Sin In Romans Research Paper

The time period Paul described in Romans 1-8 was filled with decadence, depravity, and self-righteousness and can easily be viewed in today’s world. This is evident with the numerous “religions” and beliefs that appear on a regular basis similar to the Romans with all the pagan Gods of those conquered. Paul preached to the Romans about Christian life as it refers to their world view and actions. In particular, the world had strayed from the teachings of its creator and savior in regards to the natural world, human identity, human relationships, and culture amongst others.

The Natural World In the context of biblical world view, the description of the natural world begins in the first lines of the Bible “In the beginning, God created the

God begins clarification of man’s place in the world with the origins of sin beginning with stories of Adam and Eve and continuing throughout the Bible. These stories are directly followed by stories of God’s wrath, grace and mercy. With reference to the book of Romans, there are multiple instances where sinful human identity is refined. One of the most direct acknowledgements of sin in Romans is in verses (3:10-18) “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God… There is no fear of God before their eyes.” This is a powerful commentary of the time that directly relates to this day in age. Human identity is now just as sinful, if not more so, than it was during Paul’s time in Rome. The media is continually reporting on acts of depravity including moral decay, sexual acts, and murder. In Romans (1:26) it states “Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones.”, and in Romans (1:28) it states “Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind…” showing the constant state of sin between then and

Not only is it possible to sin against others, but also against ourselves. Sin can be present in the forms of greed, envy, murder, deceit, malice, adultery, or numerous others. Historically, human relationships are continuously struggling because of our sins against one another. Being created in God’s own image (Genesis 1:27) means that if someone willingly takes it upon themself to sin against another or themselves, it’s the equivalent of sinning against God. It is stated in the book of Mark (12:31), man should love his neighbor as himself. It is the sinful ways of humans that distances them from an intimate relationship with God or each other. This is demonstrated by the stories of Adam and Eve in the book of Genesis (3:10, 3:16-17). Throughout Romans 1-8 Paul notes the sinful relationships which have been deemed appropriate to the community of Rome but against the laws of nature as spoken by