Romans is a powerful book. It shows how a person moves from a nonBeliever to a mature Christian who has overcome all obstacles. The mature Christian is not sinless, but has learned how to quickly confess sins so he live from victory to victory. Many find Romans to be difficult to understand, but think of Romans as a journey over 5 mountaintops and the valleys between. the valleys only really make sense if you keep in mind the mountaintops, the main arguments that Paul is building towards.
These five mountaintops are five chapters. Chapter three locks all humans up in sin. Chapter five shows that we are only saved by the free gift. Chapter eight concludes that we live by the free gift only. In Chap 12, we move from the individual life to a life serving the body (the church) with our gifts. Finally, Chap 14 has us stop thinking, I am the strong leader and becoming the victorious meek who says, “won’t this person make a great leader.”
In between these high points, Paul takes on classic mistakes churches make and decimates them. People often take quotes out of these between chapters to support their errors, but you are lead to the inescapable conclusions stated in the five chapters. As a young Christian, 40 years ago, I took a class on Romans and understood these points. It has taken me these 40 years to learn to incorporate them. I pray that it takes you less time than that to learn to live them.
Help from Heaven 