The end of Romans is beautifully written. Paul tells us of our role as Christians, believers, and people. He says that originally the Jews were God's chosen people, but because of their rejection of Jesus the gospel was opened up to the Gentiles. This was a good thing since the Gentiles were given the gospel. The Jews are not lost forever, though, they will also be given another shot at grace. This shows God's love further and His hope of bringing all the lost sheep back into the fold. Paul explains that as long as we follow and believe in Christ we will have redemption. It is only through this faith that we are saved, actions are not enough. Just as faith without works is dead, so is works without faith.
While this life maybe hard, we do have hope for a brighter future. God calls upon us to live a perfect life in an imperfect world. This life is full of heartache, disappointments, and failures. Life can seem too hard at times, and above all this God is telling us that just enduring is not enough, but that we have to live the way He wants. This could be impossible if not for Christ and grace and mercy. That gives us hope and if we have this hope in Christ we can have peace. No matter what happens, no matter the pain and suffering we may endure, we can still have peace in this life and hope in the life to come.
After we believe ourselves, then comes the serving. Paul tells us that we are not to look down on others who have less faith. Instead, we are to help those sheep who are lost or wondering. It is through our actions as Christians that can determine if we lead others to Christ or away from Him. This where being "Christian-like" comes into play. We are to take on the body of Christ and to act as He would. We are to encourage and love others. We are all God's children and we all have God's mercy and goodness. He loves everyone of us and we should love each other. Romans is a great book that describes Christ's role in our lives. I enjoyed reading it very much.
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