly divided as well as patience and grace towards yourself and others.
Studying is essential as is biblical meditation on the word to help us grasp what is being taught, and then believing what we are reading and studying, as well as yielding ourselves to obey it. That's Godly Grace living!
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