The letter to the Romans was written to the followers of Jesus in Rome. Paul wanted to help the followers of Jesus learn how to be one church family because the church was made up of two very different groups of people. They were the Jewish people, God's chosen people from the Old Testament, who had grown up knowing the one true God and following him. The other group of people was the people that had grown up outside of God's people. In the New Testament, they were called the Gentiles. 

Then Jesus came and announced that God's love is for everyone! Suddenly there were two very different groups of people following the same God and learning how to follow him! Paul knew that these groups would need to learn how to live and grow together. 

Paul reminds the Romans that regardless of their background, they all had the same problem…they were sinners. One of the important things that Paul wrote about is that God’s love is a free gift that cannot be earned by works or being good enough. 

Romans 6:23 makes it clear:

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.