Shall we continue to sin or can we change?

"Baptism of Christ", c 1568, by Juan Fernandez de Navarrete.

Jamie Rasmussen, senior pastor of Scottsdale Bible Church, is beginning a new series on Romans 6-8 entitled "Old made New".

The book of Romans was written by the apostle Paul around A.D. 57 to the Christians in Rome.  Scholars are unsure exactly how Christianity got to Rome.  Tradition holds that Peter was the first to preach in Rome, however, there is no biblical evidence to such. 

Some suggest that new Christians Jews from Pentecost took the new church to Rome.  The church was certainly present in A.D. 49 when Emperor Claudius expelled the Jews from the city.  This was done because the Christians refused to worship the Emperor and because the Christians participated in Communion, where they "ate the body and drank the blood" and were thought to be cannibals.

Romans is called by many as "The Mount Everest of Christian Theology".  Its doctrines were those behind Martin Luther and the Reformation and have forever changed the landscape of those devoted as disciples of Christ.

I learned from Darryl DelHousaye, that the book or Romans is divided into 7 different sections:

1. Introduction - Chapter 1
2. Condemnation - Chapter 2 - 3:20
3. Justification - Chapter 3:21-5
4. Sanctification - Chapters 6 & 7
5. Preservation - Chapter 8
6. Vindication - Chapters 9 - 11
7. Exhortation - Chapters 12 - 16

Jamie Rasmussen is going to concentrate on the sections regarding Sanctification and Preservation.  Please read on to learn about how the "Old can be made New"!