Day 336: Reading Schedule: Romans 4-7

Romans 4: Faith of the Righteous

[Overview]

Paul uses the example of Abraham being justified to demonstrate the principle of justification (verses 1-3). Justification is salvation that is achieved by God’s complete grace, regardless of our righteousness, and it is an extremely happy thing to be justified (verses 4-9). The fact that Abraham was justified has the meaning of a covenant, and the time he was justified was before he was circumcised (verse 10), and at this time, Abraham became the father of faith for all, regardless of whether they were circumcised or uncircumcised. The fact that Abraham was justified before he was circumcised also prophesied that people would be saved by faith alone, without merit (verses 11-25).

Romans 5: Christ as the representative of humanity

[Summary]

Paul says that when believers receive righteousness through faith, they will have peace and joy as a result (verses 1-4). This justification guarantees salvation to believers, and those who have received justification have received the love of Christ who died in their place through the Holy Spirit (verses 5-8), and those who feel this love also feel the certainty of salvation. In other words, Paul strongly emphasizes that since those who were enemies before God were justified through the blood of Christ, it is clear that the righteous who have been justified in this way will receive the salvation of glory (verses 9-11). Finally, he contrasts Adam and Christ and explains from the perspective of the covenantal ideology that death came through one and life came through the other (verses 12-21).

Romans 6: Saints united with Christ

[Summary]

Paul says that people come to possess righteousness and life through Christ by being united with the mediator Christ. In particular, baptism is mentioned as a means for people to be united with Christ (verses 1-11). And it says that believers who are freed from sin must become servants of righteousness. In other words, Christian believers are in a position to live for God as much as they died to sin. Being dead to sin refers to the fact that from the time of believing in Jesus Christ, not only are they objectively free from eternal condemnation, but they are also subjectively given a new life that hates sin (verses 12-23). ​​

Romans 7: The Law of the Flesh and the Law of the Spirit

[Summary]

Paul says that believers are freed from the law because they are in Christ and are free from condemnation, and that they are gradually sanctified in the Holy Spirit and finally completely leave sin (verses 1-6). The law is only the evil of the human heart revealed through the law (verses 7-13). Sin is revealed through the law not because the law itself is evil, but because human nature is evil (verses 14-25).