Let Freedom Ring. Romans 14.

Chapter 14 of Romans is a great passage about our freedom in Christ. We can eat and drink and even be merry I suppose, as long as we don't cause someone else to stumble. That makes sense, and it makes me feel free. But, and this is a big but, we are not free to judge others, or cause another brother to stumble, or fall into sin because of our freedom. In reality, our freedom brings far more responsibility than actually serving as a blank check to happy times. What gets me the most is verse 12 -"So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God." Notice it doesn't say "give an account for my brother over there who is really screwing up". No, just an account for me. Thankfully, I am under no condemnation, but I will need take responsibility for my freedom. So, eat, and drink and be merry. But remember, "make every effort to do what leads to mutual edification" (verse 19). Cheers!

hook's note: Dan Ferguson is Pastor of Outreach and Missions at BCC.

Debt Free. Romans 13.

“Debt free!” It’s a worthy goal and aspiration of many people. We want to be free from unnecessary financial obligations to others that enslave us. However, the Bible says that there is one debt that we should always owe. Your first inclination might be to think that the debt would be to God. However, Paul has another debtor in mind.

“Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another” (emphasis added). Our debt to God was paid in full by Jesus at the cross, but our debt to other Christians is never paid off. This means that we are never done demonstrating love to other people in the church. Jesus declared that loving others was a facet of the greatest commandment in the Law (Matt. 22:39 -40). Here Paul goes a step further by saying that if you love another Christian you have fulfilled the law.

This challenges us on a number of fronts. We want to believe that there is a basic standard and that there is an “above-and-beyond” standard. We feel that if we do more than the basic requirements that there should be some kind of reward for us. The way Paul presents this, there is no “above-and-beyond.” No matter how much love I have shown for another person, I haven’t given them all the love that I owe to them. This definitely challenges many of us. We don’t want to be in debt to another person. I have known people that intentionally refuse to accept the good graces of others because they don’t want to owe them anything.

This challenge to never be “all paid up” in the loving others category is a revolutionary idea, especially in light of our culture. The truth is that this world’s system is passing away and Jesus’ return is imminent. When we choose to live counter-culturally by loving others without end our attachment to this world diminishes, and we put ourselves in a better place to be ready to welcome Jesus when he returns.

hook's note: Scott Gassoway is Pastor of Middle School Students at BCC.

Conformed or Transformed. Romans 12.

"Do not be conformed any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." Romans 12:2a NIV This verse is one that I would categorize as a "life verse" - it is one that is foundational for me and I believe is one that is a key verse for all believers.

We are commissioned by Jesus to “go and make disciples” and Christian discipleship is not a state to be attained or a goal to be achieved. It is a process of constant, continual, lifelong learning and following after Jesus. That process results in life transformation which is the ultimate goal in spiritual formation in the church. Paul says that we are called to “conformity with Jesus Christ” (Romans 8:29). Whereas Paul had previously encouraged conformity to Christ, he now discourages conformity to the patterns of this world and encourages believers to undergo a transformation through a changed mind.

I believe that transformation happens as we are engaged with the Word of God and we allow God's Spirit to reign in our lives so that we are transformed according to God's pattern and by God's power. As we find ourselves being transformed into the likeness of Christ as disciples then we can function like the church body and live the kind of lives that exemplify the Christian graces he describes later in this very chapter.

Are you conformed to this world or are you being transformed by the renewal of your mind?

hook's note: Steve Isom is the Pastor of Adult Ed at BCC, and is all about transformation.

Saved by Envy. Romans 11.

When was the last time your heart was broken by the unsaved?

Here in Romans 9-11, we have a powerful example of what it feels like to grieve for those who have rejected God. And in Paul's case, the people doing the rejecting are his own people, the Jews. Paul's love and desire for his own people never left him. And when he writes to the multi-cultural church in Rome, he wants to make sure that they know that neither he nor God has given up on Israel.

How gut-wrenching must it have been for Paul, a lifelong Jew, to finally see that Jesus is the real Messiah, only to have the rest of his people reject the very notion. Then, incredibly, Paul finds himself living and ministering amongst the Gentiles, the very people who have always been incapable of living correctly in the eyes of Jews.

The culture shock must have been pretty intense. But it must have been even more shocking, as a Jew, to ever find yourself in the position of looking at a Gentile and saying, "I want what he's got!" Of course, that's exactly what happened.

As you read through Romans 11, notice a few things:

1) Paul uses the OT example of Elijah and the prophets of Baal to show that God intended to keep a faithful "remnant" for Himself in order to make the same point now: God intends to choose some of Israel to receive by grace what they couldn't earn by works. The fact that He allowed some to be hardened is not an argument that God chose some to go to Hell. It's a method by which He helped save those who wouldn't have been saved otherwise by showing how impossible it is to keep the law. And, even despite their hardness, the Jews have not stumbled too far to be rescued by the mysterious grace of God.



2) Because of the stubbornness of the Jews, the Gentiles were allowed to become partakers of the Gospel. And so, the hardened Jews saw that those who had no business being holy were suddenly called holy and "grafted" in to the family of God. Imagine what they must have thought to see idol-worshipping, heathen Gentiles suddenly understand themselves to be "children of God." If the Gentiles could do it, surely the Jews must be able to accept the Messiah. And so, as Paul writes, "salvation came to the Gentiles to make Israel envious."



3) How will God save all of Israel? Could it be that Israel's response to the Gentiles' inclusion will make them turn away from godlessness?

"Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now receive mercy as a result of God's mercy to you. For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all." (11:30-32)

In other words, our disobedience leads to God's mercy. And of course, Paul has already said that this mercy doesn't give us license to sin more. Instead, this mercy leads us to repentence and obedience.



4) And just to make sure that he makes it clear that a) he doesn't fully understand why God is doing what he's doing, and b) it still seems a bit crazy to him, Paul includes his "doxology." "Who has known the mind of the Lord?" "How unsearchable are His judgments." It makes so sense for God's chosen people to reject Him. It makes no sense for idol-worshipping Gentiles to be made holy. And it's crazy that God would use envy to bring His people back to Him.

But when God's heart is broken for His people, He doesn't hesitate to use any means necessary to get them back.

One final note: I totally agree with Gerry about the question of figuring out who's chosen and who's not. That's not our job. Scripture is very clear that Paul doesn't spend any time trying to figure out who's in or who's out. He takes the Gospel to every one without regard of their culture, history, or even their attitudes. And we should do the same.

“All the Ends of the Earth Will See the Salvation of Our God.” Romans 10.

As a young man, after spending a few years in the work force, I felt God’s urge to explore World Missions. And so, after getting a 3 month leave from Tektronix by God’s grace, I took off for the University of North Dakota for a summer of linguistics training from Wycliffe Bible Translators. Further stints with Wycliffe followed on later.

The Scriptural inspiration was Rom 10:15: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.” That passage has never left me.

In looking at the Old Testament reference, Isa 52:7, we see the image of a herald, proclaiming to Israel that their captivity is coming to an end. What a joy! The Lord has “comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem”. But most of all, and we can’t forget this, the message is “Your God reigns”; and “all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God.” It’s all about God, [just a little] about us. To Him be the glory; we get the reflection of the glory.

If we look carefully at this passage in Isa 52:5-10 we see two verses that are quoted in Romans, and another alluded to all over:

Isa 52:5 = Rom 2:24 - God’s name mocked because of Israel’s sin
Isa 52:7 = Rom 10:15 – God’s salvation proclaimed
Isa 52:10 ~ Rom 10:13,18, 15:9-12, 15:19; 1:8, 16:19 – “ends of the earth” seeing God’s salvation

We see here a progression: from 2:24 (God’s name mocked), to 10:15 (God’s name proclaimed), to 10:12-13, etc. (the nations accepting the message), and then finally at the end of Romans in 16:27 (God’s name glorified).

Paul was steeped in the Old Testament, and thus we see OT themes bursting out all over. And don’t forget, in Rom 1:2 Paul describes his mission as proclaiming “the gospel [God] promised beforehand in [the OT].” Here in Isaiah we see a microcosm of God’s redemption story, his plan for world missions if you will, played out in Israel’s exile and return. In Romans we see Paul’s exposition of this story, expanded to cover all of human history. As we carefully look at the OT passages we will find themes like this again and again.

There is another tie between Rom 10 and the Rom 2:24 text, although it comes out further in the passage at 3:22. I discovered this while memorizing some Romans verses, and found that two of them “sounded the same”. In 3:22 and also in 10:12 there is this phrase “there is no difference”; it was very distinctive. I found out later that the Greek words are totally identical and that nothing else like it occurs anywhere else in the Bible. Here are the two passages, somewhat expanded:

. . . there is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
. . . there is no difference between Jew and Gentile . . . the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him. Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

This clearly shows a thematic tie (and I have since confirmed this in some commentaries). We have the negative and the positive. In the Romans 3 passage (beginning at 1:18) we see the culmination of the Jews’ attempt to maintain purity by “separatism” and nationalistic pride, all the while playing the “judge” of the Gentiles’ sins. The result (3:10-18) was a string of sins just as bad as anything the Gentiles did. There was no difference; they all fell into the same cesspool, and failed to give glory to God.

But in Rom 10:11-13 this is all turned around. Now, by sending Messiah Jesus, God did what Israel failed to do; he became a light for the Gentiles (Gen 12:3, Isa 42:6, Lu 2:32). And so, “there in no difference . . . everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” If we move forward to 10:18, noting the reference to Psalm 19, we will pick up the reference to God’s glory: “The heavens declare the glory of God . . .”

May each of us consider how we may help in the task of spreading God’s glory throughout the nations.

---------------------------

Part two:

I feel constrained to comment briefly on Rom 10:9-10, since these are so often quoted and serve as the final passage of the "Romans Road" to salvation. And because I became a Christian in my college years, this passage is also very important to me.

This passage follows 10:8 ("the word is near you, it is in your mouth and in your heart") and the pair of strange verses in front of it, which talk about ascending into heaven and descending into the deep. It is all a reference to Deut 30:11 ff, where Moses puts God's law before his people, interestingly enough describing it as "not too difficult". In fact, God is a gracious God, and does not want this to be too difficult. It is within our reach, but it is a matter of the heart. And this becomes much more clear in the NT, although in the OT it was always so.

What I find most interesting here is that God does not expect us to search all over for his truth. As he says in Deut 30:13 we do not need to "cross the sea"; nor do we have to reach up to heaven or go to the bottom of the ocean. The message is that we don't need to search for God; in reality he is searching for us. He is putting his word near us, in our mouth and in our heart if we will only accept it.

And some of the time God will use us to "cross the sea" to help get his word to others.

hook's note: Robb Starr is a long-time member at BCC, and has studied Romans extensively.

Crooked sticks. Romans 9.

So, like most of us, unless you are a die hard “Calvinist”, or a died in the wool “Arminian”, you probably don’t give much thought to the argument that has been waged over the centuries since the time of John Calvin. You know, I’m talking about the doctrine of free will, versus the concept of election. After all, these are both taught in scripture. But does one stand over the other?

Romans chapter 9 is one of several places where the concept of election is heralded. It is one of the hallmarks quoted by Calvinists. However, while the doctrine of election is clearly articulated here, it is in light of Paul’s passion for his Jewish brethren. He starts the chapter out by stating such. Yet he quickly turns to leaning clearly on God’s will, not his own. Paul would have his own brethren saved to the peril of his own salvation. We should be quick to see however here that the point he is clearly making is that salvation is not an entitlement. We see this “non-entitlement” thought clearly delineated in the 4th chapter of Romans as well where Paul states that if Abraham had earned it, his righteousness would be a paycheck, and not the result of his faith. His circumcision came after his faithfulness as a sign of his commitment to his Lord; he was right with God because of his faith, not because of his circumcision. In this, the 9th chapter, Paul releases the electrifying non-entitlement statement that “not all who are descended from Israel ‘are’ Israel”. He then goes on to point out the chosen lineage coming from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and in the case of Jacob, how he is chosen by God over Esau (Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated … by the way … that term hated, in context here is devoid of ‘passion’. While it does mean “separated”, and “despised”, it is not with the same emotional context as commonly used today – rather it is meant to differentiate directionally where His favor would be pointed). Paul then points out how this lineage is revolutionarily extended to those who are children of Abraham; revolutionarily not because these are Jewish people by race, but rather because it is extended to those who exhibit this same faith that Abraham exhibited; even unto gentiles. There’s nothing in there about keeping the law, wearing phylacteries, or never cutting your curly locks! Abraham received Gods promise (Genesis 12) because of his faith. All those who exhibit this faith are children of Abraham. God has chosen children of the faith to be His lineage. Paul drives this home by quoting Isaiah not once, twice, or three times, but four times – OUCH!

So then, the question arises; which is Paul exhorting us to here, election or faith? Election, which from the Greek “Ekloge” clearly means “God Choosing” those whom He bestows his favor upon. However faith is different. It seems to have implication as to a voluntary act, or an act of the will. Faith is tied directly to the concept of “belief”. In John, when Jesus was questioned as to what the works are that please the Father, His answer was very direct, “The work of the Father is this; “believe” in the one whom He has sent (of course meaning Jesus). That term “believe” is from the Greek Pistueo (pist-yoo-o) which means to have total confidence in, to place your complete trust upon, to have reliance upon … all in direct relation to your eternal salvation. Again, this implies a cognizant “giving up of” reliance upon yourself. This is clearly an act of the will. So are you confused? I am!

One final point of reference as to “who gets in to heaven by which means”. It comes from the 1st chapter of Ephesians. It looks like it’s a banner day for the Calvinists here in the beginning. Paul leads off the inning by stating “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the “will” of God. Sounds like election to me! Then we jump down to verse 4, where again he implies pretty directly (at least some) being chosen by saying “For He ‘chose’ us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight.” He then goes on to say “In love, He ‘predestined’ us (wow, now that’s a big word with big Calvinist implications) – to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera … all the way down through verse 12. It’s full of this “being chosen” stuff. But then we get to verse 13. Here comes the bottom half of the inning; it seems that the Arminians come up to bat. He says “And You Also” – (obviously meaning a different group of people than he was discussing in the first 12 verses) were included in Christ when you “heard” the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having “believed” you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession (now there’s a whole other discussion about eternal security … which ought to make some of you smile) – to the praise of His glory”. Now wait a minute … first we have to hear, and then we have to believe? Those sound like works? How come we are not chosen in the same vein as the Jews, the Apostles, and Paul?

What does this all me to us Born Again believers in Jesus Christ? Pragmatically speaking with regard to your eternal salvation as it stands right now this minute, not much! I mean from a “mysteries of God” thing, it’s pretty amazing to try and comprehend how it is that God chooses to save. It’s even more amazing that, as Dean Carey used to say, “God chooses to use crooked sticks like us to hit home runs”. He uses us to bring His message of salvation out to the lost. But as far as you personally are concerned, you are Born Again! For you, the work is done, it is complete. You have the Holy Spirit inside of you as a deposit … guaranteeing your salvation. You are crucified with Christ, it is no longer you who lives, but Christ living in you! Why worry about what is out of your control? You know what you have to do … get to doing it … NOW!

There is no need for us to sweat, let alone argue over this. We are commanded to make Disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit – teaching them to obey all that He commands. We are not called to decipher if one person is chosen or not, that’s not our gig. Nor are we to decipher “if” He will save them. That’s His job. To you, that care is a distraction! Our job is way big enough. Share the Gospel! And if I read the reaction correctly from so many Christians, the job of fulfilling this “command” is sometimes too much for them (my hats off to all of you folks working in the “discipleship” … education … department at BCC, you get to fix this problem!).

It is certainly a mystery how God chooses to save. To me, it’s even more of a mystery that he would use a “crooked stick” like me to hit one out of the park. God has placed many a pair of eyes in front of us that he has warranted an all out search for. Do something about it! Now that’s a lot to comprehend!

hook's note: Gerry Lefebvre is a long-time member of BCC, plays a mean trumpet, and teaches the Disciplemakers class, Sundays at 11:00am.

No condemnation. Romans 8.

To me, two of the most powerful words spoken in any movie, are heard near the end of Saving Private Ryan. The movie is set in France during WW2 where a small company of men is sent to find and bring safely home the only surviving brother of three who were in the war. In the course of carrying out their mission, nearly all of the men give their lives to bring Ryan back home, including their leader who is played by Tom Hanks. Before he dies, knowing that Ryan will soon be headed home, he looks into the young man’s eyes and speaks these compelling words he says, “Earn this!” He wants him to understand that he has been given a gift. These words become a kind of calling upon his life to live in a significantly different way because of the great price that was paid for him to be alive.

To me, two of the most powerful words found anywhere in the Bible were penned by the Apostle Paul in Romans 8. The setting is everyday life, and Paul points out that we are in a very real battle with the forces of our flesh and the law of sin. Our great lack holiness has permanently separated us from God so that being with Him at all is impossible. We are doomed. Then enter his compelling words in verse one, “…no condemnation…” Once we were dead in our sins, without hope, alone. Our life expectancy was zero! But we have been rescued by Christ, at the cost of His dear life. These two words are a message of freedom and a new life…here and for eternity.

I see so many parallels between these two missions. Both were rescue operations that required traveling far from home, in hostile territory. Both missions were for the benefit of someone/s who did not know them at all. Both required absolute commitment to the point of death to ensure success. Both succeeded in setting their people free. In each case, their freedom was a free gift for the recipient. Each left a profound impact on the lives of those rescued.

There is one significant difference, however. Ryan was left alone to somehow live his life differently in the power of his own strength. Not so with those of us who now belong to Christ. Verse one tells us that our condemnation is removed, not because of our good (yet imperfect) efforts, but because of the perfect efforts of Jesus Christ. And when we are “in Christ” we are not only forgiven, we are changed. We will never again be alone. Ryan received a gift of life. But how great a new life we who trust in Christ have received!

As you read through the rest of Romans 8, be mindful of how powerful this “new” life really is. Paul teaches us that we have a new position, a new deliverance, a new relationship with His family, a new hope, a new provision, and new answers in this life.

May those two little words have a renewed and powerful impact on your life as you live in a significantly different way, yet in the power of God’s Spirit living within.

hook's note: Greg Wright is a pastor at BCC overseeing Small Groups and Worship.

Sinner or Saint? Romans 7.

In the first 4 chapters of Romans, Paul shows that all of us, religious or not, are sinful and deserve judgment and death. He shows us that through faith alone, in Christ alone, we are forgiven, our sins are covered over, and we are justified before God solely by the death of Jesus.

In chapters 5-8, Paul begins to show us who we now are through the life of Jesus. We are not just sinners who are forgiven, who still have an old sin nature, who someday will get to replace it when we get to heaven. We have been filled with the Holy Spirit and as we learn to walk in faith in that Spirit, we develop character, perseverance, and hope. Not only were we reconciled to God, we became full of the life of Christ! (Rom 5) Not only did our sin nature die with Jesus, we are freed from slavery to sin, and our new spirit is alive and a slave to Christ alone! (Rom 6).

Romans 7 is perhaps one of the most misinterpreted and controversial passages in the bible. On first read it sounds like Paul is confessing to us what you and I often feel and have often heard taught – that we want to do good, but we are sinners by nature, and the sinful nature we have keeps us doing what we hate. I am altogether evil, and will be until I’m fully redeemed in glory, so I need to deny myself from acting out who I really am. That is not what this passage affirms! You do not have two natures battling within you, and living the Christian life is not about denying who you really are to attempt to become what you should be.

The confusion begins with the chapter divisions. Rom 7:1-6 is completing the thought from chapter 6 with an example. Rom 7:7- 8:11 is a new section emphasizing how different who we are in Christ is to who we were before. The second confusion is with the Greek words translated “sinful nature” in vs 5 and vs 18 in many translations, which should be translated “flesh”. It is just flesh, not a second nature battling within.

The next part of the confusion is whether Paul is referring to himself as a believer, or what he was like as a law abiding Jew before he knew Christ. Many might identify with and say this passage is just like how they feel as a believer. But that is not what Paul is referring to. Note in vs 5 he says “when we were controlled by” the flesh, ie. before we knew Jesus, back when we were slaves to our flesh. Vs 14 also affirms that he is speaking as to when he was a “slave to sin”, but in 6:22 he just told us that in Christ we are no longer slaves to sin! Therefore, this passage is written describing himself when he was a law abiding Jew, before he had a new spirit.

Now try reading the passage from this perspective – vs 1-6 as an a completion of chapter 6, and vs 7-8:11 as a new topic beginning with a review of his life before Jesus and a picture of his life in the Spirit, and inserting “flesh” when you see “sinful nature” in Chapters 7 and 8.

Rom 7:1-6 once our “sinful nature” was our flesh enslaved by the law to sin, but now that nature is dead, we are not enslaved to it, and we have no more obligation to it than a widow does to her dead husband – we are free to pursue a new life married to Jesus. We are now free to live by our new “nature” –our new Spirit housed until heaven in our flesh.

Rom 7:7-25. Paul contrasts this new life in the Spirit with the old life in the flesh by reflecting back on the frustrating conflict he felt trying to obey the law as a Jew. He willed to do good, but he was a slave to the sin that reigned in his body. Who will rescue him from this body of death? God will through Jesus! In fact, he will do it twice, or at least in two parts. First we are recreated in Christ and filled with His Spirit now (2 Cor 5:17, Gal 2:20), and later we will lose our flesh (I Cor 15:50-55). Both of these themes are emphasized in one of the most powerful chapters in the New Testament. But that is for tomorrow!

Let me end on a personal note. I spent many years struggling as a Christian to deny myself, reckon myself dead to sin, and freed from sin (when I was convinced that I was not), and feeling as frustrated as Paul did before he knew Jesus. Maybe that is where you are now. Romans 5-8 released me from that as I finally understood who I am in Christ and began responding to that in faith. I’m not a sinner, nor do I have a sin nature, nor am I even who I was before I knew Jesus. I’m more than forgiven and justified, I’m a new creation altogether, filled with the Spirit of God, a partaker of the divine nature, and am being conformed to the likeness of Jesus, my spirit crying out to know Him from deep within. I am a son of God, of a holy nation and kingdom of priests, an ambassador chosen by God and gifted to serve Him uniquely. My spirit doesn't even want to sin, so I ruthlessly starve fleshly habits and instead offer myself willingly, eagerly as an instrument of God. I am a saint, and in faith I will walk in the Spirit and the works He has given me! Once you see this, the entire New Testament will confirm that it is true. Walk on with me fellow saint!

hook's note: Mark Owen is an elder and community pastor for Ethnos.

On Being Crucified. Romans 6.

I remember having to write a paper in seminary on any passage from Galatians that I wanted. My thoughts automatically drifted towards Galatians 2:17-21. The day before the paper was due, I walked into the computer lab at Multnomah, sat down, and read the passage.

And then the tears came.

Unexpectedly, surprisingly, I noticed something in this passage that altered my understanding of my life in Christ.

What I realized that day was that Christ loved me enough to make it possible for my life to change. Left to myself, my life would never get better, I would never know God and become like Christ. For some reason, God looked down on me and sent His son to die so that my life might be forever altered. See, it doesn’t say, “Christ was crucified for me” or “Christ was crucified because of me,” but it says, “I have been crucified with Christ.” The passages took on a whole new meaning for me when I read it that way, because it means that something within me has changed.

As I was thinking about the text for today, Romans 6, I realized that Paul is unpacking that idea from Galatians 2 in much more detail. Here are some thoughts about Romans 6 to chew on. I hope they help.

1-4 – When did you die? Instead of asking people when they were saved, the better question is, when did you die? When did you recognize that the life you live does not have to be soaked with sin? If you have indeed died to sin, you cannot live in it any longer. But why? Is it because you simply try harder not to sin? Is it because of your good attendance at church and bible study? No. Paul is about to tell you how this death to sin occurs.

We’ve been baptized into Christ and baptized in His death. In other words, we are fully incorporated into Him. We are also buried with Him, so that we might be raised with Him. Now what does this really mean? If you participate in Christ, if Christ has truly come into your life, you become like Him, you “die” with Him so that you can live a new life. Therefore, you die to sin. You don’t just keep making the same decisions time and time again, then relying of God to forgive you so that you can go do it all again.

Or at least, you don’t have to. And, the end result is that you can live a new life, not just in the hereafter, but now.

In verses 5-10, we see the same sentence structure used twice to describe our new life.

5,8 – Full Union – we have fully become united with Christ, so we know that when we die we will live with heaven.
6,9 – Finished with sin – we no longer should be slaves to sin. Our old self might refer to the way we were in Adam. The reality of Adam is that we knew about sin, but Paul says that “our old self,” or the Adamic part of us, was crucified with Christ. In other words, it died. We now can choose whether or not to sin.
7,10 – Final work – you have been freed once and for all, you don’t have to return to the life you once had in Adam.

This section suggests that our identification with Christ takes place so that we can be permanently free from sin’s domination.

So why don’t we feel free?

11-14 – Well, try counting yourselves dead to sin but alive to God. In other words, recognize that this drastic, total change has in fact taken place in your life. You have to consistently recognize this truth, to be fully persuaded that God is capable of doing this in your life. Don’t let sin reign. Don’t offer your body to sin, but offer yourself to God, because he brought you from death to life. Sin does not have to be your master because of the grace of God. But it doesn’t happen automatically. Putting away sin does not happen without our cooperation. God did not make us robots. We have the ability to choose to make this principle real in our lives.

Sometimes we get a glimpse of what this life looks like. I think that as I sat in front of that computer that day and read Galatians 2, I caught a glimpse of the depth of life that has been offered to me through Christ Jesus. I have complete freedom from sin, if I choose to grab it. If you really want to live as a Christian, you must understand and accept this reality. Then, when it comes to making choices, you’ll know that you have more options than you think.

But, how does this work out practically? What about all those choices that you and I have to make every day? Is it really as simple as choosing not to sin?

God seems to think so.

In Joshua 24, God tells a long story through the mouth of Joshua to the entire leadership of the nation of Israel. This story contains the major events in the history of the nation of Israel. God did this, God did that. Why is He telling the elders all of this? In this case, the whole story is told for a purpose. Joshua wants Israel to make a choice. They must choose between two alternatives: serving themselves, or serving God. These are really the only two options that God is giving His people: it’s either God or yourself. There are no other choices to make.

This passage is a window into our lives as Christians today. We have seen God do incredible things, we have an intellectual understanding of God. And yet we face the same choice that the nation of Israel faces here. God says, “Fear me! Serve me! But, if that seems undesirable to you, then choose yourself.” We are in the same boat today, and we have a choice to make.

In Romans 6:15-23, Paul echoes this moment in the life of Israel, but he frames it as an individual choice.

15-16 – The basic question is this: because we have grace, does that mean that we can and should sin? The answer of course, is no. But why? If we decide that we are going to listen to that part of us that calls us to sin, we have made ourselves slaves. But, Paul just said two verses earlier that we don’t have to be slaves to sin anymore. In other words, what Paul is saying here is that we have the power now, through Christ and Christ alone, to make a choice about whether or not we obey our sinful desires or not. The choice, as he says in verse 16, is between sin and obedience. And here’s the thing: we automatically make a choice. We can’t stand back and look at these things and say, “I’m not going to choose.” By choosing not to choose, we choose ourselves. This is one of the essential truth of the Christian life: we are constantly making our choice for or against God.

Please understand: you can’t do any obeying on your own. God expects us to obey Him, but our obedience is the product of His grace. By saying, “God, I want to serve You,” you allow Him access to your life to do the work that He wants to do. This is called submission.

17-18 – Paul stops here and gives thanks for the situation that the Roman Christians find themselves in. He gives thanks not so much for their former slavery to sin, but that because of their obedience, they have appropriated God’s power to come away from sin and be slaves to righteousness. It’s always easier to see what you need when you don’t have it. These people can look back and see the history that they have and recognize where they came from, just like the leaders of Israel could as God spoke to them through Joshua.

19 – Here’s the center of this section. Think about what it would mean if you spent all your energies not on yourself and your desires, but on becoming holy. That’s what this is all leading up to. Choosing yourself will always lead you to wickedness and selfishness, choosing God will always lead you to righteousness and holiness.

20-22 – Paul now states the reverse condition: when you were slaves to sin, you were set free from the control of righteousness. It’s interesting that most non-Christians think of Christians as so restricted and so constrained by faith. But non-Christians have to make the same choices that Christians are confronted with. The difference is, they are not free to live a truly righteous life, because they don’t have the living Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit. If one is not serving God, then whether knowingly or not, one is serving sin.

So, Paul is saying, think about it: How did being a slave to sin affect you? What benefit did you reap at that time from those things that you are now ashamed of? You ever sit around and tell those stories about your past and all the junk that came from it? Why? It’s one thing to learn from your mistakes. But don’t keep reliving them. Move on!

Now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you gain leads to holiness, and ultimately eternal life. Holiness is what we’re talking about here. Choosing God leads you down the path to holiness.

23 – The conclusion of this section makes it clear what the stakes are in this discussion: those who are slaves to sin are storing up for themselves death, but those who are slaves to righteousness have received the free gift from God and have gained eternal life. Remember, this section starts with the question, “Should we sin because we have grace?” When we receive Christ, when we receive grace, we are free to choose our master. We don’t have to sin. We can choose not to. But it’s not automatic. Throughout this section, Paul throws in commands, implying that it just doesn’t happen without your cooperation. God can offer you salvation without your cooperation, but He can’t make you holy without your cooperation.

At the end of God’s story, Joshua looks at the long history that God has demonstrated, and he says, “As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” What are you going to do? Look at your own life, and see for yourself. There have been times when you have been pursuing holiness, and there have been times when you have forgotten God. You’ve made these choices throughout your Christian life. And now, you can choose once and for all. That’s what Paul wants you to know. Sin does not have to dominate you. It doesn’t have to be a roller-coaster faith. God is powerful enough to remove that from you. You’ve been crucified with Christ. But, you have to choose to live His life and let yours go.

hook's note: Tom Beasley is senior pastor of Butteville Community Church. His blog is here.

The One who declares the unrighteous godly. Romans 4.

As we consider the 4th chapter of Romans today, we need to remember a key point Paul made near the end of what we know as chapter three…

For we consider that a person is declared righteous by faith apart from the works of the law. (Romans 3:28).

We are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.

Our reading today goes on to further amplify this point. Remember, one of the key points of the entire book of Romans is this matter of justification by faith.

Verse four is obviously a key verse in this passage:

Now to the one who works, his pay is not credited due to grace but due to obligation. (Romans 4:4)

When you “work” at your job, your salary or wage is not a gift. It is something you have “earned”. Your employer is obligated by law to pay you for your time and energy expended in the task(s) for which you are responsible.

In contrast, our salvation, though costly beyond our human conception, is “free”. It is given to us as a free gift! We are saved by God’s grace through faith and it has nothing to do with anything we “do”! Salvation is a totally humbling gift. There is nothing we can “brag” about when it comes to being one who is right with God. It is completely His work, not ours! It is the fruit of His work given freely to those who trust in His work and in His promise.

And why does he give us salvation in this way? Because it is His nature! Listen to how God characterizes Himself in these words penned by the Apostle Paul:

But to the one who does not work, but believes in the one who declares the ungodly righteous, his faith is credited as righteousness. (Romans 4:5 NIV)

How is God characterized by Paul in this chapter? He is one who “declares the ungodly righteous”! Isn’t it amazing that the only true and living God, our Creator, has this nature! Religious people usually think of God as the one who “rewards” righteous people with salvation. But this is a lie. Our God, the only true and living God is the one who deals with sin and judges it. And having dealt with our sin in the execution of Christ, he declares “ungodly” people like you and me as “righteous” because we are trusting in His promise to do so.

My wife and I presently live in Siberia. Most of the population here have no idea of what God is like. And they certainly don’t know that he is the God who “declares the ungodly righteous”. My responsibility is to make myself available to God to be used in two ways:

1. To inform people here that they are ungodly, i.e., that they sin against their holy Creator. And once they have been convicted of this reality by the Holy Spirit (John 16:8),
2. it is then my responsibility to inform them that their Creator, the very one against whom they have sinned, is also the one to whom they can turn for mercy and grace!

The heart of man is the same no matter where you live. The need of man is the same no matter where you live. Are you carrying out these two responsibilities in your part of the world? Are your friends and workmates aware that their Creator is one who “declares the ungodly righteous”? Are they aware that they are ungodly? Are they aware that they have no hope unless they receive mercy, grace, and forgiveness from their Creator? If not, you have some work to do!

hook's note: Ernie and Ricki Pruitt are BCC missionaries serving in Siberia.

Disadvantaged or Justified? Romans 3.

As I thought about this chapter I was initially thinking about the opening question that Paul poses regarding the advantage in being a Jew or the value of circumcision. It plays out well in the rest of the chapter especially in verse 23 when we must all acknowledge that we are disadvantaged or "fall short" of God's criteria for righteousness - we are sinners and are hopelessly lost.

Then I read the post for Romans 2 and it turned my attention away from the negative musings about all of our failures and sins and pointed me back to the awesome grace of God who is both "just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus" (v. 26). God's law convicts us of our sin and demonstrates our need for a savior as we become conscious of our sin when faced with the righteousness and justness of God, but the joy and delight in this chapter is to be found in the fact that the same God who is so holy and righteous is the one who loves us and saves us from our sins.

The real gem in this chapter is not our sin and lostness, but the fact that God is both "just and Justifier". Praise the Lord for the fact that in my hour of need - when I was "disadvantaged" and lost, He has provided for my redemption through His Son, Jesus Christ.

My prayer for you today is that as you read you see yourself not as a hopeless sinner, but as one who is blessed and justified in Christ. May your reading of Romans 3 today be one that is full of God's grace and truth!

The Kindness of God. Romans 2.

So I'm reading through the first couple of chapters of Paul's letter to the Roman's and I'm thinking "Wow, this is bad news", all this talk about God's wrath against mankind and His righteous judgment against sinners. Yet this bad news is exactly what makes the Gospel the good news. But in the midst of all this wrath and judgment talk, I hear the word "kindness" - specifically God's kindness. In verse 4 of chapter two Paul says that it is God's kindness that leads us to repentance. Of course we know the role of repentance in our salvation, but how many times do we actually acknowledge that it is because of God's kindness that we can come to faith. I am encouraged. Salvation is all of God. In fact, as John Piper once wrote - God is the Gospel - the beginning, the middle and the end - it is all about God. As you read through the predicament of mankind as Paul relates in this letter, thank God for His kindness. I trust it has led you to repentance and to faith in Christ.

A Gospel for all Nations. Romans 1.

So, now, on to Romans. What do we make of this book, the first of the epistles in the New Testament? The NIV Study Bible describes it as “The most systematic of Paul’s letters.” Others, however, find the “system” elusive.

Right now, I’m thinking of the tsunami of wrath unleashed in verses 1:18 and which continues, with just a few interludes, up until 3:20. What manner of God are we encountering in this journey? But I also know we will reach the glories of God’s awesome love crystallized in 8:31-39, so I do not lose heart.

Romans can be confusing. I remember several years ago being constantly mystified why Paul constantly seemed to go on tangents and non sequiturs. So we see in Rom 6:15, “Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace?” Well, okay, here we have it: the great “Calvinist – Arminian” debate (can a person lose his salvation) is about to be solved! Ok, Paul, what happens to the person who is “saved by faith” and yet continues in sin? Does he lose his salvation, or not?

And yet Paul gives us no help. He’s already off on a different path.

Only later did it dawn on me that perhaps Paul wasn’t thinking about the “Calvinist – Arminian” question, since obviously those two gentlemen lived 1500 years after Paul.

To find out what Paul was thinking about in Romans, we can look at 1:1-5. We see here “Jesus Christ”, “gospel”, “by his prophets in the Holy Scriptures”, “obedience of faith among all the Gentiles”. And then we can go to the very end of the book (16:25-27) and we see “Jesus Christ”, “gospel”, “prophetic scriptures”, “to all nations . . . obedience of faith”. Very interesting -- we see here a bracket around the body of the book. As we learned in school long ago: “First tell them what you are going to say, then say it [16 chapters worth], and finally tell them what you just said.” If we keep these themes in mind then perhaps we may follow the flow of Paul’s thought more easily as we read through the book.

My own capsulized version of Paul’s thought goes like this: “The OT prophets taught the good news [gospel] that the Messiah [Christ] would come, and all nations would receive God’s promises through faith in Him.” Paul’s opponents, to whom he is responding in Romans, had a different opinion: “God’s promises in the OT were obviously given to the Jews, and therefore anyone who expected to be part of God’s kingdom had better become a Jew and get circumcised.”

And, by the way, notice that Paul says “obedience of faith”. He does not say “faith instead of obedience”. As we encounter the “faith - works” passages later on in Romans, to supplement our previous study of Galatians and James, it might be useful to keep these “bracket comments” in mind.

Another thing that had me confused at first was Paul’s comment in 1:2 about the “gospel promised beforehand in the Holy Scriptures”. This meant the Old Testament, and we see that Paul frequently quotes the OT (always positively). That seemed strange, because as I understood it, the OT taught “salvation by law” or “salvation by works”, whereas the NT taught “salvation by grace through faith”. So why did Paul call his message the “gospel promised in the [OT]”, if he was supposedly contradicting the OT message of “salvation by works”? To make sense of all this, it will be helpful to pay careful attention to how Paul uses these OT passages, as the letter progresses.

And from here I’ll move to another side of Paul, because he was not only a rigorous theologian, but also had a pastor’s heart. We can see this starting at 1:6, and especially in 1:11-12 where he yearns for fellowship with them; and we can observe from chap 16 how well he knew several of the people from that church.

And finally, we can’t forget that Paul had the legs of a missionary. His gospel “to all nations” was carried out in his body as well as his words. As we see from Acts, he did finally make it to Rome, as to most everywhere else in the region. Most commentators think he was in Corinth as he was writing the letter. As he says in 1:13-15 “I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that I often intended to come to you (and was prevented until now), so that I may have some fruit even among you, just as I already have among the rest of the Gentiles. I am a debtor both to the Greeks and to the barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. Thus I am eager also to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome.”

As I read through Romans I am taken by Paul’s intense missionary zeal. In fact, I don’t know how one can fully grasp his message without that understanding. His rigorous theology said, “The gospel must go to all nations, not just Jews; can’t you see even in the OT how this is prophesied!” And his personal comments (1:13-15 as noted above, and see also 15:19-24) show that his practical theology is just the same. His mind, soul, and body were all on the same page.

hook's note: Robb Starr is a long-time member at BCC, and has studied Romans extensively.

Prayer: a younger perspective. James 5.

Today we finish the book of James. Pointed, pithy, practical. Frank discussion of some practical considerations concerning the ethic of Christ. I was struck by three similarities between what James had to say, and what is contained in the letters to the Hebrews and Galatians. I'm going to add them as a comment to this post, because I have a special treat for you.

I asked two members of our class, James and Ellen, to comment on James' words about prayer recorded in James 5:16-18.

"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops." (James 5:16-18 NIV)

Here's what our classmate James has to say about what Jesus' brother James wrote:

"Prayer is talking to God one on one. You know that he can hear you because you are praying to him which makes you feel better because you know he is listening. God can do anything. This shows one of the amazing things God did when someone prayed to him."

I want you to stop for a minute and consider both sets of words -- from James and from James. Good stuff, huh? Now I'm going to add some more good stuff to this by adding Ellen's comments on this passage:

"‘Elijah was a man just like us.’ He wasn’t so much different from us, and yet he prayed and it didn’t rain for three and a half years! God can do so much more when we pray than we realize. In The Message version, verse 16 says, “The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with.” Elijah was living right with God, and God blessed his prayers. This encourages us as Christians that if we are living as God calls us to, we will experience powerfully answered prayer."

Okay, stop again, and consider what Ellen has added to our thoughts about prayer. This is exactly the kind of interaction we should have with God's Word as we read through it. I'm confident that you are all doing that, but I thought you would be encouraged by these thoughts from these younger members of our class.

I sure am.

Save Your Fork! Hebrews 11.

I love the story about saving your fork because the best is yet to come. For me that would be anything chocolate as dessert. This is a great chapter in Hebrews – some call it the Faith chapter or the Hall of Faith. Whatever you call it – the point is still much the same as the rest of the book of Hebrews, the superiority of the new covenant in Christ. This chapter centers on the role of faith down through history in the lives of godly men and women. Faith is the quintessential element of our relationship with God in Christ. As the first verse of the chapter notes “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen”.

The quote from my devotional desk calendar for March 14 was entitled “The Best is Coming”. I thought back to that as I was thinking about what to share about Hebrews 11. Here is the quote: “Faith can move the highest mountains, turn deserts into fountains, part the mighty water of the deepest sea. Faith can make a broken heart mend, bring the rain from heaven. Faith can even change the course of history as it believes that the BEST is yet to come.”

Our faith in Christ is the lifeblood of the life we now live and the essence of our future hope. Just a few thoughts from Galatians that may help to put faith in perspective as you meditate on this passage and what it means for your life. (By the way isn’t this our next destination in the 5x5x5 reading plan!)

Galatians 2:16 says man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.

Galatians 2:20 says I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Galatians 3:9 - So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

Galatians 3:11, quoting Hab. 2:4 - "The righteous will live by faith."

Galatians 3:14 - He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

Galatians 3:26 - You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus...

Faith is forward looking and anticipates great things to come. Abraham responded in faith because he anticipated the promise of the covenant and what that would mean in the future to his descendants. Faith is that spiritual “Save Your Fork” attitude that is trusting in the unseen God to keep His promises and complete His covenant. Have you ever had something very momentous planned and you could hardly wait for the day to come. It feels like being a child again and anticipating Christmas morning and the fulfillment of the promise of presents to come. That should be the joy and excitement with which we live our lives daily. It is also this faith that helped people of faith to persevere in times of persecution or distress. My prayer for you is that your reading of this chapter encourages you in your faith. Save Your Fork - The Best is Coming!!

And the Beat goes on. Acts 28.

So the book of Acts ends just as it began - it's all about the kingdom of God. Remember at the beginning of the book Luke tells us that Jesus appeared for 40 days after his resurrection and spoke about the kingdom of God (Acts 1:3). Then in our reading today the book concludes with the Apostle Paul in his rented house in Rome "boldly preaching the kingdom of God and about the Lord Jesus Christ". Two thoughts. First Jesus got it and Paul got it. The main thing was to keep the main thing the main thing - the kingdom of God. Second. We are the kingdom of God. Look back in Acts 1:6 when the disciples asked Jesus if he was "now going to to restore the kingdom to Israel" and Jesus responded by stating in verse 7 "it's none of your business, at least not yet". But it will be. In 1:8 Jesus then describes what the kingdom will be about - you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you....and you will be my witnesses....." So in one respect that is when the kingdom came - on the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit took up residence in the lives of beleivers. And that is exactly what the book of Acts was about. The kingdom of God advancing through the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of repentant sinners. That's how it started, and that's how it ended. But it hasn't stopped there. Because that's what we are to do today. Indeed, the beat goes on. Do you hear it? Are you in step?

A Clean Cut. Acts 19.

Sometimes as Christians we know we should stop some besetting sin, but we hang on to it even if ever so slightly. But in Acts chapter 19 verses 17- 20 we see people confronted with the seriousness of sin and the power of God. In fact they were all "seized with fear". Why? Because they had heard of the power in the name of Jesus. So much were they seized with fear they came and openly confessed their evil deeds, some even burning the scrolls they used in sorcery. Perhaps we need to be reminded not only of the power in the name of Jesus, but also in the seriousness of dabbling in our pet sins. God is not to be mocked. Give them up. Come to a realization that the name of Jesus is to be held in high honor.

The Power of God’s Word. Acts 17.

Paul has moved into Macedonia in response to God’s guidance in a vision and we find him traveling to Thessalonica, Berea, and finally Athens. In this chapter I see the power of God’s word when it is faithfully delivered and studied. At Thessalonica the Jews became jealous and even stirred up a riot when Paul’s powerful preaching of the Word bore fruit in new converts there. Berea saw similar results as the people there were eagerly diving into God’s Word. Finally in Athens Paul takes God’s Word to the marketplace and there were more changed lives there too.

I see the power of God’s Word in all of these venues and I believe that as people open themselves to the truth of God’s Word and apply it to their lives then God will work mightily on their hearts and lives. My prayer for you as you become like the Bereans in the 5x5x5 daily search of the Scriptures is that God’s Word would be active, powerful, and life-changing for you.

Conversion! Acts 9.

Conversion, change, translation, exchange – a mind-boggling change of character must have had the men with Saul scratching their heads, but it was all part of God’s sovereign plan to spread the gospel to the “ends of the earth”. So far we see the gospel preached in Jerusalem , Judea, and Samaria and Acts 8 shows us how God used persecution to help scatter his church and the gospel with it. In Acts 9 God confronts Saul and he is radically changed from an avid persecutor of the church into a great apostle to the Gentiles. In Paul’s own words - “For I am, by God’s grace, a special messenger from Christ Jesus to you Gentiles. I bring you the Good News and offer you up as a fragrant sacrifice to God”. (Romans 15:15-16) One thing that really struck me this time reading through Acts is the result of this conversion of Saul. Whereas he had stood by and approved of the stoning of Stephen, a powerful preacher to the Greek Jews in Jerusalem, Saul is now converted to be the most powerful evangelist to the Gentiles in the 1^st century. God is at work in the book of Acts and we see it in this powerful change in the life of Saul. Makes you wonder, “what can the Spirit of God accomplish or change in my life if I will only allow him?”

The Great Reversal. Acts 8

Nobody likes to get picked on, let alone persecuted. Yet as we read about the early church in Acts 8 we see a wave of persecution breaking out against them. Why? Maybe Stephen ticked somebody off with his sermon in chapter 7. Actually, I think it was a follow up to God’s plan that was laid out by Jesus in Acts 1:8 – ( “be my witnesses to the ends of the earth”) that wasn’t getting done. You see after the Day of Pentecost and the birth of the Church everybody was doing well in this new Jesus Movement, well maybe not Ananias and Sapphira. But this one big happy family that was experiencing this new way of real life needed to be reminded of the bigger plan – go and make disciples of all nations. My theory – God allowed Acts 8:1 because the Church didn’t get Acts 1:8 –so he encouraged the "going" through the persecution. Perhaps today we would do well to “go and make disciples” or we too may experience God’s great hand of motivation in our own church and generation.