Letter of St Paul to the Romans: Issue of Sin - Essay Example

? Letter of St. Paul to the Romans 5 Issue of Sin Your First Your Submitted Summary of Romans1-5 The first five chapters of the letter of St. Paul to the Romans describe the existence of the reality that all humans are sinners, and all of us are equally deserving of salvation, regardless of the nation that we belong to. Romans 1-5 (The New American Bible) speaks of the revelation and imputation of righteousness, both of man and God. A few verses of Chapter 1 (Romans 1:21-23) talked about the Gentiles, and their actions to be known as immoral and wicked. And because of their self-indulgence, they were left alone this way, far from the divinewill of God. The hypocrisy of the Jews was cited in Chapter 2, where the laws, referring to the commandments, was not followed by those expected to follow them. This chapter also emphasized on God’s impartiality in judgment, with the Jews of equal footing with the Gentiles, even if they are the chosen nation (USCCB, 2011). Chapters 3 to 5 talks about our co-existence with sin and God’s love for all human beings and His judgment on all sinners. The righteousness of God and of man was justified through the lives of Abraham and Isaac, where they have devoted themselves to the Lord and their faith has led themto be favored. Similarly, Paul clearly stated that all human beings will be given what we deserve. The judgment that will be brought to us, will depend solely on our faith and actions, and not on what nation we belong to. Chapter 5 also emphasized on humanity’s redemption because of God’s love for us and the reconciliation that brings us to peace with God (USCCB, 2011). Universality of Sin Sin,in St. Paul’s epistle, was considered as a general term for all actions deemed as evil, or against the laws. It pertains to the force which engulfed humanity and engages itself in selfish desires (USCCB, 2011). The universality of sin points out to the co-existence of sin with our human lives. As humans, we are weak and easily give in to the temptations of the flesh (Ridderbos, 1997). Sin became part of our existence as human beings because of Adam. It was through Adam’s crime in the Book of Genesis that sin entered humanity, and along with it was also death, both of body and soul (USCCB, 2011). In the same manner, the universality applies to both Jews and Gentiles, as directly indicated in (Romans 3:9): “For we have already brought the charge against Jews and Greeks alike that they are all under the domination of sin”. Although the Jews have known themselves to be privileged in the eyes of God, they have no advantage over the Gentiles when it comes to the issue of sin and the judgment that comes with it. The verses in Romans 2:17-23 have stated of the hypocrisy of the Jews on the Gentiles, having used their laws to persecute and discriminate the Gentiles. These actions of sin led Paul to state: “Because of you the nameof God is reviled among the Gentiles” (Romans 2:24). Paul continuously reminded that all are sinners and that there is not one human being that has no sin (Romans 3:12): “All have gone astray; all alike are worthless”. Redemption and Reconciliation as God’s Solution to the Issue of Sin Paul wrote of God’s righteousness and fair judgment. Having clearly stated that all human beings are sinners, the solution to the issue of sin is redemption and reconciliation. It is through the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ that all humanity was saved from condemnation (Romans 5:10). It is only those who believe and through our faith that we will be saved. God wants all of humanity to be free of what is wicked and it is through reconciliation that our sins can be forgiven. But to be given such pardon, there must be faith on the person asking for forgiveness (USCCB, 2011). This is what we do when we go to confession. We admit our sins before God and ask for forgiveness through prayer and penance. It is through redemption and reconciliation that we, Christians, are placed again and again in God’s grace and love even if we are inevitable sinners for the rest of our lives. Personal Impact on the Issue of Sin The issue on sin reminds me of the saying, “To err is human, to forgive is divine”. Paul’s epistle speaks of what has been the reality the moment Adam committed disobedience. All of us are sinners, regardless of anything that may possibly separate us from others, be it nation or race or religion. We commit sins against the laws of the society, and most specially, the laws of God. But being human is not an excuse to commit sin despite the gift of reconciliation from God. The teachings on the universality of sin made me realize not to judge those who are not Christians, because they too, have their own laws which they follow, and at the end all of us will be judged according to the laws that we live up to. As humans, we commit the same sins and wrong-doings which clearly shows that we are all the same in nature. Paul’s teaching made me appreciate more the importance of the gift of reconciliation. God’s love for us was completed when Jesus Christ died on the cross to redeem us from sin. On our end, it is through reconciliation that we redeem ourselves from the sins that we commit in our life. However, acknowledging that we are sinners is not enough, as Paul emphasized on the justification through faith. It is through our faith that we will be forgiven, and it is through faith that we should try to live each day in accordance to God’s will for us. This teaching has motivated me to try to become worthy in the eyes of God and to keep obeying His laws with faith and hope so that Christ’s redemption of my soul will not be put to waste because of sin. References Ridderbos, H.N. (1995). Paul: An Outline of HisTheology. Grand Rapids: MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. United States Conference of Catholic Bishops [USCCB]. (2011). The NewAmerican Bible. New York, NY: Oxford University Press Inc. Read More