Satisfied (Romans 8)

We are almost half-way through Romans. Can you feel it? I sure hope so!

Romans 8

1 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.2 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.3 The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature.* So God did what the law could not do. 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.4 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.


5 Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit.6 So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.7 For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God's laws, and it never will.8 That's why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.


9 But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.)10 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.11 The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.


12 Therefore, dear brothers and sisters,* you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do.13 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.14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children* of God.


15 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."*16 For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God's children.17 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 his glory, we must also share his suffering.



18 Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.19 For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are.20 Against its will, all creation was subjected to God's curse. But with eager hope,21 the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God's children in glorious freedom from death and decay.22 For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.23 And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children,* including the new bodies he has promised us.24 We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don't need to hope* for it.25 But if we look forward to something we don't yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)


26 And 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.27 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.28 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.29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn* among many brothers and sisters.30 And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.



31 What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won't he also give us everything else?33 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself.34 Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God's right hand, pleading for us.


35 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?36 (As the Scriptures say, "For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep."*)37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.


38 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.39 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.

ECHO
Verses 1-5 of Chapter 8 somewhat echo Chapter 7. Paul seems to stress the Fact that we could not meet the requirements of the Law, so Jesus came and set us free from worshiping these rules and regulations. Paul also stresses that, in Christ, we are no longer enslaved to sin.

Paul stuck with the road of freedom in Christ, and continues to bring it up, because it is of much importance. There is nothing more beautiful than Christ setting us free from the grasp of our sin so that we can be grasped by our loving Father.

Do you feel this way? Do you feel freed from your sin? Do you feel forgiven of your filth?

Know this biblical truth. Know that Jesus loves you so much that with his blood he paid your ransom. Know that the righteousness that He gives is the only righteousness that can truly fulfill the law.

Living by the Spirit
In verses 5-11, Paul writes about the implications that following Jesus has on our sin. Following Jesus is about living by the spirit. And, living by the spirit is about control. If we are controlled by the spirit, we  do what the spirit does. If we are controlled by the flesh, we do what we want to do. To follow Jesus, is to live by the Spirit, and to live by the Spirit is to be controlled by the Spirit.

So what? Who are you controlled by? Are you making the decisions or are you living by the Spirit and doing what God desires for your life? Living by the Spirit is always the right decision.

If you are still living for and hanging on to your old sin controlled life, it is time for a heart check.




Result of Living in the Spirit
So whats the result of Living in the Spirit? You get to LIVE.

You get to walk in the Glory of Christ. We get to walk hand in hand with our resurrected Savior. This means we have no need to fear. This means we can be fully satisfied by Christ no matter what. Truly satisfied, no matter what you you lose in this world, whether it be possessions or loved ones.

This doesn't mean you will not feel pain. This doesn't mean you won't have tears, or mourning. The fact the we walk by the Spirit and we are satisfied by Christ does not excuse us from pain in this world, but we are to be satisfied and kept by the Father through that pain.

It does have eternal implications, as we see in verses 18-30. Though we feel pain in this world, we will not in the next. If we are controlled by Christ, we will one day live in His Glory forever and ever. Every need will be satisfied. There will be no death or pain. Those who walk with Jesus and live by the Spirit are freed from eternal damnation and misery. Man, how sweet is that?!

UNBREAKABLE
Our God is unbreakable, and so is His love for His children.

Paul explains, in closing Chapter 8, that through the blood of Christ, and that by our victory through Jesus' death on the cross, we our connected to our heavenly Father forever.

Jesus has freed us from our sin, and freed us to a life with Him.

BE SATISFIED!!!

F-BOMB (Romans 7)

Jesus has been kicking sin's gluts in chapters 1-6. In Chapter 7, Jesus drops the F-BOMB loud and clear!

Romans 7

 

(No Longer Bound to the Law)

1 Now, dear brothers and sisters*—you who are familiar with the law—don't you know that the law applies only while a person is living?2 For example, when a woman marries, the law binds her to her husband as long as he is alive. But if he dies, the laws of marriage no longer apply to her.3 So while her husband is alive, she would be committing adultery if she married another man. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law and does not commit adultery when she remarries.

4 So, my dear brothers and sisters, this is the point: You died to the power of the law when you died with Christ. And now you are united with the one who was raised from the dead. As a result, we can produce a harvest of good deeds for God.5 When we were controlled by our old nature,* sinful desires were at work within us, and the law aroused these evil desires that produced a harvest of sinful deeds, resulting in death.6 But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit.

(God's Law Reveals Our Sin)

7 Well then, am I suggesting that the law of God is sinful? Of course not! In fact, it was the law that showed me my sin. I would never have known that coveting is wrong if the law had not said, "You must not covet."*8 But sin used this command to arouse all kinds of covetous desires within me! If there were no law, sin would not have that power.9 At one time I lived without understanding the law. But when I learned the command not to covet, for instance, the power of sin came to life,10 and I died. So I discovered that the law's commands, which were supposed to bring life, brought spiritual death instead.11 Sin took advantage of those commands and deceived me; it used the commands to kill me.12 But still, the law itself is holy, and its commands are holy and right and good.

13 But how can that be? Did the law, which is good, cause my death? Of course not! Sin used what was good to bring about my condemnation to death. So we can see how terrible sin really is. It uses God's good commands for its own evil purposes.

(Struggling with Sin)

14 So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin.15 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.16 But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good.17 So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.

18 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.19 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.20 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.

21 I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong.22 I love God's law with all my heart.23 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.24 Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?25 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.

Jesus dropping the the F-BOMB sounds a little bit out of character for Him. Well, this bomb is more significant than that four letter word. Here, Paul writes to the Roman Church about Jesus bringing spiritual FREEDOM.
 
Crucified to Free:
As we have discussed before, the Romans knew a lot about religion, but little about Jesus and saving faith. They were still so wrapped up in rules and regulations that they were not comprehending the grace that Jesus, and only Jesus, could give.
 
When discussing this, Paul did what we should always do: POINT TO THE CROSS.
 
In verse 4, Paul's writing and mind started to point towards the hill and tree that our Lord died on. He does this to stress that Jesus died on the cross to free us from legalistic religion, and life. Jesus' blood freed us from sin. The Romans did not understand how sufficient the grace of God is, so they pointed to what they understood, but failed to obey: The Law.

We do this.
 
Since we, as sinners, cannot keep the law, we are damned to begin with. But, as Jesus spread His arms and opened His heart, He gave us the ability to walk outside the fence of legalism, and to walk without the jingle of the chains called sin.
 
That's how Jesus dropped the F-BOMB!
 
Law still useful?
Yes. God gave the commands, therefore, they are good and holy. Paul explains in verses 7-13 that the Law is not the issue, but sin is.
 
 The law is to serve as a mirror. We are to in look into this mirror and examine ourselves. We are not to compare ourselves to a list of rules, but we are to compare ourselves to Christ who obeyed every commandment.
 
The reason we worship Jesus instead of regulations, is because we cannot keep the law and Jesus saves us from our filth that breaks the law. Therefore, we serve Him, not rules.
 
Sin Still The Issue
Apostle Paul finishes out this chapter with discussing his war with sin. Paul, like us, was sinful. He had fallen to the curse. He was not perfect. So, he is not talking non-sense. He has been there, and done that. He sums his battle up  by saying that there is nothing good in him. That as sinful people, our issue is not the law or the world, but it is our wicked hearts that pervert the law and this world.
 
SUMMING IT UP

We are wrong. The law shows us what is right. Jesus is right. On the Cross, He gave us His righteousness so that we can be made right with the Father. This is not an excuse to go on sinning, but a reason not to.

BE FREED!



Thanksgiving Thank you's

I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation. Psalm 118:21

Thank you God for Life and Life more abundantly,
Thank you family for loving so consistently,
Thank you Mom for praying so persistently,
Thank you Dad for making me laugh daily,
Thank you mentors for putting up with my stupidity,

Thank you friends for being there through thick and through thin,
Brothers, Thank you for being Godly men,

Thank you food, you are so delish,
Thank you Cable, I don't have a dish,

Thank you teachers for putting in the time,
Thank you Lord for personalities,
We don't have to mime,

I know this is cheesy,
But tis all true,
My thanksgiving wouldn't be thanksgiving without you.

Thank you to the troops who protect this land,
Thank you neighbors for every lending hand,
Thank you summer for hot beaches and sand,
Thank you Mom for the veggie soup that you canned.

It's time to eat,
Oh yes indeed,
Everyone has cooked,
Look! A scrumptious treat!

Well I cannot say thank you enough,
For the love and other stuff,
 You've been kind, you've been sweet,
Now, lets say grace and begin to eat!

-With all sincerity, Thank you to all of you who support, love, and care for me. My life wouldn't be without you. Thank God for His grace today. Happy Thanksgiving and God Bless!

Kicking it to the Curb(Romans 6)

Romans 5: Jesus kicks misery's butt. Romans 6: Kicking sin to the curb.

Romans 6

1 Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace?2 Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?3 Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death?4 For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.

5 Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was.6 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.7 For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin.8 And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him.9 We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him.10 When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God.11 So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.


12 Do not let sin control the way you live;* do not give in to sinful desires.13 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.14 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.


15 Well then, since God's grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not!16 Don't you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living.17 Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you.18 Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.


19 Because of the weakness of your human nature, I am using the illustration of slavery to help you understand all this. Previously, you let yourselves be slaves to impurity and lawlessness, which led ever deeper into sin. Now you must give yourselves to be slaves to righteous living so that you will become holy.


20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right.21 And what was the result? You are now ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom.22 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.23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

I could blog about this one chapter for months, and enjoy it.

Paul starts off with a question. He wants us to answer, and then he includes the answer that we should respond with.

Paul does this because the answer is obvious.


Implications of our Partnership
When you join a team, whether in the workplace or sports, you want to have the same goal as your partners and teammates. You want to own the same work ethics and habits.

As followers of Christ, we have been granted the privilege of being His partners. As a partner of Christ, we need to have the same goals and values as Jesus. We need the same uniform, code of conduct, and time sheet as Christ.

UNIFORM:
A football team wears the same uniforms so that they may look united. We are to be the same way with Christ. It should be obvious that we are on the same team as Christ.

Verse 6 speaks of being crucified with Christ. This was not a soft, gentle, and harmless death. They didn't velcro or thumb-tack Jesus to the cross, but he was nailed. Being nailed, beaten, and pressed upon beyond imagination leaves scars. It leaves marks. Now if we have been crucified as well, won't we have the same scars, and marks? These marks do not only show that we have died, but that we live through the blood of Jesus Christ.

Are you dressed like the King? Are you wearing His righteousness?

CODE OF CONDUCT:
Jesus was not religious. But, He was sinless. It was not about a list of rules, but about pleasing His Father in heaven. His code of conduct seemed to be like this:

1. If it pleases God, do it.

2. If it doesn't please God, Don't do it.

3. Glorify God.

Jesus never failed to please God. Jesus never fell to sin. Jesus always gave glory to Himself and His Father.

We are to live by these same guidelines. We cannot please God with sin. Sin displeases God. And God is not glorified by sin. So why sin?

If our goal is to please God, and to glorify Him, why do the very thing that He hates. We are to live for Christ, and live against sin.

CLOCKING IN:

Jesus never missed an appointment. Jesus never runs out of time, and Jesus is never Late. But, just as important: JESUS NEVER CLOCKS OUT.

If Jesus never quits being Lord and Savior, then why should we ever quit following Him as Lord and Savior? Does this make since? True beilievers of Christ, follow around the clock?

Do you clock out when you get around your friends? Do you take a break when you are at work? Do you sit down on the job when no one is looking?

Slaves

Paul teaches here that we are either a slave to sin or a slave to Jesus. That we have one master. A slave follows the commands of his Master. Who do you answer to? Who are you listening to? Who is your master?



Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

FACT: We have all sinned. Jesus can free us from sin. If He frees us from our sin, there is no reason to walk in it.

LUKE 9:62

62 But Jesus told him, "Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God."



Joy is No Decoy (Romans 5)

In Romans 4, Paul kicked it Old Testament with Abraham. In 5, he announces the butt-kicking that Christ gave misery.

Romans 5

1 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.2 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.

3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.5 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.


6 When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.7 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.8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.9 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.10 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.11 So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.






Adam and Christ Contrasted


12 When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam's sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.13 Yes, people sinned even before the law was given. But it was not counted as sin because there was not yet any law to break.14 Still, everyone died—from the time of Adam to the time of Moses—even those who did not disobey an explicit commandment of God, as Adam did. Now Adam is a symbol, a representation of Christ, who was yet to come.15 But there is a great difference between Adam's sin and God's gracious gift. For the sin 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.16 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.17 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.


18 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.19 Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous.


20 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.21 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.
 
 
 
Have Joy IN Christ!
WE HAVE BEEN MADE RIGHT WITH GOD! We should have all kinds of joy. And, WE HAVE ONLY BEEN MADE RIGHT WITH GOD THROUGH, HIS SON, JESUS CHRIST! We should have all kinds of joy in Jesus, and in Jesus alone.
 
We serve Jesus who is:
Sufficient, Worthy, Perfect, Gracious, Delivering, Powerful, Love, Hope, Love, LOVE, and Love. Good, overwhelmingly awesome, breath-taking, dead-man-raising, Law fulfilling, Religion breaking, and Love.
Lord, King, Master, and Servant.
Judge, and SAVIOR!
 
We should have Joy in our King. We don't only get to bow our knees before our King, but we get to bend our knees as we walk with Him. That is the RELATIONSHIP that Jesus wants with those who follow Him.
 
Joyful, yet?
 
Look back at the bad you've done. Take a moment, make a list even (it will be long). Think of all the hard times you've been through. Think about the hurt you have felt. That can all be wiped away!
 
Isaiah 1







18 "Come now, let's settle this,"


says the LORD.


"Though your sins are like scarlet,


I will make them as white as snow.


Though they are red like crimson,


I will make them as white as wool."

Isn't this something to rejoice about. Think about all the bad of your past being cleaned away. JESUS DOES IT!

Having joy IN Jesus during Hard Times
Maybe your in one of those times right now. Maybe it seems that everything is going wrong, out of control, and is destroying your life. We would call that a hard time...

GOOD NEWS: God is an on-time God. Romans 5:6 even speaks of Christ coming at just the right time. He never misses an appointment. He will never miss you. He loves you, and He makes time for the ones He loves.

Have Joy, Jesus doesn't leave during the hard times.

Jesus' goodness overwhelms our Sin. So, Have Joy!
Adam sinned. We sin. God has always been sinless. Jesus remains sinless. See the relationship?

Take Joy. If we will believe and follow Jesus, he will cover us with His love, grace, mercy, and righteousness. Feel like your out of the reach of God? Your wrong again. Carrying sins from years of the past? Lay it down for Jesus.

He is Sufficient. Have Joy: Your not enough, But Jesus is!

Faith, Faith, and Faith (Romans 4)

We took the weekend off. I hope you've gotten caught up. I hope you're ready. Here we go...

Romans 4

1 Abraham was, humanly speaking, the founder of our Jewish nation. What did he discover about being made right with God?2 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.3 For the Scriptures tell us, "Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith."*

4 When people work, their wages are not a gift, but something they have earned.5 But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners.6 David also spoke of this when he described the happiness of those who are declared righteous without working for it:






7 "Oh, what joy for those


whose disobedience is forgiven,


whose sins are put out of sight.


8 Yes, what joy for those


whose record the LORD has cleared of sin."*






9 Now, is this blessing only for the Jews, or is it also for uncircumcised Gentiles?* Well, we have been saying that Abraham was counted as righteous by God because of his faith.10 But how did this happen? Was he counted as righteous only after he was circumcised, or was it before he was circumcised? Clearly, God accepted Abraham before he was circumcised!


11 Circumcision was a sign that Abraham already had faith and that God had already accepted him and declared him to be righteous—even before he was circumcised. So Abraham is the spiritual father of those who have faith but have not been circumcised. They are counted as righteous because of their faith.12 And Abraham is also the spiritual father of those who have been circumcised, but only if they have the same kind of faith Abraham had before he was circumcised.


13 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.14 If God's promise is only for those who obey the law, then faith is not necessary and the promise is pointless.15 For the law always brings punishment on those who try to obey it. (The only way to avoid breaking the law is to have no law to break!)


16 So the promise is received by faith. It is given as a free gift. And we are all certain to receive it, whether or not we live according to the law of Moses, if we have faith like Abraham's. For Abraham is the father of all who believe.17 That is what the Scriptures mean when God told him, "I have made you the father of many nations."* This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing.


18 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!"*19 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.


20 Abraham never wavered in believing God's promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God.21 He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises.22 And because of Abraham's faith, God counted him as righteous.23 And when God counted him as righteous, it wasn't just for Abraham's benefit. It was recorded24 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.25 He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God.



Old Testament?

Paul goes back to the old testament here. We often ignore, or neglect the old testament, and we shouldn't. It is important. Paul goes there a lot, and, more importantly, Jesus did too.

Forgiveness and Faith are Gifts

Salvation: We don't deserve it, we don't earn it, and we can't buy it.

God gives us faith. God gives us forgiveness. We can't work for it, and we are surely not good enough for it.

Joy in the Gifts

In verse 7 and 8, Paul continues to take a look at the old testament. Here, he quotes David.

David says that those who are forgiven have great Joy.

We are to be excited and enthused by the God that saved us, and by the God that we have the privelege of serving. WOW!

Do you have Joy? We learn in Galatians 5:22 that joy is a fruit of the spirit. Are you bearing that fruit? If you have the spirit, and have received these gifts, you should be.

Works vs. Faith?

So many people disagree here. But, the bible is clear here. Works and Faith are not the same. We are saved by the grace of God and faith in His Son. But, faith and works do not oppose one another. But, the two work together. Verse 11, and the surrounding verses, makes it clear that works are a product of our faith. Bearing the right fruit is a result of having the right root (Luke 6). If you have been given faith and forgiveness through Jesus, you have been saved. And, If you have been saved, then you have been set apart to work for the glorification of Christ.

It starts with faith in Jesus, and Jesus changes our hearts and lives to do work for Him. Wow!

Persistent Faith

How persistent is your faith?

Paul continues his journey through story time in verse 16. He speaks very highly of Abraham and his faith that just won't quit. He speaks of Abraham keeping hope and belief in what God had promised him.

Paul writes that this kind of faith is what made Abraham right with God. Do we have this kind of faith? The kind of faith that is given by God, so that we may be made right with God? Examine your life and see if it leads back to a faith that is rooted deeply in the promise and presence of God. Take a moment to reflect, pray, and to seek God's face. Really.

It seems that Jesus is the system, and that faith is the key to the system. Do we have this gift? Is our faith persistent? It seems that we must consistently search ourselves for the presence and the presents of God. And, remember that you cannot have one without the other.

Declaration of Dependence (Romans 3)

In Romans 1 and 2, it was good. It gets even better in Romans 3.

Romans 3

1 Then what's the advantage of being a Jew? Is there any value in the ceremony of circumcision?2 Yes, there are great benefits! First of all, the Jews were entrusted with the whole revelation of God.*

3 True, some of them were unfaithful; but just because they were unfaithful, does that mean God will be unfaithful?4 Of course not! Even if everyone else is a liar, God is true. As the Scriptures say about him,






"You will be proved right in what you say,


and you will win your case in court."*






5 "But," some might say, "our sinfulness serves a good purpose, for it helps people see how righteous God is. Isn't it unfair, then, for him to punish us?" (This is merely a human point of view.)6 Of course not! If God were not entirely fair, how would he be qualified to judge the world?7 "But," someone might still argue, "how can God condemn me as a sinner if my dishonesty highlights his truthfulness and brings him more glory?"8 And some people even slander us by claiming that we say, "The more we sin, the better it is!" Those who say such things deserve to be condemned.






All People Are Sinners


9 Well then, should we conclude that we Jews are better than others? No, not at all, for we have already shown that all people, whether Jews or Gentiles,* are under the power of sin.10 As the Scriptures say,






"No one is righteous—


not even one.


11 No one is truly wise;


no one is seeking God.


12 All have turned away;


all have become useless.


No one does good,


not a single one."*


13 "Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave.


Their tongues are filled with lies."


"Snake venom drips from their lips."*


14 "Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness."*


15 "They rush to commit murder.


16 Destruction and misery always follow them.


17 They don't know where to find peace."*


18 "They have no fear of God at all."*






19 Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God.20 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.






Christ Took Our Punishment


21 But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses* and the prophets long ago.22 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.


23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard.24 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.25 For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past,26 for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. 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.


27 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.28 So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.


29 After all, is God the God of the Jews only? Isn't he also the God of the Gentiles? Of course he is.30 There is only one God, and he makes people right with himself only by faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles.*31 Well then, if we emphasize faith, does this mean that we can forget about the law? Of course not! In fact, only when we have faith do we truly fulfill the law.

We are wrong. Jesus is right. It's a good thing that Jesus is right.
 
WE ARE WRONG
Look at your life: Yes, the past mistakes, current struggles, and future obstacles. The statement that "we are wrong" is obvious. God uses Paul to say this in Romans 3.
 
It is obvious that we are all cursed by sin. We have been stained by the filth of this life and our decisions. Look at the statistics. They prove that we are wrong. Verses 10-18 screams of our sinfulness. Verse 15 says that we even run to murder, yes, that includes you. God's word says it. That is powerful, and convicting.
 
Romans 3:23 is one of the most used, read, taught, and preached scriptures in the history of holy scripture, and for good reason. The fact that we have all sinned and that no one is excluded convicts hearts, breaks egos, and calls us all to repentance. THIS IS GOOD STUFF.
 
So what?
 
Jesus is Right
Jesus is not only right, but He is all righteousness summed up in one name. God is good, so is His Son. Romans 3:4 states that God is true. John 14:6 states that Jesus is Truth. Both of the statements are true.
 
Jesus lived on this earth for 33 years. He did so without sinning. That's tough stuff, and it continues to be true. Jesus was righteous, blameless, good, holy, salvation, right, pure, and everything thing else that can be labeled as good.
 
So what?!

Jesus being right benefits us
Usually disagreements make people sour. If someone else is right, and we are wrong, it usually does not go over well. This situation should be handled differently. We are wrong. Jesus is right. This benefits us.

23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard.24 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.

The grace of God should bring tears of joy to our eyes.

We are sinful, Jesus was not, so he could take our place. Don't you get it? If Jesus was not blameless he could not satisfy God's holy and just wrath. Out of love and righteousness, Jesus did something scandalous. He gave us what we didn't deserve. We have reason to celebrate our perfect and worthy King. His name is Jesus.



Chapter 3 can be summed up by saying... God is good. We are not. Jesus is the answer. Boast only in Him, for He alone is worthy.

Let's declare dependence on the one and only Jesus Christ.

Goody-Two-Shoes (Romans 2)

Paul started his letter to the Romans off with a BANG! In Chapter 2, he continues his rant on sin, mentions Jews, and throws circumcision into the mix. Good stuff! Keep reading...

Romans 2

1 You may think you can condemn such people, but you are just as bad, and you have no excuse! When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are condemning yourself, for you who judge others do these very same things.2 And we know that God, in his justice, will punish anyone who does such things.3 Since you judge others for doing these things, why do you think you can avoid God's judgment when you do the same things?4 Don't you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can't you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?

5 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.6 He will judge everyone according to what they have done.7 He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers.8 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.9 There will be trouble and calamity for everyone who keeps on doing what is evil—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile.*10 But there will be glory and honor and peace from God for all who do good—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile.11 For God does not show favoritism.


12 When the Gentiles sin, they will be destroyed, even though they never had God's written law. And the Jews, who do have God's law, will be judged by that law when they fail to obey it.13 For merely listening to the law doesn't make us right with God. It is obeying the law that makes us right in his sight.14 Even Gentiles, who do not have God's written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it.15 They demonstrate that God's law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right.16 And this is the message I proclaim—that the day is coming when God, through Christ Jesus, will judge everyone's secret life.






The Jews and the Law


17 You who call yourselves Jews are relying on God's law, and you boast about your special relationship with him.18 You know what he wants; you know what is right because you have been taught his law.19 You are convinced that you are a guide for the blind and a light for people who are lost in darkness.20 You think you can instruct the ignorant and teach children the ways of God. For you are certain that God's law gives you complete knowledge and truth.


21 Well then, if you teach others, why don't you teach yourself? You tell others not to steal, but do you steal?22 You say it is wrong to commit adultery, but do you commit adultery? You condemn idolatry, but do you use items stolen from pagan temples?*23 You are so proud of knowing the law, but you dishonor God by breaking it.24 No wonder the Scriptures say, "The Gentiles blaspheme the name of God because of you."*


25 The Jewish ceremony of circumcision has value only if you obey God's law. But if you don't obey God's law, you are no better off than an uncircumcised Gentile.26 And if the Gentiles obey God's law, won't God declare them to be his own people?27 In fact, uncircumcised Gentiles who keep God's law will condemn you Jews who are circumcised and possess God's law but don't obey it.


28 For you are not a true Jew just because you were born of Jewish parents or because you have gone through the ceremony of circumcision.29 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.
 
Apostle Paul finished up Chapter one discussing God's hate for sin. He happens to open Chapter 2 the same way. When Jesus repeats things through Paul, WE NEED TO TAKE NOTE!
 
HYPOCRISY
A sin that Paul starts off with is that of Hypocrisy. Jesus hates hypocrisy.
 
Jesus and the Pharisees and Jewish leaders did not get along well because of their hypocrisy. Jesus hates it when we do not admit our sins, but point out the sins of others.
 
We have to make sure that we stay aware of our own sin. It is tough and it will probably not boost your self-confidence, but the confession of sins and repentance is key to our partnership with Jesus (1 Corinthians 1:30).
 
Consequences- Paul begins expressing the consequences for our sin, stubbornness, and hypocrisy in verse 5. Jesus wants us to be on guard against sin, so that He can guard us from eternal consequences. When we do not repent, we literally build up hell for ourselves.
 
A Continuance of Hypocrisy
Verse 17: Paul continues to demolish the hearts of hypocrites. He takes this serious. SO DOES JESUS. Jesus wants us to admit our sin , so that we can turn to HIM and be saved. The first step to being saved is realizing that you're lost. The Jews in Rome struggled mightily with this. So do we. What's going on in your life right now? Need to confess some sin? Take a few moments to pray to God, confess sin, ask for forgiveness, and make a commitment to keeping your eyes on Jesus. Let's look this thing right in the face.
 
 
Religion Stinks
 
Paul was once one of the most religious people in the bible. He was once wrapped up in rules and regulations. Then he met Jesus. When Paul was confronted by Christ, his world was changed. Jesus broke Paul's religious and traditional spine.
 
The Jewish leaders did not get this. Their thick skulls and hardened hearts could not handle the words of grace and love. They were consumed by self-righteousness and regulations. They made everything about family trees and circumcision.
 
This should make us cringe. Paul explains that they made rules, enforced them, but failed to follow them. We need to do differently! We need to fall on our knees, thank God for grace, and move forward in service and obedience.
 
 
 
 
SERVE, not stink.



Love/Hate Relationship (Romans 1:18-32)

In Romans 1:1-18 we discovered Paul's love for Jesus, the church in Rome, and the gospel of Christ. It was also made clear that God loves us! Now we will look into God's hatred for sin.

Romans 1:18-32

18 But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness.*19 They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them.20 For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.
  21 Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn't worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused.22 Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools.23 And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles.
  24 So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other's bodies.25 They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen.26 That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other.27 And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved.
  28 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.29 Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip.30 They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents.31 They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy.32 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.

God is the opposite of sin, and anything different than God is wrong and hopeless. Here, Paul begins talking about people who are wrong and hopeless.

If we whore ourselves to this world, as we all have, we put on ourselves on the opposing team. When we sell out to things other than God, we are against Him. Paul writes that the truth of God is obvious, but it is also obvious that not all believe in His truth. This is the definition of sin. We have this issue and it happens to be dangerous.

How serious is our sin to God?
Very serious! This passage talks an awful lot about the coming wrath of God, and the coming of that wrath is due to sin. I call that serious. He says that those who sin deserve to die... We deserve to die (v.32)

Why?
1. Our Purpose-
God takes our sin seriously because we were made seriously. We were made with a purpose (Jeremiah 29:11) and that purpose was to do one thing. WORSHIP GOD. We were created for the simple purpose of walking with God, talking with God, and glorifying God. We were made to spend our time in, on, and with our Father in heaven, but men have done the opposite. When we sin, we basically strike a hiesman pose and reject God. This is not good. God created us for His purpose, not our pleasure.

2. Adultery-
How do you feel when someone is unfaithful to you? Does it make you happy when someone proves to be disloyal? How would you feel if your husband or wife cheated on you?

Imagine how God feels. We were created to be in relationship with God, but we leave Him and seek a relationship with everything else. This is sin. When we sin, we cheat on God. God doesn't like this.

God hates sin.

How seriously do we take our sin?

God takes our sin seriously, but do we? Verse 32 speaks of people who know the truth about God and his wrath, but continue on doing what they please. Are we those people? Are you that person?

Take a moment to look at your life. Examine your fruit (Luke 6:43-45) Do you look like a person who ignores their sin? Do you know the truth, but continue on living a lie? Do you make your decisions based off of what God wants, or what you want? Have you submitted to the will of God and followed Him fully, or are you still living in rebellion? Who are you?

So often we read about sinful people in the bible and think about them as being different than us. We read these passages and think of those worse than us. This is not the way. That is religion. We must first come to the realization that we are not better than anyone, yes, even the drug attics and rapist. Secondly, we must listen to God as he talks TO US, repent, and turn back to Him. Have you? Are you?

We are all the worst, and we all need Jesus.

God takes sin seriously, do you?

Introducing the Call and Cause (Romans 1:1-17)

Romans is the 45th book of God's word. Romans is also the 6th book of the New Testament. This makes it important!

Over the next month or maybe even more http://www.doyouhavetheurge.blogspot.com/ and it's followers will be taking a walk through this book. I pray that God will use His word to transform our hearts as we study together.

I challenge you to stick with me through this. I plan to blog everyday, maybe even more than once, as I read through Romans. I hope you will read with me. I hope that you will pray with me.

I challenge you to give feedback regarding God's word and the blog posts so that we all can be encouraged, and more importantly, God's name be glorified.

Here we go...

Romans 1:1-17

1 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.2 God promised this Good News long ago through his prophets in the holy Scriptures.3 The Good News is about his Son. In his earthly life he was born into King David's family line,4 and he was shown to be* the Son of God when he was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit.* He is Jesus Christ our Lord.5 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.



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


May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.


8 Let me say first that I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith in him is being talked about all over the world.9 God knows how often I pray for you. Day and night I bring you and your needs in prayer to God, whom I serve with all my heart* by spreading the Good News about his Son.



10 One of the things I always pray for is the opportunity, God willing, to come at last to see you.11 For I long to visit you so I can bring you some spiritual gift that will help you grow strong in the Lord.12 When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours.


13 I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters,* that I planned many times to visit you, but I was prevented until now. I want to work among you and see spiritual fruit, just as I have seen among other Gentiles.14 For I have a great sense of obligation to people in both the civilized world and the rest of the world,* to the educated and uneducated alike.15 So I am eager to come to you in Rome, too, to preach the Good News.


16 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.*17 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 is a letter. Romans is one of the 13 letters that apostle Paul wrote, and that are included within the New Testament of God's holy word. This letter, obviously, is a letter addressed to the church in Rome. We must remember that Paul was a real man. The Romans were real people. And the God that called them out of spiritual slavery and debt is the realest of all.
 
In this passage, Paul explains. Paul explains his call, his God, and his intent.
 
1.His Call-
In the first verse, Paul explains who he is and the call that is placed on his life. The first thing that Paul points out is his committment to Jesus. He calls himself a slave. This is hardcore stuff. We must be reminded that Paul was the real deal. He was once a slave to sin, like us, but was transformed into a slave, servant, and soldier of Jesus Christ.
EVANGELISM was very important to Paul. He states that he is called to preach the Good News. We find him doing this very thing through out Romans.
 
2. His God-
Starting in verse two, Paul explains his God. He makes sure to state that his God is a promise keeper and always faithful. He exposes God's prophets as truth bringers and gives proof of God's faithfulness. Paul depends greatly on the faithfulness and grace of God, as should we. 
 
3. His Intent-
Paul's intent is a result of his call from his God. His intent is to be that in which his God called him to be. Paul intently challenges the Romans to follow Christ in faith and repentance. Paul continually professes the Gospel as truth. God called Paul to preach, teach, and share the Gospel. He did this with intentions of glorifying Jesus.
 
Paul loved the Romans and wanted to see them...
 
How do we know this?
 
2 Ways we know Paul loved the Romans
 
 
1. What he told them...
Paul told the Romans about Jesus. This is a clear sign that he loved them. We will tell the ones that we love about Jesus. Jesus' story is the best news that has ever been shared, so why wouldn't we want to share it with those closest to us? We will. If you love someone, you tell them the Good News. Are you? If not, your love is not as great as you thought...
2.What he did for them...
One of the most underrated and underestimated gifts ever given is that of prayer. Paul states over and over again in verses 8-10 that he is committed to praying for the church in Rome. We will be committed to praying for those that we love. Parents, are you praying for your children? Friends, are you praying for your friends? Who do you love? Pray for them. Stop reading for a moment and pray for the ones you love.
 
Have no Prejudice-
 
Paul says that he wants to see the Romans. He wants to work with them, pray with them, and endure with them. But, we see in verses 13-15 that he will show no favortism. He will come to see those who are intelligent and those who are not. He will speak with those who take showers and those who don't. Paul expresses his call to take the gospel to all the people in Rome, not just the ones that he plays church league softball with.
We must have no boundaries when it comes to ministering to the lost. They need Jesus. We must have a passion for all that know him, and that need to know him. We must not look down on others , but we must seek to show them Jesus every chance that we get!
 
Have no fear-
 
Verses 16-17 exemplify Paul's boldness. Christ gave Paul this gift. He clearly states that all power belongs to God, and is sure to give glory to HE who is worthy. Paul also does this with his life. Paul shows great humility by throwing himself into a world that hated and crucified Jesus, so that they may be saved by the man that they crucified. We are to put ourselves on the line like Paul. More importantly, we are to put ourselves on the cross like Jesus.
 
 
Paul opened the first 17 verses of this letter with love for love, committment to Christ, and a passion for people. We must pray that these same values will be impressed on our hearts by Jesus.
 
 
Pray:
 
"Jesus, change me and make me into what you saved me to be so that your name may be glorified."