Paul writes largely to expand upon what we've learned from the Gospels and discuss the practical implications of it. He writes to Gentile believers. "Gentile" is a word for a non-Jewish person, and by the blood of Christ, Gentiles were able to join the church. In this epistle, Paul discusses our relationship with God and how we are to live. To this end, he discusses the nature of our salvation.

It is not our actions that save us, but God's actions. "But God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us", as Paul says in Romans 5:8. We did not reconcile with God ourselves-- We were still sinners when He died for us! He reached out to us, not the other way around. God softened our hearts to make us receptive to the Gospel.

We are saved by grace alone through faith alone, and not by our own effort. As you will read Paul write in the following epistle, "by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works."

And that reconciliation has wonderful results. This is why Paul also discusses how we are to live in accordance with God's will-- Those who are in Christ are "dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus," according to Paul in Romans 6:11. In 2 Corinthians 5:17, Paul writes "if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away." What a relief it is to know that we are made anew and our old, sinful selves have died.

There is no sin so great that it cannot be covered by the blood of Christ. Paul writes in 1 Timothy 1:15 that "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief." He did not come to save saintly, upstanding folk who do no wrong. Christ came to save sinners, and we are all sinners. In 1 Corinthians 6:11, after referring to a multitude of kinds of sinners, Paul also said, "And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." It is important to understand that in Christ, there is no one that is beyond redemption. This is the power of Christ and His Gospel.

But that's not to say that we will not struggle with sin. Paul also said in Colossians 3:5 that we are to "Put to death therefore your members which are on the earth: sexual immorality, uncleanness, depraved passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry." He wrote this to people that were already believers. We continue to have an ongoing struggle with the sin in our lives, but the power of Christ can and will overcome that sinfulness. Paul also writes in Galatians 5:16, "walk by the Spirit, and you won’t fulfill the lust of the flesh."

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