New Testament Thursday

Scripture of the Day:

Romans 5:1-6

1 Therefore being ^ajustified by ^bfaith, we have ^cpeace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

2 By whom also we have access by ^afaith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

3 And not only so, but we glory in ^atribulations also: knowing that ^btribulation worketh ^cpatience;

4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope:

5 And ^ahope maketh not ashamed; because the ^blove of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

6 For when we were yet without ^astrength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

Historical Background:

The book of Romans is a letter that was sent by Paul to Roman converts to the early Christian church in order to help clarify doctrines as well as give counsel and support.

Here is a summary from the Bible Dictionary entry on "Pauline Epistles":

Epistle to the Romans, written from Corinth toward the end of the stay recorded in Acts 20: 3. Paul was then contemplating a visit to Jerusalem, which was certain to be dangerous (Rom. 15: 31). If he escaped with his life he hoped afterwards to visit Rome. The letter was meant in part to prepare the Church there to receive him when he came. It may also be regarded as containing a statement of those doctrines which had been in dispute with the Judaizing Christians, and which Paul now regarded as finally established.

Analysis of Romans

1. Salutation and thanksgiving (Rom. 1: 1-15).

2. Doctrinal (Rom. 1: 16 - 11: 36).

a. His main thesis, the doctrine of righteousness by faith (Rom. 1: 16-17).

b. Such a doctrine met a crying need of the whole world, for God's wrath against sin was only too evident, and this included both Jew and gentile (Rom. 1: 18 - 2: 29).

c. The Jew's position of privilege (Rom. 3: 1-8; see also ch. 9).

d. Jew and gentile shown from scripture to be alike under sin (Rom. 3: 9-20).

e. Righteousness by faith now made possible and all boasting excluded (Rom. 3: 21-31).

f. Illustration of the doctrine from the case of Abraham (Rom. 4: 1-25).

g. Joy through the Lord Jesus (Rom. 5: 1-11).

h. The first and second Adam (Rom. 5: 12-19).

i. The moral consequences of our deliverance, namely, union with Christ, release from sin, and life in the Spirit (Rom. 5: 20 - 8: 39).

j. Israel's rejection, the reason for it (Rom. 9: 1 - 10: 21), yet not final (Rom. 11: 1-36).

3. Practical exhortations.

a. The duty of holiness of life and the law of love (Rom. 12: 1 - 13: 14).

b. The treatment of weaker brethren (Rom. 14: 1 - 15: 13).

4. Personal.

a. His reasons for writing (Rom. 15: 14-33).

b. Greetings (Rom. 6: 1-23).

c. Benediction and doxology (Rom. 16: 24 - 27).

Gospel Principles Outlined:

1) It is the Atonement of Christ that saves us.

2) Our experiences in life can be used to help us to develop Christ-like qualities.

3) We can rely on the Holy Ghost to help us feel the love of God.

4) Christ atoned for us while we were yet sinners.

5) Becoming like Christ leads us to hope.

What I Learned Today:

I love the way that Paul describes the role that Christ can play in our lives. This is especially moving to me because of Paul's own conversion process. We have a lot to learn and can gain a lot of hope as we seek the follow the Savior. In order to enable us in that process, we are provided the opportunity to have the guidance of the Holy Ghost. What a joy it is to me to know that we can always learn and grow in the gospel. We will continually be blessed as we do the Lord's will.

Things I Will Implement:

I want to continue to work on building my faith in the Savior and become more Christ-like. In order to do so, I will focus on seeking opportunities to feel and learn from the Spirit each day.