Romans 1-3

I am so pumped to be reading Romans!!  I just finished a book that was set in Rome around the time when Paul wrote Romans, and I was so into my book that I felt like I was actually there. So this is exciting to be reading it. I think sometimes I forget that the Bible actually happened. The believers living in New Testament times just blow me away. Can you even imagine not being able to openly express your faith? And if you were able to openly be a believer, there would be no scripture to back it up. Then again, that makes it more of a necessity to trust in the Lord. It is cool to think about how encouraging it must have been for the Romans to get Paul's letter. I really want to meet this body of believers!--oh wait, we WILL meet in Heaven!!  Isn't that outrageous to think about??  So cool.

I just want to share a couple thoughts on the passage that stuck with me the most.
Romans 3:10-20

as it is written:

“None is righteous, no, not one;

no one understands;

no one seeks for God.

All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;

no one does good,

not even one.”

“Their throat is an open grave;

they use their tongues to deceive.”

“The venom of asps is under their lips.”

“Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”

“Their feet are swift to shed blood;

in their paths are ruin and misery,

and the way of peace they have not known.”

“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

I am absolutely struck by this, because if I'm being honest, most of the time I believe I am righteous. Or at least I think part of me is righteous. But this is completely false. "None is righteous, no, not one." It does not matter how hard I try to do the right things, my motives are never unselfish! There is no part of me that is good. But how sweet it is that "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (3:23)?! The only part of me that's ever good is because of Jesus. And this is so incredibly freeing. Because I know there is no way that I can live up to the standard of perfection. This sounds dramatic, but I will always remember when I finally felt like I was part of the body of Christ...freshman year of college, Katie said to me, "we are all equal at the foot of the cross." Thanks for that truth, friend:) I think this is awesome.