GE 10 – DD
BSMT – II

Reflection on Romans 1-3

We as Christians are called by the Lord to preach and tell people about Jesus’ Good News, that salvation is here, and that we should confide in the Lord, for he is our King, our Savior, our Father, and ultimately, our Creator. As Romans 1:16-17 (NIV) states, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. For in the gospel, the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith.’” That said, Romans 1 calls us to repent from our sins and start renewing our lives with God by our side because we all are sinners and we need salvation, salvation that only God can give us. It is a wake-up call to all of us. It allows us to realize that we humans are wicked in nature which is why we need to find our sense of purpose within God, apply Jesus’ teachings in our lives, and value Jesus’ penal substitutionary atonement in place for our sins. We are lucky enough to be given the privilege to conquer the world and what more can we give back to our Lord than our faith, loyalty, and righteousness? It is indeed simple to say that we have faith and that we are Christians, but when we are tested we become immoral, we compromise our virtues and our faith to please others and gratify ourselves. Despite so, as shameless as we all are, we still keep asking God for the things we want instead of appreciating what we have, we forget to thank him and most importantly, we become nonchalant of our wickedness and we slowly become the opposite of what God wants us to be. It is high time that we become responsible enough to acknowledge that we are sinful and that we are in desperate need of salvation. Hence, we shall repent before it is too late. We shall stand corrected for our sins and finally become responsible stewards of God who embody the fruits of the spirit, who choose humanity over their selfish wants.

With that taken into account, Romans 2 on the other hand reveals to us that faith is paramount in our lives because it connects us with God and it guides us to do what we must. It implies that we are accountable for our doings whether it’d be good or bad. That said, we must answer and face the consequences of our actions in the face of the Lord our redeemer and savior for Romans 2:6-7 (NIV) states that “God ‘will repay each person according to what they have done.’ To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.” Romans 2 calls out those who are hypocrites and those who are judgmental. Moreover, it sheds light on the importance of having a pure heart, wherein we must understand how important moral-decision making is in our lives as it will dictate whether we are genuine to our faith or mere hypocrites who are cowards. Additionally, I think that Romans 2 also teaches us to be more gentle to those around us. It encourages us to cultivate our hearts to become pure, filled with grace, filled with mercy, and filled with God’s steadfast love. As children of God, we must be able to radiate this kind of love to everybody around us and have humility at all times as this is what God calls us to do.

In relation to the aforementioned, Romans 3 reiterates the importance of faith as it is the key to salvation. It reminds us that we will always have hope as long as we do our part and turn away from our evil doings. It tells us that forgiveness is not unattainable as long as we are adamant about our faith and true to our God. Romans 3:23-24 (NIV) says “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” This verse helps us realize that through Jesus’ redemptive efforts, we are given a chance to live righteously in accordance with God’s will. Therefore, we must give much value to Jesus’ penal substitutionary atonement because it is the foundation of our Christian faith as it signifies redemption, reconciliation with God our Father, and eternal hope. Moreover, it highlights the depth of God’s love as he willingly gave his son away for our sins to be forgiven. Furthermore, it allows us to see the magnitude of Jesus’ sacrifice, making us understand and develop a profound sense of gratitude and devotion within Him and the Almighty Father.