Slaves to Righteousness
Exodus 29-31 | Psalm 27 | Romans 6
Paul's message in today's reading from Romans is one of liberation. Through explicit statements and various analogies, Paul writes to convince the Roman Christians that although sin had total mastery over them before they believed, sin is now an alien thing to them. This is true for all believers.
In our lives before our faith, there was but one way we could live: that is, under the law. But this law highlighted sins - as Paul says in Romans 7:7-8, "I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, "Do not covet." But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from law, sin is dead." So living under the law meant that we were slaves to sin - there was no way of living under the law without knowing of our condemnation.
But through faith we who are believers are united with Christ and His life becomes ours - we share in His death and in His resurection - we died and rose with Christ. And because we died (in Christ) while enslaved under the law to sin, we were removed from its hold because the law has no authority over the dead; but in our resurrection (in Christ) we rose into a new authority: that of God's grace; and are instead slaves to righteousness. Bruce comments: "If you consider yourselves to have died in [Jesus'] death, and risen to a new way of life in his resurection, sin will dominate you no more. You now live under a regime of grace, and grace does not stimulate sin, as law does; grace liberates from sin and enables you to triumph over it."
In order to clarify his message, Paul uses the analogy of the slave and master. In doing so he highlights the loss of authority as a slave passes into the ownership of a new master. Similarly, we were once enslaved to sin, and performed the bidding of sin, but now we have passed into the service of God and are slaves to Him. Under the mastery of sin, as slaves we would follow the path of sin; but under grace we are to serve and seek to please God. Slaves to sin are paid for their work with death; but God gifts all "under grace" with eternal life: "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
The purpose of Paul's teaching here, as mentioned previously, is to convince the Roman believers that sin is an alien, unfathomable thing in the Christian life. We are united by faith with Christ and live His life - how could we possibly go on sinning?
Yet we all continually struggle with sin in our lives (Paul mentions his own struggles with sin in the very next chapter!) But this passage is meant to give hope in such a frustrating situation: the sin in our lives does not now belong there as it used to. In its place as the dominating standard is grace, and all under grace are assured God's reward.
Praise God for His grace, and pray that He will empower you to deal with the sin in your life, seeking to please Him in all things; and glorying in knowing that through Christ you are no longer dominated by sin.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Sunday, February 15, 2009
The God Who Wanted a Relationship
The God Who Wanted a Relationship
Exodus 26-28 | Psalm 26 | Romans 5
It is often asked when commenting on Romans 5: "Whom would you die for?" ... "Your loved ones? Your friends? The people next door? The beggar on the street?" or "What type of people would you die for?" ... "Those who love you? Those who respect you? Honor you? Know you? Ignore you?" We think of these types of considerations but what did God do? He died for those He loved - and He loved all of mankind regardless of how we related to Him or treated Him. "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (v.8).
The cynic complains that "a loving God wouldn't send anyone to Hell", but God in love and justice allows any and all to receive forgiveness and live for eternity with Him. It is only those who reject God's outstretched hand that are sent from His presence forever.
It is a marvel that the message of the Bible is so obscured in the world today and in the past: you don't have to be a perfect person to get into heaven, you don't have to have lived a good life, there aren't a set number of prayers you must say each day or a more holy place to pray: all that you must do is trust in the power of Christ's death and live out that trust in your everyday life.
As Paul exclaims "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (v.1). By entrusting their life to God through Christ's death the sinner is at peace with God. They are totally saved - there is no distinction made between "good" Christians and "bad" Christians: all are Christians, all have the Holy Spirit within, all have had their sins paid by Jesus on the cross, and all are perfect through Christ in the sight of God.
The message of the cross has relevance to all people as all were created to be in a relationship with God and all have a need for that relationship in their lives. It simply remains for the non-Christian to accept God's offer of a relationship and for the Christian to continually build their relationship with God.
In fact, the life of a Christian is the story of their relationship with God: though it is often called "the Christian struggle", it is only the believer's struggle (aided by God) against seeking their own selfish desires rather than God's will. But it is a struggle that all Christians should continually fight remembering both how much God desires our love and obedience, and the absolute saving power of Jesus on the cross; so no matter how we perform in the former: the latter will bring us home!
Praise God for His love and mercy in sending His Son to die for you; reflect on your relationship with God and pray for continual aid in your struggle to please and love Him more.
Exodus 26-28 | Psalm 26 | Romans 5
It is often asked when commenting on Romans 5: "Whom would you die for?" ... "Your loved ones? Your friends? The people next door? The beggar on the street?" or "What type of people would you die for?" ... "Those who love you? Those who respect you? Honor you? Know you? Ignore you?" We think of these types of considerations but what did God do? He died for those He loved - and He loved all of mankind regardless of how we related to Him or treated Him. "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (v.8).
The cynic complains that "a loving God wouldn't send anyone to Hell", but God in love and justice allows any and all to receive forgiveness and live for eternity with Him. It is only those who reject God's outstretched hand that are sent from His presence forever.
It is a marvel that the message of the Bible is so obscured in the world today and in the past: you don't have to be a perfect person to get into heaven, you don't have to have lived a good life, there aren't a set number of prayers you must say each day or a more holy place to pray: all that you must do is trust in the power of Christ's death and live out that trust in your everyday life.
As Paul exclaims "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (v.1). By entrusting their life to God through Christ's death the sinner is at peace with God. They are totally saved - there is no distinction made between "good" Christians and "bad" Christians: all are Christians, all have the Holy Spirit within, all have had their sins paid by Jesus on the cross, and all are perfect through Christ in the sight of God.
The message of the cross has relevance to all people as all were created to be in a relationship with God and all have a need for that relationship in their lives. It simply remains for the non-Christian to accept God's offer of a relationship and for the Christian to continually build their relationship with God.
In fact, the life of a Christian is the story of their relationship with God: though it is often called "the Christian struggle", it is only the believer's struggle (aided by God) against seeking their own selfish desires rather than God's will. But it is a struggle that all Christians should continually fight remembering both how much God desires our love and obedience, and the absolute saving power of Jesus on the cross; so no matter how we perform in the former: the latter will bring us home!
Praise God for His love and mercy in sending His Son to die for you; reflect on your relationship with God and pray for continual aid in your struggle to please and love Him more.
Exodus 26-28 | Psalm 26 | Romans 5
It is often asked when commenting on Romans 5: "Whom would you die for?" ... "Your loved ones? Your friends? The people next door? The beggar on the street?" or "What type of people would you die for?" ... "Those who love you? Those who respect you? Honor you? Know you? Ignore you?" We think of these types of considerations but what did God do? He died for those He loved - and He loved all of mankind regardless of how we related to Him or treated Him. "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (v.8).
The cynic complains that "a loving God wouldn't send anyone to Hell", but God in love and justice allows any and all to receive forgiveness and live for eternity with Him. It is only those who reject God's outstretched hand that are sent from His presence forever.
It is a marvel that the message of the Bible is so obscured in the world today and in the past: you don't have to be a perfect person to get into heaven, you don't have to have lived a good life, there aren't a set number of prayers you must say each day or a more holy place to pray: all that you must do is trust in the power of Christ's death and live out that trust in your everyday life.
As Paul exclaims "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (v.1). By entrusting their life to God through Christ's death the sinner is at peace with God. They are totally saved - there is no distinction made between "good" Christians and "bad" Christians: all are Christians, all have the Holy Spirit within, all have had their sins paid by Jesus on the cross, and all are perfect through Christ in the sight of God.
The message of the cross has relevance to all people as all were created to be in a relationship with God and all have a need for that relationship in their lives. It simply remains for the non-Christian to accept God's offer of a relationship and for the Christian to continually build their relationship with God.
In fact, the life of a Christian is the story of their relationship with God: though it is often called "the Christian struggle", it is only the believer's struggle (aided by God) against seeking their own selfish desires rather than God's will. But it is a struggle that all Christians should continually fight remembering both how much God desires our love and obedience, and the absolute saving power of Jesus on the cross; so no matter how we perform in the former: the latter will bring us home!
Praise God for His love and mercy in sending His Son to die for you; reflect on your relationship with God and pray for continual aid in your struggle to please and love Him more.
Exodus 26-28 | Psalm 26 | Romans 5
It is often asked when commenting on Romans 5: "Whom would you die for?" ... "Your loved ones? Your friends? The people next door? The beggar on the street?" or "What type of people would you die for?" ... "Those who love you? Those who respect you? Honor you? Know you? Ignore you?" We think of these types of considerations but what did God do? He died for those He loved - and He loved all of mankind regardless of how we related to Him or treated Him. "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (v.8).
The cynic complains that "a loving God wouldn't send anyone to Hell", but God in love and justice allows any and all to receive forgiveness and live for eternity with Him. It is only those who reject God's outstretched hand that are sent from His presence forever.
It is a marvel that the message of the Bible is so obscured in the world today and in the past: you don't have to be a perfect person to get into heaven, you don't have to have lived a good life, there aren't a set number of prayers you must say each day or a more holy place to pray: all that you must do is trust in the power of Christ's death and live out that trust in your everyday life.
As Paul exclaims "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (v.1). By entrusting their life to God through Christ's death the sinner is at peace with God. They are totally saved - there is no distinction made between "good" Christians and "bad" Christians: all are Christians, all have the Holy Spirit within, all have had their sins paid by Jesus on the cross, and all are perfect through Christ in the sight of God.
The message of the cross has relevance to all people as all were created to be in a relationship with God and all have a need for that relationship in their lives. It simply remains for the non-Christian to accept God's offer of a relationship and for the Christian to continually build their relationship with God.
In fact, the life of a Christian is the story of their relationship with God: though it is often called "the Christian struggle", it is only the believer's struggle (aided by God) against seeking their own selfish desires rather than God's will. But it is a struggle that all Christians should continually fight remembering both how much God desires our love and obedience, and the absolute saving power of Jesus on the cross; so no matter how we perform in the former: the latter will bring us home!
Praise God for His love and mercy in sending His Son to die for you; reflect on your relationship with God and pray for continual aid in your struggle to please and love Him more.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Law and Faith
Law and Faith
Exodus 20-22 | Psalm 24 | Romans 3
Our reading from Exodus today introduces us to God's law: the Ten Commandments. According to this law: we shall not have any other gods (1), make idols (2) or take God's name in vain (3); we shall remember the sabbath and keep it holy (4), and honour our parents (5); and we shall not murder (6), commit adultery (7), steal (8), lie (9) or covet someone else's property (10).
Honestly looking at this law it is a good law - it is fair, loving and respectful. God didn't just want the Jews to obey His law, He expected them to. And He didn't just expect it from the Jews, this is what God our creator demands of all men. He Himself is true, just and perfect, and cannot stand imperfection - in fact He hates it. This hatred is not to be confused with a misguided feeling of enmity as we may shamefully feel towards another person; God's hatred of sin (God's wrath) is an expression of His inability to condone it. He cannot Tolerate sin, to do so would be to deny His characteristic perfection.
So God expects perfection from all men - He cannot expect otherwise - but as Paul points out in today's reading of Romans, all men are sinners: "There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one." (vv.10-12)
In His justice and perfection, God must punish man for his sin; in His love, grace and perfection He must have man reconciled to Himself. In order to satisfy both needs, God sent His Son to be a man so that as a man He could in substitution take the punishment for mankind, allowing all other men to take His righteousness through faith in Him.
Jesus lived the life God expects all men to live and so was righteous, deserving neither punishment nor death. In His death God's wrath for sin in mankind was applied to Jesus, allowing the relationship with God which Jesus deserved to be imparted onto any who would entrust their lives to Christ - to any who would have faith that Christ's death had power to save them. In this way, anyone in a 'faith-union' with Christ is viewed by God to be righteous - they are righteous in His sight.
Since fulfilling the law is what God expected from mankind, to be righteous meant 'to have lived by the law perfectly, all your life.' Paul explains rightousness through faith in today's reading from Romans:
No one will be declared righteous by observing the law, as no man can fulfill the law (vv.9-20). But in Christ a righteousness apart from the law has been made known (v.21). This righteousness is freely available to all who believe - there is no one excluded (v.22), for all men have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (v.23). Equally, all are made righteous freely through the redemption of Christ (v.24) as God presented Christ as a sacrifice to turn aside His wrath and to remove the sin of men who have faith in the power of Christ's blood (v.25a); and He did this to demonstrate His justice in punishing sin (v.25b). God is indeed just and the one who justifies (makes rightous) those who have faith in Jesus (v.26).
After all this, the ten commandments are certainly not redundant. As a guide to righteousness they are superceded by the Way of the Cross; but they still represent God's expectation of all men, and the life of a Christian is to seek God's will.
Praise God for His perfection and love, His justice and mercy, His grace and His forebearance; and thank Him for how these have worked in your life.
Exodus 20-22 | Psalm 24 | Romans 3
Our reading from Exodus today introduces us to God's law: the Ten Commandments. According to this law: we shall not have any other gods (1), make idols (2) or take God's name in vain (3); we shall remember the sabbath and keep it holy (4), and honour our parents (5); and we shall not murder (6), commit adultery (7), steal (8), lie (9) or covet someone else's property (10).
Honestly looking at this law it is a good law - it is fair, loving and respectful. God didn't just want the Jews to obey His law, He expected them to. And He didn't just expect it from the Jews, this is what God our creator demands of all men. He Himself is true, just and perfect, and cannot stand imperfection - in fact He hates it. This hatred is not to be confused with a misguided feeling of enmity as we may shamefully feel towards another person; God's hatred of sin (God's wrath) is an expression of His inability to condone it. He cannot Tolerate sin, to do so would be to deny His characteristic perfection.
So God expects perfection from all men - He cannot expect otherwise - but as Paul points out in today's reading of Romans, all men are sinners: "There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one." (vv.10-12)
In His justice and perfection, God must punish man for his sin; in His love, grace and perfection He must have man reconciled to Himself. In order to satisfy both needs, God sent His Son to be a man so that as a man He could in substitution take the punishment for mankind, allowing all other men to take His righteousness through faith in Him.
Jesus lived the life God expects all men to live and so was righteous, deserving neither punishment nor death. In His death God's wrath for sin in mankind was applied to Jesus, allowing the relationship with God which Jesus deserved to be imparted onto any who would entrust their lives to Christ - to any who would have faith that Christ's death had power to save them. In this way, anyone in a 'faith-union' with Christ is viewed by God to be righteous - they are righteous in His sight.
Since fulfilling the law is what God expected from mankind, to be righteous meant 'to have lived by the law perfectly, all your life.' Paul explains rightousness through faith in today's reading from Romans:
No one will be declared righteous by observing the law, as no man can fulfill the law (vv.9-20). But in Christ a righteousness apart from the law has been made known (v.21). This righteousness is freely available to all who believe - there is no one excluded (v.22), for all men have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (v.23). Equally, all are made righteous freely through the redemption of Christ (v.24) as God presented Christ as a sacrifice to turn aside His wrath and to remove the sin of men who have faith in the power of Christ's blood (v.25a); and He did this to demonstrate His justice in punishing sin (v.25b). God is indeed just and the one who justifies (makes rightous) those who have faith in Jesus (v.26).
After all this, the ten commandments are certainly not redundant. As a guide to righteousness they are superceded by the Way of the Cross; but they still represent God's expectation of all men, and the life of a Christian is to seek God's will.
Praise God for His perfection and love, His justice and mercy, His grace and His forebearance; and thank Him for how these have worked in your life.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
God's Presence
God's Presence
Exodus 23-25 | Psalm 25 | Romans 4
The Christian life is not always an easy one. With the possibility of persecution and the frustration of continuing sin, a believer may become disheartened in their walk with God. However a more potent negative impact will often result from a feeling that God is not listening to your prayers - that He is "far off".
Today's Psalm is David's repeated cry to God for guidance in His will: "Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths" (v.4). Note the plurals in this verse: "your ways" and "your paths". David is seeking the general will of God in his life; his prayer is free of self interest and is genuinely seeking of God's total guidance.
I find it amazing (in hindsight) how often my prayers "seek guidance" from God in how to do something my own way or how to do something I want. While David's approach is that of patient persistence in seeking God's reply (vv.5,15), my approach demanded that God aid me in my own schemes!
David did not pray with set ideas of what he wanted: his most direct plea in this regard is that God would 'redeem Israel from all her troubles' (v.22). Yet David's need for persistence and patience in seeking God's guidance indicates that his experience is similar to many others: that God answers prayers in His own way and in His own time. We who seek God's guidance should, remembering this, similarly be patiently persistent. It is truly folly to expect a sign such as a thunder clap! Trust God to show you His will in His way.
It remains that many believers unfortunantly, and often subconsciously, interpret "unanswered" prayers as an indication that God is far off. In my experience, similar feelings within myself result from my own expectations of God's response; whereas hindsight reminds me that God has indeed listened and responded to all my prayers: my "unanswered" prayers had simply been answered in an unexpected fashion. In this way my own desires clouded my view of God's actions in my life and led to my misguided assessment that God was "far off".
God watches over us all in love and grace. Whilst He has promised that "those who ask, receive", He will only give us what will be helpful to us, and in His wisdom He will know better than we what this is. David's patient persistence is a good example to follow in our prayers: trust that God is listening and seek to be guided by God in your whole life - seek His will and His glory, and you will see His responses.
Praise God for His wisdom in knowing what is truly for the best in our lives; and pray that He will guide you in all aspects of your life, and that in all that you do God will use you for His glory.
Exodus 23-25 | Psalm 25 | Romans 4
The Christian life is not always an easy one. With the possibility of persecution and the frustration of continuing sin, a believer may become disheartened in their walk with God. However a more potent negative impact will often result from a feeling that God is not listening to your prayers - that He is "far off".
Today's Psalm is David's repeated cry to God for guidance in His will: "Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths" (v.4). Note the plurals in this verse: "your ways" and "your paths". David is seeking the general will of God in his life; his prayer is free of self interest and is genuinely seeking of God's total guidance.
I find it amazing (in hindsight) how often my prayers "seek guidance" from God in how to do something my own way or how to do something I want. While David's approach is that of patient persistence in seeking God's reply (vv.5,15), my approach demanded that God aid me in my own schemes!
David did not pray with set ideas of what he wanted: his most direct plea in this regard is that God would 'redeem Israel from all her troubles' (v.22). Yet David's need for persistence and patience in seeking God's guidance indicates that his experience is similar to many others: that God answers prayers in His own way and in His own time. We who seek God's guidance should, remembering this, similarly be patiently persistent. It is truly folly to expect a sign such as a thunder clap! Trust God to show you His will in His way.
It remains that many believers unfortunantly, and often subconsciously, interpret "unanswered" prayers as an indication that God is far off. In my experience, similar feelings within myself result from my own expectations of God's response; whereas hindsight reminds me that God has indeed listened and responded to all my prayers: my "unanswered" prayers had simply been answered in an unexpected fashion. In this way my own desires clouded my view of God's actions in my life and led to my misguided assessment that God was "far off".
God watches over us all in love and grace. Whilst He has promised that "those who ask, receive", He will only give us what will be helpful to us, and in His wisdom He will know better than we what this is. David's patient persistence is a good example to follow in our prayers: trust that God is listening and seek to be guided by God in your whole life - seek His will and His glory, and you will see His responses.
Praise God for His wisdom in knowing what is truly for the best in our lives; and pray that He will guide you in all aspects of your life, and that in all that you do God will use you for His glory.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)