Of all the books in the Bible, if I could keep just one, it would be Romans.  I hadn't read it in a while, but was marking up a Bible that I have been using lately, and was doing it by underlining in pencil the passages that I wanted to "jump out" at me, and coloring in green, passages that I had previously memorized.

I had done Luke, Acts, the two letters Peter wrote, and the three letters John wrote, before I went back to Romans.  The thing that I found, with Romans, is that almost every verse needs to be underlined.  It is the most concise, thought out, accurately written account of what the Jews thought salvation consisted of--compared with what salvation truly is in Jesus Christ.  Paul is a great writer.

Paul contrasts the Jewish system of reaching God with comparisons that "close the door."  He effectively argues that Christ has always been the sacrifice that God will accept as a payment for our sins.  The Jews felt that they were "chosen," and therefore they were just fine.  They believed that by birth, they were God's children.  But Paul informs them that, "All have sinned and come short of the Glory of God." Romans  3:23  And that "There is none righteous, no not one." Rom. 3:10  Then he tells them that "...we conclude that man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law." Rom. 3:28

And Paul is just getting started.  Line after line, Paul informs the Jews that their "law" does not save them.  That they aren't able to keep it anyway.  "...if you will confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved."  Rom. 10:9

And finally, Paul lets them know that everyone is included: Rom. 10:13 "...whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."  Including Gentiles.  No wonder they tried to kill him.

The minute you start thinking you are someone special, God will find a way to assure you that the only thing that makes you special is that He loves you.  Enough to die for you.  That's it.