I can’t really say what my favorite book of the Bible is when it comes to reading. I guess it depends on my mood. However, I can identify the Book of the Bible I most like to teach. It is the Gospel according to the Apostle Paul; you know it as the Letter to the Romans.

There are fifteen men in training at the downtown congregation. Among others the group includes elders, deacons and Bible school teachers. Most are married and all have jobs that keep them busy during the day. They all want to hone their skills and be more involved in the Lord’s work. They are given opportunities to lead Bible studies, preach in the assembly, teach Sunday school classes, as well as School of the Bible courses for those who are more advanced, help small congregations, etc. I am currently studying with them the Book of Romans.

I know why Romans is my favorite Book to teach. It was from it that I first understood about God’s grace to me. I grew up in the church and learned much about God and the Bible stories. However, in spite of all the Sunday school classes and sermons (back then there weren’t children classes during the assembly and preachers would “wax” strong for an hour or more) I really didn’t understand the Good News about Jesus. I’m sure not blaming my good teachers, I was a bad student.

I thought the Gospel meant that I could be baptized and have all my sins washed away, a clean slate as it were. But after my baptism (I was 12) I’d better do it right, because you couldn’t be baptized again to remove the sins you committed after you became a Christian. I knew of repentance but it seemed wrong to repent of a sin and then commit it again later. Was I really penitent if I did it again?! After years of this “Wretched man that I am!” (Rm 7:24), by the time I reached my early 20’s, I came to the conclusion that Christ was the one and only Way, but I wasn’t able to walk it. I was the problem – I’m just not good enough. I almost gave up on Him. That’s when I discovered the Book of Romans and the “abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness” (Rm 5:17) we have in Jesus Christ.

“But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us! Much more then, since we have now been declared righteous by His blood, we will be saved through Him from wrath. For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, then how much more, having been reconciled, will we be saved by His life! And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We have now received this reconciliation through Him.”

Romans 5^{:8 -11}