Today’s Reading: Romans 8:19-39

What then shall we say about these things? (Romans 8:31). Paul wraps 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, giving 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. – Romans 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. – Romans 5:11

…Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. – Romans 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. – Romans 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. – Romans 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. – Romans 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. – Romans 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. – Romans 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. – Romans 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. – Romans 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. – Romans 8:26-27

God loves us, yet we will experience trials; God has chosen us as His children, yet there will be hard times. 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 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. – Romans 8:28

NOTHING CAN SEPARATE US FROM HIS GREAT LOVE!

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

Today’s Reading: Romans 8:14-18

The Jews felt like they had a special relationship with God simply 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.

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

I AM A FRIEND OF GOD.

Our relationship with God is not an employee/employer relationship in which we earn our wages. It is more of a friendship where we are truly loved by God. 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 my relationship with God is not transactional, but rather transformational.

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 relationship with God as a master to 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

I AM A SLAVE OF GOD.

To be honest, 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 in Christ.

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 to his audience. 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 frees 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. – Romans 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 a daddy-daughter relationship.

I AM A CHILD OF GOD.

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. – Romans 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.

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 world tells me I’m unlovable, let me say, “I am God’s friend!” When the struggles of this world overwhelm me, let me say, “I share in His suffering so that I may share in His glory!”

Today’s Reading: Romans 6:19 – 8:13

I heard my husband say in a sermon that we are hardwired to be subject to something bigger than ourselves. That has definitely been my experience and I think Paul would have agreed. In Romans 6:19, Paul spoke of this weakness of our human nature. We were created with this 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 our life.

And so this struggle exists within us. 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 or embarrassed by my behavior.

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.

And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really 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). 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 8:10

I’d love to close by encouraging you to go online and listen to the lyrics of the song “Christ in Me” which speaks of this struggle and the victory we can experience when we allow Christ to live within us. I hope you enjoy this song as much as I do.

Today’s Reading: Romans 5:6 – 6:18

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.

THE POWER OF THE BLOOD OF CHRIST

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.

THE POWER OF ONE MAN’S DECISION

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.

SIN HAS LOST ITS POWER IN OUR LIVES

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.

THE POWER OF MY DECISION

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. This is the power of MY decision!

Today’s Reading: Romans 3:27-5:5

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 by having faith in myself or in my own ability to obey all the rules. It is not about my righteousness, but about His. It is by believing in God that I am made right with God as He clothes me in His righteousness. 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 in God that led him to be the father of many nations, and it was by grace that God counted him as righteous.

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

What are you going through right now that leaves you needing the kind of faith Abraham had? What current circumstances are causing you to need God’s gift of faith more than ever? Even when there is no reason to hope, we can believe in God’s promise and allow Him to grow our faith. We can stand fully convinced that God is able to do whatever He promises!

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 rely on my own righteousness to earn 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!

Today’s Reading: Romans 2:17 – 3:26

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. We forget 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, which is 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.

In 2014, we spent a week in Williamsburg, Virginia for a conference. During some free time, 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.

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

I have been declared righteous by the Righteous One; I have been made holy by the Holy One. I am a sinner, unworthy of all that the Lord has done for me. I am unrighteous, incapable of saving myself from this wretched sinful nature. But God bestows on me this unearned favor called grace. Even though I do not deserve to be loved by Him, He calls me His child and gives me a beautiful purpose in life. When I place my faith in God, believing that Jesus died for my sins, I am made right with God.

Thank you, Lord, for this amazing grace!!!

Today’s Reading: Romans 1:18 – 2:16

Paul starts out his letter to the Romans saying – 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 intentionally sin in hopes that HIS righteousness will cover us.

Romans is one of my favorite books of the bible to study. If you consistently follow this blog, I hope that you remember this core truth that Paul weaves through all of his writings — that we are made right with God by faith, and this relationship with God frees us from the power of sin. It is important for us to distinguish the difference between unrighteousness, self-righteousness, and God’s righteousness. Understanding these concepts gives us a new lens through which we grasp the salvation of God. Let’s look first at unrighteousness.

But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. — Romans 1:18-19

Paul described the unrighteous as those who know that what they are doing is wrong, yet they do it anyhow. He was not talking about those who have never heard the gospel, but about those 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).

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. — Romans 1:21,24

When Paul speaks of the unrighteous in his letter to the Romans, he is speaking of those who have allowed themselves to wander away from the truth. They began thinking up foolish ideas of what God was like, and their minds became dark and confused. They traded the truth about God for a lie. And from the arrogance of their foolish thinking comes a long list of unrighteous behaviors that begin creeping into their lives, including homosexuality (1:26-27).

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. Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, mailicious behavior, and gossip. They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents. They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy. 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, too. — Romans 1:28-32

Paul goes on to warn the church not to judge the unrighteous too quickly, but to see the ways in which we also deny the sovereignty of God when we do what we want to do instead of what God calls us to do. 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. We allow foolish thinking to make its way into the church and are slowly pulled away from the truths found in scripture, giving ourselves permission to start seeing sin as acceptable. Christians start looking like everyone else in town except that they have this additional social circle known as the church. Jesus did not die on a cross to save us from our sins so that we could keep on intentionally sinning – He called us to a much higher purpose! 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.

But because you are stubborn and refuse to turn from your sin, you are storing up terrible punishment for yourself. For a day of anger is coming, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. He will judge everyone according to what they have done. 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 2:5-8

Yesterday we talked about how when God makes YOU right, it’s not about how right YOU are but about how right HE is. In the same way, it’s not about how wrong I have been but about the perfect blood of Jesus shed on a cross for my sins. I can never be good enough to earn my salvation, and I can never wander so far from God that His forgiveness is no longer available to me if only I will repent and allow Him to sanctify me.

Father God, please reveal to us any foolish thinking we have allowed to creep into our theology. May your truth be written on our hearts, and may your Spirit reveal any sin in our lives. Forgive us for our arrogance and pull our focus back on you. Help us to clearly see right from wrong, so that we can be a light for those living in darkness. Amen.

Today’s Reading: Romans 1:1-17

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

GOD MAKES US RIGHT IN HIS SIGHT

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. 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), and he longed to go to Rome to explain the gospel to those who were new to the faith.

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 and promised Paul he would make it to Rome. Paul’s intention was to head for Rome but first he had to stop by Jerusalem to drop off the gifts he had received from the Gentiles. 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. God’s promise would be fulfilled, but not in the way Paul expected. Let’s spend the next week diving into this letter Paul sent the Romans before he was arrested.

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 started 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.

GOD GIVES US IDENTITY & PURPOSE

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 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.

NOT ABOUT OUR UNRIGHTEOUSNESS OR SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS, BUT ABOUT GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS

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. When God makes us right in His sight, our identity changes and our purpose changes. And, praise God, our destiny changes as well!

WHAT ARE YOU LETTING DEFINE YOU?

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 debris left by the 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 failed attempts to be self-righteous, but about HIS righteousness. God makes us right in His sight! Therefore, I choose to find my identity and my purpose in Him!

Today’s Reading: 2 Corinthians 10-13

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. 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. He was tired of Christians using the excuse that they are too weak to overcome their sinful tendencies. He wanted them instead to rely on Christ’s strength to be all he was calling them to be.

STOP FOCUSING ON YOUR OWN WEAKNESSES AND RELY ON CHRIST’S STRENGTHS.

Paul compares weakness with strength over and over again in this 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 that show our human weakness but, in that weakness, the strength of God can be evident and God can be glorified.

Christ is 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. – 2 Corinthians 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 regards to spiritual warfare, not human abilities or man-made strategies.

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. – 2 Corinthians 10:3-5

If I must boast, I would rather boast about the things that show how weak I am. – 2 Corinthians 11:30

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. – 2 Corinthians 12:6-10

GOD TAKES OUR WEAKNESSES AND DEMONSTRATES HIS STRENGTH.

Paul was faithfully serving God yet he experienced more hard times than any of us will ever know. But God did not abandon Paul, nor did his 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 in order 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” (2 Corinthians 12:20). 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 rather than our weaknesses.

“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. May others look at us and see God’s power at work in our lives. May they see maturity instead of sinful attitudes, harmony instead of quarreling, grace instead of gossip. May our lives display the evidence of the Trinity at work in our lives.

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. – 2 Corinthians 13:14

Today’s Reading: 2 Corinthians 7 – 9

GOD ENCOURAGES US THROUGH THE PRESENCE OF OTHER BELIEVERS.

When we arrived in Macedonia, there was no rest for us. We faced conflict from every direction, with battles on the outside and fear on the inside. But God, who encourages those who are discouraged, encouraged us by the arrival of Titus. His presence was a joy, but so was the news he brought of the encouragement he received from you. – 2 Corinthians 7:5-7a

I love how God uses our brothers and sisters in Christ to encourage us when we are going through difficult times! Our God is the God of encouragement. God is the one who knows when we are discouraged and who sends people into our lives to bring us joy, good news and encouragement. In his letter, Titus has gone to the Church to encourage them to be generous with others.

GOD ENCOURAGES US THROUGH THE GENEROSITY OF OTHER BELIEVERS.

Since you excel in so many ways – in your faith, your gifted speakers, your knowledge, your enthusiasm, and your love from us – I want you to excel also in this gracious act of giving. I am not commanding you to do this. But I am testing how genuine your love is by comparing it with the eagerness of other churches. You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich. – 2 Corinthians 8:7-9

In the last ten years, the ministry I work for (Living Alternatives Pregnancy Resource Center) has opened two more pregnancy centers, as well as two residential programs. We started a mobile clinic in the Chicago suburbs, as well as a chapter of the Deeper Still ministry to men and women who are post-abortive. We added to our services STI testing as well as abortion pill reversal. So many people have given of their time and money to make a difference in the lives of others. What a blessing it has been to serve alongside these faithful supporters. But we are not done. There is still so much to do in order to make a difference in the lives of women facing a pregnancy decision. This Scripture both encourages me and challenges me this morning.

Now you should finish what you started. Let the eagerness you showed in the beginning be matched now by your giving. Give in proportion to what you have. Whatever you give is acceptable if you give it eagerly. And give according to what you have, not what you don’t have. – 2 Corinthians 8:11

GOD ENCOURAGES US TO BE PRESENT FOR AND GENEROUS TOWARDS OTHERS.

The third form of encouragement Paul gives is to remind the Church of God’s provision for our needs, as well as His generosity in giving us enough to share with others. God is the One who supplies what we need and He will supply what He is asking us to give. The result of God’s provision and my response is that God will be glorified! God’s gifts are indescribable!

Remember this – a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. You must decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. As the Scriptures say,

“They share freely and give generously to the poor.
Their good deeds will be remembered forever.”

For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you.

Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God. So two good things will result from this ministry of giving – the needs of the believers in Jerusalem will be met, and they will joyfully express their thanks to God.

As a result of your ministry, they will give glory to God. For your generosity to them and to all believers will prove that you are obedient to the Good News of Christ. And they will pray for you with deep affection because of the overflowing grace God has given to you. Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words! – 2 Corinthians 9:6-14

GOD PROVIDES US WITH WHAT WE NEED TO BE GENEROUS TOWARD OTHERS.

God is the One who supplies what we need and He will supply what He is asking us to give. The result of God’s provision and my response is that God will be glorified! God’s gifts are indescribable! Amen!