Who are you, a mere human being, to argue with God? Should the thing that was created say to the one who created it, “Why have you made me like this?” When a potter makes jars out of clay, doesn’t he have the right to use the same lump of clay to make one jar for decoration and another to throw garbage into? – Romans 9:20-21

Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!

For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen. – Romans 12:33-36

Our God is so magnificent! Our Creator is so marvelous and His creation displays His glory and His power! It speaks of how BIG He is and how STRONG He is and how BEAUTIFUL He is! Who am I to question His plan? Who am I to argue with Him? I am a mere human being. He is the potter and I am the clay.

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living sacrifice – the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. – Romans 12:1-2

There’s two ways of thinking. There is the thought that I invite God to be a part of my life when I believe and confess (Romans 10:9) and then there is the thought that I give myself to God and now I am a part of His life. I either include God into my life or I step into His. God either becomes a part of my story or I become a part of His.

And since Abraham and the other patriarchs were holy, their descendants will also be holy – just as the entire batch of dough is holy because the portion given as an offering is holy. For if the roots of the tree are holy, the branches will be, too. But some of these branches from Abraham’s tree – some of the people of Israel – have been broken off. And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in. So now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich nourishment from the root of God’s special olive tree. – Romans 11:16-17

Again, two ways of thinking. I am a root with many branches – my family, my job, my hobbies, my friends and now I have a God branch and a church branch. OR God is the root and I am now one of His branches. I am not who I used to be with a little God mixed in, I am in a new creation – transformed into a new person. I am now a branch of His. I don’t fit God into my schedule by setting time aside for Him, I give Him my schedule and let Him have all of my time.

Not only am I now a branch of His tree, I am also a member of the body of Christ. Other Christians don’t suddenly become a part of my life, existing for my benefit, but I become one of many who mutually work together for the cause of Christ. Side by side, hand in hand, we do what God has called us to do. We are one body, not competing for position but sincerely serving one another as we serve Christ.

Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.

In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly. – Romans 12:3-8

God does not become a part of my life to make my life better, He calls me to be a part of His life for His glory and for the benefit of His plan. It’s not about me and my life story, it’s about the Giver of Life and how I fit into His story.

Yesterday in church, Pastor Lloyd Brock preached about influence at Pekin First Church of the Nazarene. He had John & Cheryl Sherwood come up and share their testimony of influence. Having both grown up in this church, they were able to speak of the many people who had influenced them since they were children. They then spoke of the many ways in which God has allowed them to be used by Him in the lives of others, to be an influence to those around them. Their testimonies of growing up in the church, raising their family in the church, and investing back into the ministry of the church were beautiful!

Then at 11am, we went over to the church that Pekin 1st started 9 years ago – the product of their influence. We went to Bridgeway’s annual “Party at the Park” and enjoyed an incredible service, which included powerful worship, baby dedications, cardboard testimonies, and baptisms. The first woman to be baptized had just accepted Christ this week. After coming up out of the water, she threw her arms up in the air in celebration of the new life she was experiencing. We heard testimonies of “I was…but now I am…” and my heart celebrated the many victories, including the victories of those Pastor Jeff Stark led to the Lord at the end of the service. It was an incredible morning!!!

Whether we grew up in the church or experienced salvation later in life, Paul’s letter to the Romans helps us understand our salvation and the gospel of Jesus Christ. He warns us not to fall into the mindset of earning our salvation by our church attendance or the following of a set of rules or by simply being a good person.

They are the people of Israel, chosen to be God’s adopted children. God revealed his glory to them. He made covenants with them and gave them his law. He gave them the privilege of worshipping him and receiving his wonderful promises. – Romans 9:4-5

They were born with the privilege of being an Israelite, a child of God. They had been taught the law and the importance of following the law their whole lives. They grew up learning the prophecies of Isaiah and others who told of the coming of the Messiah. Yet, they missed it. They were so determined to keep things the way they had always been that they missed their opportunity to worship the Christ Child, to follow Jesus, to be healed, to grieve his death and celebrate his resurrection.

Even though the Gentiles were not trying to follow God’s standards, they were made right with God. And it was by faith that this took place. But the people of Israel, who tried so hard to get right with God by keeping the law, never succeeded. Why not? Because they were trying to get right with God by keeping the law instead of trusting in him. They stumbled over the great rock in their path. God warned them of this in the Scriptures when he said,

“I am placing a stone in Jerusalem that makes people stumble, a rock that makes them fall.
But anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.” – Romans 9:30-33

They missed it. The promised Messiah was right there in front of their eyes and they missed it. Christ had come to accomplish the purpose for which the law was given so that those who believe in Christ can be made right with God and they chose the law instead (10:4).

I know what enthusiasm they have for God, but it is misdirected zeal. For they don’t understand God’s way of making people right with himself. Refusing to accept God’s way, they cling to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law. – Romans 10:2-3

Refusing to accept God’s way, they cling to their own way. Can you relate? Have you ever been there? Lord, show me if that is where I am at right now – clinging to my own way instead of chasing after Yours. Lord, help all of us who grew up in the Church, grew up studying your Word, and yet try to get right with You in other ways than by trusting. Open our eyes to the times when we say, “I wish God would answer my prayer” or “I wish God would talk to me” or “I wish God would take care of this situation” when You are here in our presence doing all You have promised to do.

For Moses writes that the law’s way of making a person right with God requires obedience to all its commands. But faith’s way of getting right with God says, “Don’t say in your heart, ‘Who will go up to heaven?’ (to bring Christ down to earth). And don’t say, ‘Who will go down to the place of the dead?’ (to bring Christ back to life again).” In fact, it says,

And that message is the very message about faith that we preach: If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. – Romans 10:5-10

Lord, give us a fresh faith. Show us the ways in which our walk with you has become simply going through the motions of what we have always been taught. Give us a fresh understanding of what it means to believe in our heart. Take our eyes off our insistence that we are doing everything we are supposed to do and open our eyes to what you want us to do. Make us a people of influence in the lives of those around us, as we praise you for those who have had an influence on us. Amen.

What then shall we say about these things? (Romans 8:31). Paul is wrapping up his explanation of the gospel in his letter to the Romans before he goes on to apply the gospel. He starts out chapter 5 talking about God’s love, gives evidence of what God has done for us out of His great love, and then concludes with the strength of God’s love – that nothing can ever separate from the love of God.

Out of His great love for us, God gave us His one and only Son, so that we could be in right standing with Him.

But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners (5:8).

So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God (5:11).

…Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone (5:18b).

Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord (7:24-25).

We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin…and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life (6:6-7,22)

So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death (8:1-2).

Out of His great love for us, God gave us the gift of the Spirit so that we could have a relationship with Him.

For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love (5:5b).

And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives life because you have been made right with God…Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. But if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live (8:10-13).

Out of His great love for us, God gives us hope for the glory that is to come.

Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. We can rejoice, too, WHEN we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment (5:2-5a).

And since we are His children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share in his glory, we must also share his sufferings. Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later (8:17-18).

The Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will (8:26-27).

God loves us, yet we will experience trials. God has chosen us and calls us his children, yet there will be hard times and problems. God takes these difficulties and uses them to develop and strengthen us. He gives us the Spirit to help us in our times of weakness. When we don’t know how to pray, He gives us the Spirit to pray for us – seeking out God’s will and not our own, praying in harmony with His larger plan and not ours. And we can sit back and trust that what He works out will be for our good because His love for us is SO great!

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them (8:28).

Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger or threatened with death?…No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow – not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below – indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 8:35-39

I love Paul’s letter to the Romans. It is one of my favorite books of the Bible because it explains our relationship with God. The Jews felt like they had a special relationship with God simply because they were of Jewish decent, because they were descendants of Abraham and were circumcised according to religious tradition. Paul takes this entire letter to help both Jews and Gentiles understand that we are not made right with God because of our genetic heritage but that GOD Himself MAKES US RIGHT IN HIS SIGHT when we have faith in Him.

Paul uses many different terms and analogies to help us understand what it means to be in a relationship with God. He started out his letter by telling the Christians in Rome that they are loved by God and called to be His own holy people (1:7). He uses the illustration of an employee who pays his workers because they have earned their wages. This does NOT describe our relationship with God. We are counted as righteous not because of our work but because of our faith (4:4-5).

Clearly, God’s promise to give the whole earth to Abraham and his descendants was based not on his obedience to God’s law, but on a RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with God that comes by faith…So the promise is received by faith. It is given as a free gift. – Romans 4:13,16

Our relationship is not an employee/employer relationship, it is more of a friendship where we are truly loved by God and, out of this love for us, He gives us the gift of the Holy Spirit to do a work in our hearts (5:5,10).

So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us FRIENDS OF GOD. – Romans 5:11

Paul goes on to describe our friendship or relationship with God as a Master / Slave relationship.

Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living…Now you are free from the power of sin and have become SLAVES OF GOD. – Romans 6:18,22a

Confession time: I’ve always been a little uncomfortable with the term “slave of God.” I find myself bothered by the description of our relationship with God. I stop and ask God to reveal any issues in my heart that cause me such discomfort with the idea of being God’s slave. I love the terms of submission and the idea of being God’s servant, follower, disciples…but not slave. I am bothered by the term “slavery” because it has negative connotations and it does not describe the relationship I experience with Christ. If we don’t go on to read more of what Paul teaches, Christianity sounds like we are trading one kind of slavery for another kind, when in fact we find freedom.

When we get to chapter 8 of Paul’s letter to the Romans, we see that he must have understood the disconnect with the term because he goes on to explain himself. He has just taken all of chapter 7 to explain what it means to be a slave to our sinful nature. He cries out, “Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.” – Romans 7:24-25a

When we accept what Christ did for us on the cross and give our whole life over to Him, He gives us the gift of the Spirit. This life-giving Spirit has freed us from the power of sin that leads to death. We no longer need to give in to its urging (8:2,12). Instead, we give control over to the Spirit living within us. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace (8:6).

Life and peace – that describes my experience of Christ so much more than the word slavery. When I allow the Spirit to lead me, I find I am more than a slave, I am a child of God (8:14). I don’t live in fear but in relationship.

So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. And since we are HIS CHILDREN, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we share in his glory we must also share in his suffering. Yet what we suffer now is NOTHING compared to the glory he will reveal to us later (8:15-18).

When I give my life to God in full submission and hand over control to the Spirit, I experience freedom. When I listen to the urgings of the Spirit instead of the urging of the sinful nature, I experience life and peace. I am his child and I call him, “Abba, Father.” I am His heir! His heir! Having done nothing to deserve this kind of love and grace, I am the recipient of all He has to give me – which includes his glory as I share in His suffering.

Lord, help me to stay in this reality all day long. When the enemy tries to defeat, let me say, “I am God’s child!” When the struggles of this world overcome, let me say, “I share in His suffering so that I may share in His glory!” Thank you, God, for the privilege of serving you – of being your slave – because, in that moment of submission, I experience life, peace and freedom as your child.

“We are hard wired to be subject to something bigger than ourselves.” This is what I heard my husband say in one of his sermons. I’m reminded of his statement as I read through Paul’s letter to the Roman Christians.

“Because of the weakness of your human nature…” (Romans 6:19). It’s so true, isn’t it? We were created with this human nature that demands we be subject to something greater than ourselves. At the same time, the essence of this sinful nature comes with a desire to be the one in charge – to be sovereign and sitting on the throne of my life.

But I am weak. No matter how hard I try to be in control, I am destined to be subject to something. I may fool myself into thinking I can handle things on my own, that I am free and can make my own choices, but the truth remains – I am either subject to sin or subject to righteousness. I am either a slave to sin or a servant of God’s. When I test my idea of freedom and do my own thing, I become subject to the consequences of my actions and end up ashamed of where I landed.

When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right. And what was the result? You are now ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom. But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 6:20-23

When I am a slave to sin, my life produces a harvest of sinful deeds. When I am a slave to God, my life produces a harvest of good deeds for Him (Romans 7:4-5). Paul goes on to describe the inner struggle we have all experienced – the struggle to do the right thing when our sinful nature is pulling us to do the wrong thing.

The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin. I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.

I have discovered this principle of life – that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin. – Romans 7:14b-25

The devil made you do it, right? You sin because you have a sinful nature, so it is not your fault. But wait! The good news is that chapter seven is not the last chapter (another Scott Sherwood quote – thanks, honey!) Paul’s letter goes on to describe the victory we can experience over this pull of our sinful nature. We don’t have to live like Paul described in chapter seven. We can claim victory in chapter eight!

So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has FREED YOU from the power of sin that leads to death…He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be FULLY satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit…

Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. – Romans 8:1-4,12-13

Now that’s freedom! By submitting my life to God, resisting my urge to be in charge which in reality leads to my becoming subject to sin, I find freedom! When I am a slave to God, he fills me with His Spirit and I am free! Praise God! I don’t have to do what is wrong because Christ has MADE ME RIGHT with God.

And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been MADE RIGHT WITH GOD. – Romans 8:1

I love Romans 5! As I read through the chapter, my joy and excitement increase! Paul’s continued explanation of the gospel gives us reason to celebrate. It is by faith in God and not by works that we are saved but the emphasis in this chapter is on the blood of Christ – how his death is what makes it possible for us to be MADE RIGHT WITH GOD.

When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been MADE RIGHT IN GOD’s SIGHT by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God. – Romans 5:6-11

I love that last sentence because that is exactly what my heart does – rejoice in my relationship with God! I am blessed by His friendship, which makes it all the easier to bow down in reverence and submission to His Lordship.

For the death of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ. And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins. For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.

Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous. – Romans 5:15b-19

Thank you, Jesus, for this new life I am experiencing because you were willing to die! I give you my life and accept the power of one man’s decision. Just as Adam’s decision to disobey greatly affects us all, I recognize that my decision to disobey could also greatly affect others around me. In the same way, just as Your decision to obey God has given me new life, I submit to God’s will for my life and choose to obey You so that You can use my obedience in the life of others.

God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant. So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us RIGHT STANDING WITH GOD and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. – Romans 5:20-21

Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? Of course not!…We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him…

Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace. – Romans 6:1,6-8,12-14

Sin is no longer my master, therefore I will not let sin control the way I live. God, who calls me “friend”, sent His Son to die for me while I was still a sinner. I was made right in God’s sight through the blood of Jesus Christ when He died on the cross. Because of His sacrifice, God’s wonderful grace and His gift of righteousness now make me right in God’s sight. Therefore, because I am living in relationship with God and have been made right in God’s sight, I will NOT let sin control the way I live. I will not give in to sinful desires. Sin is no longer my master. Neither am I the one in charge. I live under the freedom of God’s grace and He is my master, my Lord, my Savior, my friend. Praise God!!! This is the power of one man’s decision!

Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. So we are MADE RIGHT WITH GOD through faith and not by obeying the law. – Romans 3:27-28

It is by placing my faith in Jesus that I am made right with God – not faith in myself, not by obeying all the rules. It is by believing in HIM that I am made right with God. Paul used Abraham as an example to the Roman believers of how faith is what makes us right with God.

Abraham was, humanly speaking, the founder of our Jewish nation. What did he discover about being made right with God? If his good deeds had made him acceptable to God, he would have had something to boast about. But that was not God’s way. For the Scriptures tell us, “Abraham believed God and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” – Romans 4:1-3

It is so easy for us to have the mentality that we have to earn our salvation. We grow up working around the house to earn our allowance. Parents reward their children for good behavior and good grades. We obtain jobs and work hard to meet the expectation of our employers in order to earn our paycheck. We treat others as we would want to be treated and, in doing so, earn their respect. We play games or sports in order to earn points so that we can win or be rewarded with a prize or title.

The problem begins when we take this mindset into our relationship with God and assume that our good behavior is going to be rewarded by Him – that eternal life is our reward rather than a gift from God. We begin to think, “Well, I’m a good person so I’ll make it to heaven.” Abraham was a good person but it was his strong faith that God would do what He promised He would do that led him to be the father of many nations.

Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping – believing that he would become the father of many nations. For God had said to him, “That’s how many descendants you will have!” And Abraham’s faith did not weaken, even though, at about 100 years of age, he figured his body was as good as dead – and so was Sarah’s womb.

Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. He was fully convinced that GOD IS ABLE TO DO WHATEVER HE PROMISES. And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous. And when God counted him as righteous, it wasn’t just for Abraham’s benefit. It was recorded for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to MAKE US RIGHT with God. – Romans 4:18-25

Even when there was no reason to hope…
Abraham never wavered in believing God’ promise…
His faith grew stronger…
He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever He promises!

What are you going through right now that needs that kind of faith? Does your relationship with God need that kind of faith to survive your current circumstances?

Therefore, since we have been MADE RIGHT IN GOD’S SIGHT BY FAITH, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love. – Romans 5:1-5

Bad things can still happen to good people. I can do everything right and live a good life and tragedy can still strike. If I live a good works religion and count on my own righteousness for my salvation, I will fall apart when bad times come. If I build my relationship with God on the foundation of faith, I can trust in Him through any situation. I can have a reason to hope, not wavering in my faith but growing stronger – fully convinced that God is able to do whatever He has promised!

Paul starts out his letter to the Romans saying – this is MY identity and this is MY purpose. He goes on to say – this is YOUR identity and YOUR purpose. You have been called! You belong to Jesus! You are loved by God and are called to be his own holy people – set apart and consecrated for His purposes. Your identity isn’t about who YOU are but about who HE is. Your purpose in life isn’t about YOU but about HIM. So, when He makes YOU right, it’s not about how right YOU are but about how right HE is.

This, however, is not an excuse to sin in hopes that HIS righteousness will cover us. Some choose to do their own thing and walk away from the sovereignty of God, from HIS purpose for their life. Paul spoke of the unrighteous who know what they are doing is wrong, yet they do it anyhow. He used homosexuality as an example but spoke of all who abandon God to do their own thing. God gives them the freedom to make that decision and allows them to walk away from Him and into the life they choose with its painful consequences (1:18-32).

They know the truth about God because he has made it known to them…Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks…So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired…Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done…They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them also (Romans 1:19,21,24,28,32).

He goes on to warn the church to not judge the unrighteous too quickly. He challenges his readers to see the ways in which we in the church also deny the sovereignty of God and do what we want to do instead of what God calls us to do. Are we in complete submission to God? We may not blatantly walk away from God but we still choose to do and say what we want instead of submitting to God’s ways and His Spirit. Jesus did not die on a cross to save us from our sins so that we could keep on sinning – He called us to a much higher purpose!

He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers. But he will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and instead live lives of wickedness (Romans 2:7-8).

Paul warned the church about unrighteousness but he also warned them of the dangers of self-righteousness –the danger of seeing all of the good things we are doing and making our salvation about what WE have done right in light of how wrong others are, forgetting that it is by HIS righteousness that we are saved and not our own.

You who call yourselves Jews are relying on God’s law, and you boast about your special relationship with him. You know what he wants; you know what is right because you have been taught his law. You are convinced that you are a guide for the blind and a light for people who are lost in darkness…You are not a true Jew just because you were born of Jewish parents or because you have gone through the ceremony of circumcision. No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by God’s Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people (Romans 2:17-19, 28-29).

We can do all the right things and obey all the laws set forth by God and still miss out on His purpose for our life because it is not about US but about HIM. It is not by our own good works that we are saved or made right with God.

For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are…We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. For everyone has sinned, we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as a sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood…God did this to demonstrate HIS righteousness, for he himself is fair and just and he declares sinners to be right in his sight when they believe in Jesus (Romans 3:20,22-26).

What can I take from these words of Paul to the church in Rome? When I make a mess of my life, God can take all of what I have done wrong and make something right out of it. He can take my life, totally surrendered to Him, and make me right in His sight. But I cannot start looking at the unrighteousness of others and think too highly of the new me. I am not SO righteous that I am better than them or acceptable to God. It is about how righteous HE is and how HE has made me right with Him. I am called not to judge the sins of others and not to continue in my own sin, but to submit to His sovereignty in my life. It is by placing my faith in Jesus that I am made right with God – not faith in myself. It is by believing in HIM that I am made right with God.

We have been in Williamsburg, Virginia, for a conference this week. On the first day, we chose to drive over to Virginia Beach for a few hours. On the way there, we passed Mount Trashmore Park. This 165-acre park is a trash landfill made into a park. There are two mountains of trash, covered in soil and grass, now complete with a playground, two lakes, a skate park and lots of walking paths. This park is just a few short miles from the beautiful sandy beaches of the Atlantic Ocean.

This park came back to my mind this morning. Unrighteousness is like living in a big pile of stinky trash. Self-righteousness is like covering the trash pile with a beautiful park and considering myself renewed, only the trash remains just under the surface. I know that God’s best for me is to move away from the landfill, whether the trash is still exposed or hidden neatly under the surface. His plan is to do more than hide or cover the sin in my life, but to wash me in the ocean of His righteousness so I can fully experience what it means to be made right by Him.

When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of his grace he declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life. – Titus 3:4-7

For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes – the Jew first and also the Gentile. This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.” – Romans 1:16-17

Just as God can make things right when all is going wrong, He can also make us right in His sight. This is the theme of Paul’s letter to the Roman Christians. Throughout his ministry, Paul wrote 13 letters. We started out reading about Paul’s ministry in Acts, taking breaks to study his letters as they may have occurred chronologically within Luke’s story of Paul’s ministry. So far we have looked at his letters to the churches in Galatia, Thessalonica and Corinth. Now let’s look at his letter to the Christians in Rome.

As we saw in Acts and see again in Romans 1:8-15, Paul had a strong desire to go to Rome. He knew the gospel had reached Rome, probably when the Jewish believers were scattered following Pentecost, but he longed to go to Rome to explain the gospel to them.

One of the things I always pray for is the opportunity, God willing, to come at last to see you. For I long to visit you so I can bring you some spiritual gift that will help you grow strong in the Lord. When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours…I want to work among you and see spiritual fruit…I am eager to come to you in Rome, too, to preach the Good News. – Romans 1:10-15

God knew of Paul’s desire, probably placed that desire in Paul’s heart, and promised Paul he would make it to Rome. Paul was finishing up his third missionary journey and had already sent off this letter to the believers in Rome. His intentions were to head for Rome but he had one more stop to make along the way. This is when, if you’ve already read the story, you would want to yell – No, Paul, don’t go to Jerusalem! Go straight to Rome. Do not pass go, do not collect the offering! (Sorry, a little Monopoly humor there.)

During Paul’s third missionary journey, he had received offerings or gifts from the Gentiles to take to the believers in Jerusalem. He needed to deliver those gifts to them before he could head to Rome. What Paul did not know when he wrote this letter is that he would be arrested in Jerusalem and personally escorted to Rome…in chains. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s go back to the letter Paul sent the Romans before he arrived.

The believers in Rome had come to faith in Jesus Christ, which had set them free from their sin, but now what? Paul’s role was to explain the gospel to them so that they would know how to live now that they had been given eternal life in Christ Jesus. Paul starts his letter by introducing himself – not for the sake of them knowing him but for the purpose of the Romans seeing who THEY are in Christ.

This letter is from Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, chosen by God to be an apostle and sent out to preach his Good News…Through Christ, God has given us the privilege and authority as apostles to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done for them, so that they will believe and obey him, bringing glory to his name.

And you are included among those Gentiles who have been called to belong to Jesus Christ. I am writing to all of you in Rome who are loved by God and are called to be his own holy people. – Romans 1:1,5-7

Paul starts out saying – this is MY identity (a slave of Jesus Christ) and this is MY purpose (to preach the Good News). He goes on to say – this is YOUR identity (you belong to Jesus Christ) and YOUR purpose (called to be His own holy people). You have been called! You belong to Jesus! You are loved by God and are called to be his own holy people – set apart and consecrated for His purposes. Your identity isn’t about who YOU are but about who HE is. Your purpose in life isn’t about YOU but about HIM.

The world around us wants to identify us by our messes and mistakes, by our storms and shipwrecks, but when we encounter Jesus, when we come to accept Him by faith, our identity changes. It is no longer about our unrighteousness, nor is it about our self-righteousness – it is now about HIS righteousness that makes us right in God’s sight. Our identity changes, our purpose changes and our destiny changes – Praise God.

Matthew West shares the story of a young man who went from being the pastor’s son and star athlete to a drug addict. His story of recovery and redemption is a story of victory. He used to introduce himself, “Hello. My name is Jordan and I’m a drug addict.” Now he introduces himself, “Hello. My name is Jordan and I’m a child of the one true King!” Matthew wrote an incredible song from this young man’s testimony, one of my favorite songs of all time.

In what ways have we allowed the world to identify us? Do we look at ourselves and find our self-worth in all of the mistakes we have made, defining ourselves by the trail of storms in our past? If so, God is calling us to find our identity and our purpose in Him. It is not about our unrighteousness or about our own attempts to be self-righteous, but about HIS righteousness. God makes us right in His sight! “Hello. My name is Sherry and I’m a child of the one true King!”

Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet each other with Christian love. – 2 Corinthians 13:11b-12

This is how Paul ends his second letter to the Church in Corinth. It is a pretty soft ending for what was a very strong letter. Paul spent much of this letter defending his ministry and scolding the church. In humility, Paul highlighted what could be seen as weaknesses to his ministry. But in strength, Paul came down hard on the church for continuing to live a life of sin instead of holiness.

Paul compares weakness with strength over and over again in the letter. Christ may have seemed weak by submitting to the cross but His resurrection showed just how powerful He was! We, too, experience difficult situations at time that show our human weakness but, in that weakness, the strength of God can be evident and God can be glorified.

Christ in not weak when he deals with you; he is powerful among you. Although he was crucified in weakness, he now lives by the power of God. We, too, are weak, just as Christ was, but when we deal with you we will be alive with him and will have God’s power…We are glad to seem weak if it helps show that you are actually strong. We pray that you will become mature…For I want to use the authority the Lord has given me to strengthen you, not to tear you down (13:3b-4,9,10b).

Even when Paul is showing the strength of his ministry in this letter, he is showing how that strength came from God and His weapons. His strength is in spiritual warfare and not human weapons.

We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ (10:3-5).

If I must boast, I would rather boast about the things that show how weak I am (11:30).

Paul went on to boast of the many things that have made him appear weak in the eyes of the church. He was imprisoned and whipped, facing death again and again. He received 39 lashed at 5 different times from the Jewish leaders, 3 times he was beaten with rods and once he was stoned. 3 times he was shipwrecked. Once he spent a whole night and day adrift at sea. He has faced danger from rivers and from robbers, as well as from both the Jews and the Gentiles. He has faced danger in cities, deserts, and on the sea. He has faced danger, worked hard and long, endured sleepless nights, been hungry, thirsty and cold.

If I want to boast, I would be no fool in doing so, because I would be telling the truth. But I won’t do it, because I don’t want anyone to give me credit beyond what they can see in my life or hear in my message, even though I have received such wonderful revelations from God. So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud.

Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong (12:6-10).

Paul was faithfully serving God yet he experienced more hard times than any of us will ever know. Had God abandoned Paul? Did these hardships lessen his ability to serve God or weaken his testimony? No, for it showed the strength of the God who rescued him over and over again. The power of God was demonstrated each time Paul got up again and continued to do what God had called him to do instead of giving up or avoiding the possibility of another persecution down the road.

Paul stated that everything he had gone through was to show the strength of God so that the believers could be strengthened, so they could choose righteousness instead of sin. Paul showed them they serve a strong God who is able to help believers overcome temptations and the urgings of the sinful nature, yet he continued to hear of the Church’s “quarreling, jealousy, anger, selfishness, slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorderly behavior” (12:20).

Now his ending makes so much more sense. Now we understand why he was telling them to grow to maturity – to live in harmony and peace with each other, encouraging each other and loving each other. We serve an awesome God who is able to take our weaknesses and demonstrate strength! When we submit to God and let Him do a work in our hearts, His power is displayed.

“My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” Grace is not an excuse to keep on sinning but rather the only way we can overcome our sinful nature and demonstrate the power of God to help us not to sin.

Paul had one last thing to say to the Church – a reminder that people should look at our lives and look into the Church and see the evidence of the Trinity at work in our lives instead of arrogance and sin.

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the love of God, and
the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all (13:14).

Lord, that is my prayer today. May others look at us and see your power at work in our lives. May they see maturity instead of sinful attitudes, harmony instead of quarreling, grace instead of gossip. May they see the evidence of the grace of Jesus, the love of God and the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Amen.