November 15/16, 2014
Romans 6-8
There are some who compare Paul’s letter to the Roman Christians as the Himalayas of the Bible. They also cite Romans 8 as the Scripture’s Mt. Everest. What could be higher or more glorious than, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus!” (Romans 8:38-39)
Having said that, I know several Christians who were unable to draw near to Jesus until they read Romans 7 and, with their own eyes, saw the Apostle Paul’s own admission that he struggles with sin: “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do, I do not do, but what I hate, I do.” (Romans 7:15) They told me, “I thought you had to be perfect to be a Christian. Knowing that even the Apostle Paul struggled with sin allowed me to receive the grace of Jesus.”
Having said that, what Paul teaches about baptism in Romans 6 opened my heart to the power of the gospel. In baptism, especially adult baptism by immersion, we are witnessing a replay of the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And what’s more, we understand that in baptism we IDENTIFY with Jesus, that, in a sense, we die with Him to sin, that the old us is buried with Him, and that we are raised with Him to new life and a new righteousness!
How can I choose among these three glorious chapters; I love ‘em all. In Romans 6, I learn that I must die to sin and become a “slave to righteousness.” In Romans 7, I learn that the struggle with sin continues, but that there is hope in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 7:25)! In Romans 8, I learn about walking in the Spirit, instead of walking in the flesh, and that God’s goal is for me to be conformed to the likeness of His Son, Jesus (Romans 8:29).
No, there’s nothing higher.
Your fellow traveler through the New Testament,
Pastor Gary
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