Day Two in Rome

Welcome to the second day of our journey through the book of Romans. Our travel itinerary is exciting—though I hope you didn’t bring a camera. Paul hadn’t yet made it to Rome when he wrote this letter, but today we’ll read chapters 4 through 7, where he lays out the heart of the Gospel: righteousness by faith, freedom from sin, and the new life we have in Christ.

A Work Ethic and a Wrecked Life

I’ve always respected my mother. She often worked two jobs to support her five children. Life only eased when my stepfather came into the picture around the time I was six. Her example instilled in me a deep work ethic. At age seven, I was earning my own money. At ten, I got my first job cleaning a gas station.

I was an early adopter—except when it came to tattoos or preaching.

Later in life, I began getting inked. One tattoo wraps around my left shoulder: Romans 6:20–21 is on the back, symbolizing the darkness of my past. Romans 6:22 is on the front, representing the life I now live. They’re connected by a cross on my upper arm. I got that tattoo before I ever preached, but it became the foundation of my first Sunday morning sermon.

The Darkness Behind Me

The back of my shoulder tells the story of my old life—marked by death, drinking, and drug use. It was a life lived at night and always in sin. I wasn’t just a sinner—we all are that (Romans 3:23)—but as Paul says; I was an enemy of God (Romans 5:10).

I used to sit in bars and argue that science disproved God. That was a lie. Science can’t disprove God. But that’s the power of sin: it blinds us, then binds us. One sin leads to another. We lie to cover it, then lash out when exposed. Sin gives birth to more sin (Romans 7:8–11).

The Cross That Changed Everything

The last thing I ever would have done was seek Jesus. But God, in His mercy, brought me to a place where I heard the Gospel. My heart felt conviction. I understood what Paul meant when he wrote:

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8, NIV)

When that truth sank in, I wept. How could the Creator of the universe look at me—hear the poison spilling from my mouth—and still choose to die for me? That is the great mystery of grace.

He didn’t condemn me, though He had every right to. He knew I was a slave to sin (Romans 6:6). That was all I knew. Christians sometimes expect non-believers to live by our standards, but that’s not fair. Paul reminds us:

“When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness.” (Romans 6:20)

We didn’t do righteous things because we didn’t know how. We mocked those who did. Sin convinced us that righteousness was boring, that we’d miss out. Sin traps you.

The Prison of the Flesh

This reminds me of a story told by David Guzik about two 14th-century brothers in what is now Belgium. His younger brother Edward overthrew the elder, Raynald—nicknamed “Crassus” for his obesity. Instead of executing him, Edward built a room around Raynald with a door of normal size and told him he could leave anytime. But Raynald couldn’t fit through the door. All he had to do was lose weight. Yet Edward kept sending him rich food, and Raynald stayed imprisoned by his own appetite for ten years until his death. [1]

That’s what sin does. It builds a prison with an open door—but we’re too enslaved to walk out.

The Turning Point

All I knew was that if I accepted what I was doing was wrong, I would deserve punishment. There was no benefit in admitting that. Paul asks:

“What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death!” (Romans 6:21)

This makes it hard, in our own power, to come to Jesus. We don’t realize we’re prisoners in a castle of our own making. But when God intervenes—as He did for me through the birth of my son and the persistence of my wife—we understand. Until then, the message of the cross is foolishness (1 Corinthians 1:18). We don’t have ears to hear it.

Alive in Christ

After God becomes our Master, everything changes. We become alive in Christ, and the power of God controls us. Sin no longer rules our bodies as it once did.

“Now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.” (Romans 6:22, NIV)

If you don’t understand this, please reach out to me—or to your pastor. You can’t grasp these truths until you first repent, giving up control of your life and allowing Jesus to be your Master. When you do, everything becomes clear.

Tomorrow, we will read Romans 8-10.

Footnotes:

[1]: David Guzik, Commentary on Romans 6, Enduring Word, https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/romans-6/.