After a Gloomy Start in Romans, a Change is Coming
Romans 1-3 has been a review of God's judgment and the human condition.
As we’ve been studying the first three chapters of Romans, a rather gloomy picture has been presented.
Humanity is the reason behind such a depressing picture. We are shown to have sinned and deserve the penalty for our sins. Paul has explored the depths of humanity’s sinfulness - and it’s not a pretty picture.
It’s not always pleasant to shine the mirror of God’s Word upon our souls. We like to paint ourselves in as good a light as possible, but the Scriptures show a far different image of ourselves than we would like to believe.
But this focus upon our sin and the judgment of God is necessary to reveal the riches of the gospel of Christ (Romans 1:16-17). If we do not understand how horrible our predicament is, then we cannot appreciate the “good news” of Christ.
After such an up-close and personal look at our sin, I’m certainly thankful for the gospel of Christ.
Jesus, as the “Light of the world” (John 8:12), shines for all to see the way out of darkness and into the light.
The fantastic news is that while all have sinned and deserve death, God offers something else to us (Romans 6:23). What an unspeakable blessing His gift is!