Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. (Romans 5:1)
Romans
First, let me welcome you to the new format of The Oil Change. As I’ve explained in the different emails over the past week, I do believe this new format will allow these daily thoughts to connect with even more people. I encourage you to pass the website on to friends and family.
As most of you know, I am currently enjoying a sabbatical from my primary duties at Bikers’ Church. The first month of my break was spent travelling the U.S. on my Harley. I shared the journey on my personal blog, so I wont go into much detail here. Although I’m sure some of my experiences will leak out on the pages of these devotionals.
I’ve also enjoyed a break from writing The Oil Change. During the past couple of months, we’ve repeated older posts. Some of you read them for the first time, while others had a chance to revisit a couple of Bible books. I trust it was beneficial for both groups.
Now, we are back to “writing live.” And we’re jumping in with both feet. Rather than starting back with a light book, we’re going to focus in on what many consider to be the most theologically deep book in the Bible – certainly in the New Testament. Too be honest, I’m a little nervous, because it will be a challenge to simplify some of the excerpts from Romans in a short, concise, daily thought. But, we’ll give it a shot!
Romans was written by Paul somewhere around A.D. 57. At this point, he had not visited Rome, and most of the people to whom he was writing this letter he had yet to meet. In fact, it’s possible that none of the Apostles had met the Christ followers in Rome.
How this church started is a mystery. Some believe that there would have been Jews from Rome who were converted during Peter’s message in Acts 2. Those Jews then travelled home to Rome where they began the church. Others believe that Peter may have had a role in starting the church. The fact is, we don’t really know.
What historians are fairly confident about is that the church’s founding members were mostly Jews. As it grew, Gentiles were added to the mix. Then, in A.D. 49, the Roman emperor Claudius expelled the Jews. It would be a few years before they would slowly begin to trickle back into Rome. During their absence, the church grew under Gentile leadership. When the Jews came back, tension built between the two groups. Debates about theology, the role of the Old Testament laws, and traditions were commonplace.
It would seem that Paul’s goal in writing this letter was to try to bring unity to the two groups. As you will see, he spends a great deal of time walking through the necessity of the Law in order to fully grasp the value of Grace. He is skillful in taking his readers on a journey from legalism to freedom in Christ. At times the journey isn’t an easy one, but in the end, it shines a beautiful light on why God’s grace is truly amazing.
A lot of people today see little value in the Old Testament. They figure that as long as you have a decent grasp of the New Testament, that nothing else matters. While it is true that the New Testament focuses on the life we have as followers of Christ, I believe – and Paul explains in this letter – that without a grasp of the Old Testament, you will never truly grasp the necessity of the Cross.
My challenge for you today is to take a minute and look at your life. Do you hold so strongly to your “theology” that it causes divisions with others? Are you open to hearing another perspective on things? The reason the Jews and Gentiles of Rome were so divided was because both groups wanted to impose their views on the others. It’s a problem that many of us must guard against.
Until tomorrow.
