The book of Romans is written by the Apostle Paul. Paul was a Pharisee that persecuted the church and did all that he could to destroy it. On the road to Damascus a blinding light stopped Paul and said to him why do you persecute me. Jesus showed Himself to Paul and made him the apostle to the Gentiles. Even though Paul was an Apostle to the Gentiles, Paul first went to the Jews and tried to persuade them through the Law that Jesus was the Messiah. Paul did this because salvation shall come to the Jews first then to the Gentiles. Often time Paul was persecuted, in Acts 14:19 Paul was stoned nearly to death. The people stopped and went on their way thinking that Paul was dead. The church which he once persecuted Paul now took persecution for. Paul was the fourteenth Apostle; he wrote most of the New Testament and made many missionary journeys in order to tell the Gentiles of the great gift from God.
Through the epistle to the Romans Paul urged them to righteousness. Paul established a theme of righteousness through this epistle. Starting in 1:16-17 Paul makes known that through the Gospel the righteousness of God is reviled. Righteousness is no longer by works but only by faith in Jesus. As Paul states in 3:21 we are made righteous through Him and His saving grace. Those who think they are righteous by the law are not but those who believe are made righteous by His work. In chapter four we are shown how justification by faith has been the case in the Old Testament. Paul talks about Abraham’s faith which was credited to him as righteous. It was not his works that were righteous, but the faith Abraham had to believe and obey God.
It is through our faith (which God has given us) that we are made righteous in God’s eyes. Righteousness is mentioned thirty-five times in the sixteen-chapter epistle of Paul. Righteousness is a major theme in this book and is so important in our faith and lives. This concept affects my life in every time that I think I’m something great, that I think I finally have earned something, but it is not me who has earned anything. I am only righteous because of what Jesus did on the cross. Thanks be to Him for His amazing love and sacrifice. Now as Jesus has died for me and you, it is not for me to say, “great free ride, lets party,” but rather I am to seek to live in a way that is honoring to Him. No matter what I do, I am unable to fully live up to the standard that God calls us to be rather I must do what I can. I must fight my sin and with His help all things are possible. The righteousness that I have is not of my own, not by my works, not by my ability to believe, but it is all by God. His grace that makes me righteous is given to me by Him. Thanks be to God! This is how this theme in Romans must affect my life. Whether I succeed or fail, I must strive to live for Him (this is not for my salvation but for my thanks to Him and the demonstration of my love for Him being acted out).