Pastor Terry's Stuff

A Study on the Word

2011-09-28T11:23:00.000-07:00

This fall our Wednesday studies are not of the Word of God so much as about the Word...where did the Bible come from? Is it inspired by God? How should a faithful disciple approach it? Rather than attempt to distill every item discussed, I will simply try to post relevant quotes or insights from our ongoing study.

First and foremost, the believing disciple takes Jesus' own view of Scripture as determinative. As the late John Stott wrote in Evangelical Essentials, "Submission to Scripture is for us evangelicals a sign of our submission to Christ...our incarnate Lord...(who) subordinated Himself to the authority of the Old Testament as he did, regarding them as His Father's written word...in Jesus' temptations...each issue was settled by an apt quotation from Deut. 6 or Deut. 8...'for it stands written' was for Him the conclusive argument. (p. 85)" We studied the profound respect the Jewish people held for the written Word of God, and by analogy we extended the thought that God would desire a similar written witness of His new covenant deeds through Christ.

I also believe it is vital to confess that we are not bibliolators; we do not worship the book, but the God who gave it. Jesus Himself supplies the needed corrective here. He challenged the Pharisees by saying, "You study the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; these are the Scriptures that point to me, yet you refuse to come to me that you might have life!" (John 5:39-40)
Without the illuminating presence of the Spirit of God, and without the living relationship with the Son of God, the Bible itself becomes a dead letter. But this does not change the fact that with the Spirit's light, and to the heart that seeks Christ, the Scriptures are far more than mere human reflections on religious experience; they are revelatory of God's truth. This truth convicts our hearts, which in part explains why so many people hate this book.

Obviously, I have what is called a high view of Scripture. In some circles, such a commitment to Biblical authority places me in a minority. I take courage from the fact that, as Harry Blamires put it, "The doctrine of biblical inspiration and authority is the majority view (if we extend the vote to include the church triumphant). You can never put the traditionalists in the minority. They have a built in majority from the past." (quoted in Evangelical Essentials, p. 84).

Certainly I stand squarely in the center of my own Methodist tradition (and the Protestant tradition) by believing that "all Scripture is God-breathed" (II Tim. 3:16) and that "no prophecy was every the product of human will, but holy people of old spoke as they were carried along by the Spirit of God." (II Peter 1:21)

Does this mean that Scripture is all easy to understand, or that mystery is removed? Does this imply a mechanical dictation theory of inspiration? These are the kinds of straw man arguments which liberals typically toss toward evangelicals, but we are not so naive. Scripture is a love letter from a wondrous God to His beloved people, complex and meaningful. If anything, the Bible carries what some have called a "surplus of meaning," inexhaustible depths. It is shallow enough for lambs to wade, deep enough for elephants to swim. A lifetime of study and prayer will not reach the bottom. It is unlike any other book or writing we have ever seen. I stand before it amazed, eager to hear more of what my Lord would speak to me through it. I have spent years amazed at the snide, dismissive attitude of left wing teachers who set themselves above the Bible to correct it, instead of under it so that God might correct them. They seem unable to see that they are in the presence of greatness. The proper attitude when we approach Scripture must always be, at its root, "speak, Lord...your servants are listening."

Romans 8: The Sanctuary

2011-02-16T07:50:00.000-08:00

Romans 8 has been called the "inner sanctuary of the Christian faith." The theme has been variously singled out as "the security of the believer," "Life in the Spirit," or Sanctification. Our connection to the Spirit of Jesus is no fiction; it is real and it has supremely powerful results in our lives.

8:1-3 The Liberating Spirit

"For those in Christ Jesus," there is no condemnation, no more sentence to serve. "Law" in verse 2 means something more like principle or authority. There are two regimes: Adam's (sin and death) and Christ's (the Spirit of life). The power of the one sets me free from the dominion of the other. God has done something which the law of Moses could not do, weakened as it was by my own sinful nature. God sent His Son in the likeness of sinful flesh "for sin" (or "as a sin offering"). This somehow "condemned sin in the flesh." In the very arena in which sin was reigning, God expressed His just judgment on it and pronounced sentence on it. Christ bore this just sentence for us and overcame it.

FF Bruce wrote, “Christ’s indwelling Spirit infuses into them a new principle – the law of life – which is stronger than indwelling sin and sets them free from its tyranny."

8:4-9 The Empowering Spirit

Everything God has done in Christ (verses 1-3) was for this purpose: to fulfill the law's just requirements in us who walk not in the flesh but in the Spirit.

Should we read "fulfill the law's just requirements" as what Christ did for us on His cross, as what Christ does in us now, or both? In the context of what follows, it would be that Christ enables me to put to death my old fleshly mindset and live as the Spirit leads.

The "flesh" here does not mean my human body but rather the fallen nature which so often takes advantages of the weaknesses, desires and limitations of my physical state. Flesh means the unregenerate and sinful part of me I inherited from Adam. By its very nature this part of me is hostile to God; it makes me unwilling and unable to submit to God's reign. But listen to 8:9: "You are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit!" As believers, we are not to be controlled/dominated by this fallen nature but by the new nature implanted in us by Christ.

The indwelling Spirit is a new, pervasive, powerful and pure presence in my life.

8:10-11 The Life Giving Spirit

Even as Christians, our bodies are "dead" in the sense that they are still susceptible to death and to sin. But the indwelling Spirit will give LIFE to our bodies...spiritual life now, and resurrection life to come.

8:12-13 The Death Dealing Spirit

We have an obligation then to yield to the life giving Spirit and not to the fallen nature. By the Spirit's power we are enabled to put to death our sins! Previous generations talked a lot about "mortifying the flesh." We need to relearn what that means!

There is a hint here that salvation can be lost: if we yield to the flesh, we will "die." This is echoed in Gal. 5:19-20:

"The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery;
idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition,
dissensions, factions & envy; drunkenness,orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did
before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God."

8:14 The Leading Spirit

There is an assurance that the Spirit will lead us; in this context, that would mean the Spirit leads us to mortify the flesh. The Holy Spirit comes to make us holy.

8:15-17 The Adopting Spirit

When we cry out "Abba," Daddy, that is evidence that Jesus is living inside us because that is His cry. If the background here is Roman adoption practice, it was very solemn and serious. Seven witnesses were required, and the child so adopted carried his father's name and was made heir of his possessions. But there is responsibility as well as blessing that comes; we are called to suffer with Christ too!

The glory is not mere compensation for our suffering; somehow, it grows OUT of the suffering and is the completion of it. The crown is connected to the cross.

How do we suffer for Christ? By denying our flesh and by enduring persecution for the sake of His name.

8:18-22 The Glorifying Spirit

This is one of Paul's most beautiful passages, describing all of Creation groaning like a woman in labor, waiting for its redemption. But Creation's redemption will not take place until the people of God are fully saved, fully glorified. When the human race fell, creation itself was subjected to futility and decay; the world fell with us. Some see in this the principle of entropy in Physics; all things run down, energy is expended, heat is lost...is Paul saying that is NOT the way the universe was before human sin??? That the very laws of Physics fell with us, and will be saved with us?

8:23-25 The First-fruits Spirit

We groan too, says Paul, we who have received the Spirit as a kind of downpayment. We long for the redemption of our bodies as well as our souls. Our adoption is not yet complete, and we so ache for it.

8:26-27 The Interceding Spirit

Creation groans; we groan; now we read the the Spirit within us groans, praying for us and praying through us with groans and utterings too deep for words. What a word of comfort, that in our weakness when we don't know how to pray, God comes alongside and does this for us too!

What I Believe about the Church, Part III

2011-02-16T07:19:00.000-08:00

Continued...

11. The church exists so that its members might edify one another. Jesus' Great Commandment to love one another, when obeyed, is the primary sign to the world that we belong to Him. It is for this mutual edification that He binds us together in one body with many gifted parts. The Holy Spirit imparts gifts to each member so that each one needs the others, and each one has something to contribute to the whole. The true church exercises loving discipline and accountability as well as encouragement and love.

12. The church exists to evangelize the world. Jesus' Great Commission outlines our calling; He sends us as the Father sent Him. We are to be ambassadors of heaven to the world, charged with the ministry of reconciliation as if God were pleading with the world through us.

13. The church is destined to rule the world (the universe?) as co-regent with Christ.

14. The church has been given no single, universal shape to her ministries or to her government, being given instead the freedom to implement whatever functional forms serve God's unchanging mission in each time and place. The new wine of Christ will not always fit the wineskins of previous generations.

What I Believe about the Church, Part II

2011-02-15T11:59:00.000-08:00

Continued...

7. As a human institution, the church is flawed; it contains both wheat and weeds, both the truly saved and the posers to whom Christ will one day say, "I never knew you." Even among the truly saved, believers are at various stages of maturity. The church as human institution is threatened by wolves who infiltrate our ranks wearing sheep's clothing. Yet none of this invalidates the church or justifies us in rejecting it entirely. It may be flawed, but it is God's chosen vessel nonetheless.

8. As a human institution, the church is ever in need of reformation by returning to its Biblical standards and to the Holy Spirit's revival. The church must always be humble and open to correction.

9. The church must submit to the authority of God's Word incarnate in Christ and to God's Word written in the canonical Scriptures. The Bible has authority over the church,not the church over the Bible. We are called to obey the Word of God, not correct it or reject it.

10. The church exists to glorify Christ; we are a holy priesthood making sacrifices of praise to His glory.

More to come...

What I Believe about the Church

2011-02-14T12:06:00.001-08:00

Until such time as I update my Bible Study notes here, I thought I would pass along some meditations that fit with my current sermon series on the tasks of the Church. Here are fourteen things I believe about Christ's Church...

1. God saves individuals, but He never saves us in isolation. The church is involved in bringing each person to Christ, and every person thus brought to Christ is grafted into the body of believers. This is the truth in the old line, "no salvation outside the church."

2. The church is both a divine institution and a human institution. God creates His church and God causes her to grow (God the Father is the gardener, God the Son is the builder, God the Spirit adds to the church daily those who are being saved), but God also delegates freedom and responsibility to us as His human instruments.

3. As a divinely created body, the church is made up of all who have truly placed their faith in Christ, and whose names are thus written in the Lamb's book of life. These true believers are known with perfect accuracy only to God, and they represent the "church invisible" as contrasted with the human institution we see on earth as the "church visible."

4. As a divinely created body, the church will endure; the gates of hell will not prevail over her. There may be times or places where a local congregation "dies," either through martyrdom or apostasy, but the church will never pass from the earth because God has promised never to leave Himself without a witness.

5. The true church exists only so far as its members are in living connection to Christ, who is our life. Jesus is the head of the body, the groom of the bride, the shepherd of the sheep, the vine of the branch, and the cornerstone of the building. The Spirit of Christ is the life's breath of the church (in both Hebrew and Greek, all the words are the same for wind, breath and spirit). Without this connection, we have no life in us.

6. With Christ as the head, all the diverse members of the body are joined in mystical union with one another.

.....more to come!

Romans 7: The Loser

2010-11-03T14:05:00.000-07:00

Romans 7 is a toughie. Seriously, it is the one and only passage where Paul seems to describe a losing battle with sin and the sinful nature. What is he talking about? Is this the normal Christian life? Most Calvinists, following St. Augustine, say yes...this is as good as it's gonna get, at least until we die and move on.

I'm an Arminian of the old John Wesley style. I read Romans 7 by first looking at the context of the entire New Testament, and then of Romans chapters 6 and 8. If you list all the other passages that teach that the Christian life should be characterized by defeat, weakness, and compromise, you get...zero. They're just not there. The New Testament is a holiness book, and the expectation throughout is that a life of victory is truly possible. There are so many verses, it is almost easier just to hand you a Bible than to list them.

"Let those who name the name of Christ depart from iniquity...I write this to you so that you do not sin...no one who lives in him continues to sin. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him...do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you in holy, so be holy in all you do, for it is written: 'Be holy, for I am holy.' ...die to sin and live for righteousness...it is God's will that you should be sanctified...God did not call us to be impure but to live a holy life..." And on and on and on.

Likewise, chapter six and eight of Romans stand athwart chapter seven like enormous book ends, each one promising freedom and claiming victory over the sinful nature. Are we really to read the defeat and frustration of Romans 7 as the context in which to read those passages, or vice versa?

Romans 6 --- you are dead to sin, you cannot live in it any longer...no longer slaves to sin...do not let sin reign...sin shall not be your master...you have been set free from sin...

Romans 7 --- You are a prisoner/slave to sin.

Romans 8 --- The law of the Spirit of life has set me free from the law of sin and death!

So how are we to understand Romans 7? I believe that common sense and a straight forward reading of the context and the text itself reveals that Romans 7 is Paul's retrospective on life before he met Christ; it is the misery of a man who knows God's law, but has only the resources of his own strength to overcome the power of indwelling sin. Thus in chapter 7, the Spirit is mentioned only once; in chapter 8, some thirty one times. In chapter 7, grace is never mentioned, although law is named twenty times. The Greek pronoun ego, which, when used, is an emphasized "I," occurs eight times in chapter 7. Chapter 7 ends with a doubly emphasized "I, myself." This word never appears in chapter 8. My heading for chapter 7 would be: "The law as useless in helping us struggle against indwelling sin." And then chapter 8:3 - "What the law was powerless to do..." The Spirit of Jesus in us can do!

7:1-6 Dead to the Law

Paul's argument here is that death cancels all contracts, such as marriage. We were metaphorically "married" to the law, but now through our union with the death of Christ, we have died in that relationship. Now we are free to remarry and "belong to another," the risen Christ. Now we can bear fruit for God!

Verse five says "while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death." (This is what is spelled out in detail in 7:7-25, the frustration section).

Verse six says "But NOW we are discharged from the law, dead to that which held us captive, so we serve not under the old written code but in the new life of the Spirit!" (This will be described in chapter 8).

7:7-13 Sin and Law

Sin is personified as a sly enemy who enlists the law as an unintentional accomplice. We can't blame law for our trouble; but law adds a tingle of the enticement of forbidden fruit to temptation. Actually, what is to blame for that is the sin nature working in all of us, making us want to violate God's law.

It is important to know the difference between "Sin" as the sinful nature, indwelling sin, original sin, whatever name you want to use, and "sin" as sinful acts or behaviors. I inherited my sinful nature from Adam; sins are what comes flowing out of that bent to my spirit. I think it is the same distinction Jesus made between the tree and its fruit; nature and behavior.

7:14-25 The Hopeless Struggle against indwelling sin

John Wesley calls this "the miserable bondage of those still under the law...truly convinced of sin, but not able to conquer it." I know what is right and good, part of me wants to obey God, but I find this OTHER desire in my nature that pulls me downward, like a bowling ball strapped to an Olympic swimmer...this section builds to the frustrated cry of verse 24, "O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?" I believe Paul is referring here to a horrible ancient custom by which some tyrants punished murderers by chaining them to the corpses of their victims. It guaranteed several gruesome days and finally a horrible death. The sinful nature feels like THAT...who will set me free?

Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ! Paul shouts. There is a deliverer!

The end of verse 25, however, seems oddly out of place. "So I will just resign myself to serve sin with my body, but at least in my mind I will serve God." What? Just live in some kind of bizarre cognitive dissonance?

I know of at least four various interpretations for this verse and its placement.

1. Paul is just giving up. Who will deliver me from this body of death? Nobody...at least until I die. I'm stuck in this frustration.

2. Some argue that these words were moved from earlier in the chapter to here; Paul intended to end the passage with praise for Christ his deliverer. I do not believe we have any manuscript evidence for this, though.

3. Some contend that the words are not from Paul at all, but are so out of place they must have been inserted by some early scribe and copied into all subsequent manuscripts. Again, no hard evidence exists for this.

4. I would argue for the fourth view. Paul says "I, myself" in the sense of meaning "I, on my own, apart from the Spirit's help...I would be stuck in this mess." But he immediately goes on into chapter 8 to talk about life in the Spirit. I am NOT on my own! I have the indwelling Spirit of Christ!

Romans 6: Sin's Power is Broken!

2010-11-02T14:57:00.000-07:00

Romans 6 and 8, taken together, are one of the most powerful calls to holy living in the New Testament. Oddly enough, they bracket Romans 7 - the one and only passage where Paul seems to imply that we have no hope of living above sin. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it!

For now, note that Romans 6 begins with the question, since we are under grace, why don't we just go on sinning? Paul's strong "God forbid!" or "may it never be!" is his shocked reaction. We DIED to sin! How can we live in it any longer?

For Paul, to be a Christian was to live "in Christ," a real union with the Son of God. He uses the phrase some one hundred sixty four times, and at other times speaks of Christ "in us." Like Jesus' image of the vine connected to the branches, this living connection between us represents life and transformation. To be sure, the transformation is not completed in this world, but it most certainly has begun!

In 6:3-5 Paul discusses our baptism as an entering into this connection; we are joined to Jesus in his death and his resurrection...really, truly, genuinely. The result of this union are the shocking claims made in 6:6 - our old "self" has been crucified with Jesus (see Gal. 2:20); the "sinful body" has been rendered powerless; and sin's enslaving hold on us has been broken. Um, Wow! Sure, people love to argue about whether or not the sinful nature in us has been eradicated or simply moved off the throne, but you cannot deny the straightforward claim that sin's dominion over us is decisively broken. In the same vein, 6:7-10 talks about the way that death severs us from sin's dominion; that by sharing in Christ's death, we have somehow moved beyond sin's power to hold us. Christ died to sin once and for all, and now Christ lives for God...and if we are united to Christ, our experience should be the same. Dead to sin, alive to God!

The word "so" indicates the connection between all that Paul has said in 6:3-10 and the commands that follow in 6:11-14. Because of all that dying to sin stuff, now...

6:11 Reckon yourself dead to sin but alive to God; begin to be what you already are!
(See Col. 3:3-5)

6:12 Reject the reign of sin. Sin shall not be the boss of you! Defy sin, rebel against rebellion.

6:13a Refuse to yield your members as instruments of sin.

6:13b Reserve your service for God instead!

6:14 Realize that sin's power over you is broken!

Now, this is really some strong meat. It is bold, defiant, and challenging. It is not a claim that we are now beyond sin. Rather, it moves into an amazing passage on our newly won freedom from sin's dominion, and the call to use that freedom to surrender our lives to the One who saved us (Gal. 5:13).

6:14 is very similar to 6:1, by asking again, now that we are under grace, should we expect to go on sinning? And the answer is, it is BECAUSE we are under grace that sin's power over us is broken, and a new life is now possible for us!

6:15-25, the second great section of the chapter, has the same theme as the first; we have now been set free and we should use this freedom to CHOOSE a new master. There is the possibility that we might yield ourselves to sin again; but we should turn to yield ourselves to God. There is a paradox here, in that sin would appear to offer us freedom but ends up with us in the worst slavery imaginable; yielding obedience to God as His slaves may seem to be constrictive, but in truth brings us into glorious liberty. JB Phillips translates verse 23, "Sin pays its servants; the wage is death. God gives to those who serve Him; His free gift is eternal life."

Romans 5, Part 2: Christ and Adam

2010-10-28T08:24:00.000-07:00

This second half of chapter 5 is so strange to us. We Americans especially tend to think of ourselves as individuals ONLY. Other corners of the world and other eras were much more comfortable with the notion of corporate solidarity, and even corporate personality. The writer to the Hebrews could argue that Levi had paid the tithe himself, since he was in the loins of Abraham when he tied to Melchizedek (Heb. 7:9-11). There is mystery in the notion that somehow, "in Adam's fall, we sinned all." We were "in" Adam at the time, and somehow are complicit in that first sin. The Bible seems to struggle to find a balance here, telling us that God does not hold future generations guilty for the sins of those who went before (read Ezekiel 18), yet still insisting that at the very least we have inherited from our first parents a fallen nature that inclines us toward evil. This indwelling sinful bent helps us, as someone put it, "like a bowling ball helps an Olympic swimmer."

Simply put, we all start off life "in Adam," born in his fallen image, inclined toward sin, and all of us confirming that inclination by our own willing choices. Paul's interest is to compare and contrast Adam with Christ. The good news is that we can transfer our lives to be "in Christ," and in doing so find something that is "much more" powerful. Paul's words seem to ramble quite a bit, but his recurring theme is this comparison...in Adam, much more in Christ...

If many died through the one trespass of the one man, Adam, Much More shall the grace of God and His free gift abound through the One, Jesus Christ.

One trespass led to judgment and on to condemnation...
Many trespasses led (in time, at least, not causally) the free gift and justification.

One man's trespass, through that one man, death came to reign.
Much More through the man Jesus Christ will those who receive abundant grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life.

One man's trespass led to condemnation for all men;
One man's act of righteousness led to acquittal and life for all men (some see here a hint of universalism, but recall just before this there was a reference to "those who receive" this grace).

Through one man's disobedience many were made sinners;
Through one man's act of righteousness (on the cross?), many are made righteous.

C.E.B. Cranfield comments, "That one single misdeed should be answered by judgment, this is perfectly understandable: that the accumulated sins and guilt of all the ages should be answered by God’s free gift, this is the miracle of miracles, utterly beyond human comprehension."

Paul says that the law came in (literally, came on stage alongside) so that sin would increase (I assume, by pointing it out). But where sin abounded, grace SUPER-abounded. That has got to be one of my favorite verses. God's grace is such that nothing and no one will ever be able to surpass it. If you ever think your sin is such that God cannot cleanse it, you are paying yourself a compliment, that you think you are greater than God. God's grace can overtrump any situation, any mess, any stain, any guilt.

It is one thing to wreck a car; it takes months to restore it. It is the work of a moment, perhaps, to wreck a life; the restoration of it is a greater act, a work of miracle and tribute to the glory, power, wisdom and mercy of the great Restorer.

Romans 5 - The "Through" Chapter

2010-10-27T12:43:00.000-07:00

This chapter details the benefits we enjoy through Christ (5:1-11) and then talks about the contrast between our identity in Adam or in Christ (5:12-21). Paul will ramble a bit here, and I continue to picture him dictating to Tertius as he walks and gets excited about his subject. Everything here will jump off from verse one: "Since we are justified by faith..." Assuming Paul has made his case thus far in Romans, that we stand right with God as a gift of His grace, received by faith (and not works), ....so what? What are the fruits of this justification?

Our benefits include...

5:1 Peace with God (through our Lord Jesus Christ)
5:2a Introduction to this grace in which we stand (obtained through Him, mind you).

The word here for "access" or "introduction" could be a formal word, such as presenting a person to a king. It might be used for a ship being ushered into a safe harbor. "In which we stand" is a perfect tense in the Greek, indicating a past action resulting in an ongoing condition. There is a sphere, so to speak, of safety, security and welcome into which grace brings us. Here, nothing can disturb us or touch us; nothing can separate us from God's love. I think of the old Buster Keaton movie where the wall falls, but doesn't touch him because he is standing in the one safe spot.

5:2b Rejoicing in hope of sharing God's glory. We fell short of this in 3:23, but now we believe we are on track to one day step into and share the very beauty and power and joy of God.

5:3-4 Rejoicing in suffering. What? Suffering, as a person in Christ, is not pointless but productive suffering. Good comes of it (see 8:28). The word for suffering here is thlipsis, pressure or trouble. It creates in us endurance (not a passive submission, but the powerful ability to withstand any challenge); character (proven under fire, as of a metal purified in a furnace or a veteran proven in battle); and hope (a solid confidence). And this hope, verse 5, will not disappoint us...because God's love has been poured out in our hearts by His Spirit!

5:5 is the first mention of the Spirit in the book, and the outpouring is another perfect tense...an initial outpouring which results in a continual infilling.

5:6 Christ's Death and Life

Christ died for us while we were helpless, and at just the right moment in time. This demonstrates...

5:7-8 God's Love

It is rare to die for a righteous person (the word may mean good, but in a cold, impersonal way); maybe one might die for a good person (the word here means attractive in goodness, charismatic and lovable). But God shows his love in this; while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

5:9-10 Therefore, since we are now justified (echoing verse 1)...

MUCH MORE shall we be saved from God's wrath through Him.

If his death justified us while we were rebels and enemies, MUCH MORE, now standing reconciled, will we be saved by His life. Perhaps meaning that a living friend is even more of a help than a dead one!

Some churches focus exclusively on the past tense salvation of justification. While this is vital, there is MUCH MORE to salvation...more than what He did 2000 years ago, there is what the living Christ wants to do in me and for me TODAY.

5:11 We rejoice THROUGH our Lord Jesus, THROUGH whom we have received our reconciliation.

Romans 4 - Papa Abraham

2010-10-27T11:56:00.000-07:00

Was Father Abraham an example of being righteous by works or by faith? The rabbis tended to say he was like Noah, chosen because he was righteous in his generation (see Jubilees 23:10 - "perfect in all his deeds with the Lord.")

Rom. 4:1-8 Abraham not justified by works

Paul's first step is to consult the Scripture (4:3), because he believe that in Scripture we have the very Word and truth of God. He quotes Gen. 15:6: "Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned (or credited, or imputed) to him as righteousness." The Greek word logizomai meant to credit to someone's account (in a financial sense) or charge to their person guilt or innocence in a legal sense. There are two ways you can get a "credit" on your account: either as wages (something you are owed, and the payer is obligated, because of your earning it) or by a gift. Thus Paul contrasts work, which deserves its pay, and faith, which carries none of the meanings of deserving on our side, or obligation on the payer's side. Faith is a means or condition of receiving a gift, but never a deserving or meritorious condition. Paul then quotes David's beatitude in Psalm 32:1-2: Blessed is that person whose transgressions are covered, sins forgiven, and against whom the Lord will not reckon sin. That word "reckon" is the connection with the Genesis text; God reckons faith as righteousness, God will not reckon sin against us...it's positive and negative reckoning. Talk about double grace! Not only does God erase all our debts (which were really very serious, soul-endangering) but God turns around and credits my account with the greatest wealth imaginable...a right relationship with Him, the King of the universe!

Rom. 4:9-12 Abraham not justified by circumcision

Paul points out that this reckoning by God took place before the mark of circumcision...fourteen years before, at least. The physical mark came AFTER the reality, and was only a symbol of it. Similar to any sacrament, the symbol does have some importance...but it means nothing without the spiritual reality. God's purpose in doing it this way was to make Abraham the father of all who find this right relationship through faith, whether circumcised or uncircumcised.

To Jews, this would have been shocking! The notion that Abraham's true descendents are not traced racially or physically, but spiritually? The ghost haunting all the book of Romans is Jewish resistance to the gospel of grace and faith offered to Gentiles.

Rom. 4:13-17a Abraham not justified by law

This reflects a similar passage in Galatians 3:17, where Paul points out that the law came on the scene 430 years after God's promise. Law was a stop gap measure, a temporary filler; the promise of God was foundational and permanent! Long after law is gone, promise and grace will still be in effect.

This promise involved inheriting not just the land of Canaan, but the entire planet! Paul wonders why folks are so fond of law, what law ever really did for them? Law brings wrath by exposing our guilt and convicting us. Its function has been purely negative; it has no power to cleanse guilt or help us overcome temptation. You might say it has helped us, but only by showing us our need by demonstrating how far short we fall of God's glory.

Rom. 4:17b-22 Abraham justified by faith!

The God he believed (4:17b) - was a God whose word has the power to call the dead to life...either Abraham himself (as good as dead, Rom. 4:19, Heb. 11:12) or Isaac back from the dead (Heb. 11:19). Was that test in Genesis 22 to see if Abraham believed that God will perform his promise, even if He has to raise the dead to do so? Absolutely! Faith is that kind of trust in the Word of God! Even if all reality seems to point to the impossibility, God will keep His promise, God will perform His Word. He may move heaven and earth to do so, but that is nothing to Him. After all, who is this God? He is the One who called into existence things which don't even exist in the first place!

The Word he believed (4:18) - God's promise was that Abraham would be father of many nations. Abraham had to believe this "against hope," meaning in the face of human expectation of the future, which were dismal.

The Barriers to belief (4:19-20a) - These threaten to weaken faith, to cause him to waver in believing God's promise. The physical evidence seemed against God's Word - His own aged body, and then Sarah's barren womb.

The Faith that believed (4:20b-21) - An unwavering psychological and spiritual certainty that God will keep His promise; "fully convinced." He grew strong in this faith and gave God glory by doing so. The object of our faith is the authoritative, powerful, true Word of God; and this very Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and was named Jesus.

"That is why..." Why? Was Abraham blessed by some virtue in Him? Or rather is this saying that God will not fail to do what He promises, especially for the person who trusts His promise in the face of all kinds of argument and evidence to the contrary? (Read C.S. Lewis's "On Obstinacy in Belief" to find an argument that such tenacious faith is rational and not irrational).

4:23-25 This was written for us, too...

We who believe in the God who raised from the dead Jesus Christ our Lord...
The one put to death for our trespasses and raised for our justification (quoting Isaiah 53).

This whole chapter is, in fact, aimed at what God reckons to US who believe in Jesus.

Romans 3: All in the Same Boat

2010-10-06T13:42:00.000-07:00

Here's my outline for this chapter:
3:1-19 Paul answers objections to his claim that Jew & Gentile are in the same boat
3:20 The Conclusion: Nobody, but NOBODY, is going to be justified by our works
3:21-26 Another way to get right with God
3:27-4:1 Paul answers objections to this new way

Yes, I know, la dee da...it all sounds so theological and (*yawn*) dry...but as one guy has said, Romans 3:21-26 may be the most important paragraph EVER WRITTEN! Wow!

Backing up...here are some of the objections Paul imagines a heckler throwing at him (and he faced countless such arguments in the synagogues around the Mediterranean):

3:1-2 "Oh, so is there NO advantage to being a Jew?"
Paul's answer: oh, there are plenty...I'll name just one...you have the Scriptures!
Having God's Word is an enormous blessing to life. Bishop Moule, in his commentary on Romans, says "In his (that is, the Jew's) care was lodged the Book by which man was to live and die; through which he would know immeasurably more about God and himself than he could learn from all other informants put together; his people were born into the light of revelation…”

3:3-4 "Does human unfaithfulness nullify God's faithfulness?"
In the strongest language possible, Paul says "No way!" God is always true, though every human being be a liar (Psalm 51:4)

3:5-6 "But if our sin reveals God's justice, thus glorifying him, isn't sin kind of...I don't know...doing God a favor? Hey, my sin and my worship accomplish the same thing!"

Paul says, come on! If that were so, how could God ever judge anybody?

3:7-8 "But if my lying brings God glory, shouldn't I just lie some more?"
This just repeats the previous argument, and Paul barely gives it the dignity of a rebuttal...for people like that, their condemnation is just. I visualize Gregory Peck playing Atticus Finch, in that classic courtroom scene, dismissing some ideas with a wave of his hand as "assumptions one associates with minds of their caliber."

3:9ff "So are we Jews any better off at all?"
And Paul says, well, ultimately...no. And then he tears off into a familiar rabbinic technique of stringing together a list of Old Testament verses:

3:10-12 Psalm 114:1-3
3:13 Psalm 5:9
3:14 Psalm 10:7
3:15-17 Isaiah 59:7-8
3:18 Psalm 36:1

These are some pretty awful images of sin, and Paul points out that what Torah says, it says to those under the law...that is, the Jews. So if you were feeling smug at the end of chapter one, looking down your nose at those filthy Gentiles, here is what the Bible says about the evil in the Jewish heart! Every mouth is closed before God; nobody, Jew or Gentile, will ever be justified by our own holy efforts.

You really have to pause here and let it sink in. We are guilty and lost before God. There is NO WAY we can ever get right with God by our own works; that old dog won't hunt. This is the ultimate dead end. All those Biblical images of judgment come pouring in; outer darkness, Gehenna, the lake of fire, cast out, perishing. However you interpret those powerful metaphors, they are terrifying. This is the dead end of all dead ends.

Now.

We might be ready to celebrate the power and promise of Romans 3:21-26. God has provided ANOTHER WAY. From God's side of the equation, justification is offered as a gift. A GIFT! It is to be received by faith on our side, simple trust in the promise of God. Paul uses words like justification (legal pardon), redemption (purchased freedom from slavery) and mercy seat (the place where the blood of sacrifice was offered to God to make atonement for sin).

In response, the imaginary objector interrupts:

3:27-28 "Well, what does this do with our national boasting?"
Paul says it pretty much shuts that down permanently.

3:29-30 "But, but, but...isn't God only for the Jews?"
Nope...Jew and Gentile. There is one God (says the Shema) and only one way to get right with this God, whether you're Jewish or not. That way is faith.

3:31 "But doesn't this nullify the law?"
And Paul says, "No, in fact, we establish the law." This is harder to figure, because "law" is such a loaded word, used with various shades of meaning. As Torah, it could refer to the entire Hebrew Bible...or the law given on Sinai...or it could even be used as a word meaning "general principle." I take it in much the same sense in which Jesus said He came "not to destroy the law but to fulfill it." Under the new covenant of grace, law does not disappear. But it moves from being carved on tablets of stone, outside us, to condemn us, to being written on our very hearts (see Jeremiah 31) as God's holy character changes us from the inside out.

Today with Chesterton

2010-09-27T05:19:00.000-07:00

I mentioned G.K. Chesterton's book Heretics in my sermon yesterday; here is the closing paragraph of the introduction of that book:

"Suppose that a great commotion arises in the street about something, let us say a lamp-post, which many influential persons desire to pull down. A grey-clad monk, who is the spirit of the Middle Ages, is approached upon the matter, and begins to say, in the arid manner of the Schoolmen, 'Let us first of all consider, my brethren, the value of Light. If Light be in itself good -' At this point he is somewhat excusably knocked down. All the people make a rush for the lamp-post, the lamp-post is put down in ten minutes, and they go about congratulating each other on their unmediaeval practicality. But as things go on they do not work out so easily. Some people have pulled down the lamp-post down because they wanted the electric light; some because they wanted old iron; some because they wanted darkness, because their deeds were evil. Some thought it not enough of a lamp-post, some too much; some acted because they wanted to smash municipal machinery; some because they wanted to smash something. And there is war in the night, no man knowing whom he strikes. So, gradually and inevitably, to-day, to-morrow, or the next day, there comes back the conviction that the monk was right after all, and that all depends on what is the philosophy of Light. Only what we might have discussed under the gas-lamp, we now must discuss in the dark."

Isn't this an exact picture of what has happened in Western culture? The Bible...and the Christian worldview which flows from it...has been forcibly shunted to the side, away from view. As Romans says, People just don't like to "retain God in their knowledge." And they are so proud of their fresh atheistic wisdom, but it is of course nothing but foolishness. We are the monks who still believe, but we are increasingly out of step with this culture...to the point that we appear to them as strange as the Amish. So be it! We are busy trying to get the lamp post back up and persuading those who will believe that it is preferable to the darkness...

JUDGMENT!

2010-09-16T11:46:00.000-07:00

Okay, in chapter 1 we had God's wrath PRESENTLY being revealed on earth, as God allows us to face the consequences of our sins. In chapter 2 the focus shifts to the wrath of God on the DAY when we all will stand before our Maker to be held accountable for our deeds.

The Day of the Lord (Day of Yahweh) is a common theme in the Old Testament. A quick reading of Amos 5:18-20, Isa. 24:19-23 and Zeph. 1:14-18 will give a quick orientation to this prophetic vision. God Himself is coming, and when he blows the whistle it will be everybody out of the pool! IF THIS IS TRUE...if all of human history is moving to a day when we will all, all nine billion of us, be called to stand before God...that's a terribly important thing to factor into life! Hold on to that thought...

As chapter 1 closed, we were feelin' pretty superior to those evil folks who murder, and slander, and do sexually perverted stuff...feeling much like the Pharisee in Jesus' parable who prays, "Thank you Lord that I'm not like that guy over there!" Maybe it shouldn't surprise us when Paul wheels on US and points a finger in our goody-goody faces. He aims his blast at pious Jews, or perhaps Gentiles who think they are righteous as well. Paul's whole point in 2:1-16 is that nobody should head toward Judgment Day feeling very cocky.

2:1-3 Your superior attitude is wrong; you are guilty of doing the same things you condemn others for doing.

2:4-5 Your presumption is wrong; just because judgment is delayed doesn't mean it's cancelled! In fact, you're just piling up more wrath for yourself. The Greek concept of justice and the Eastern vision of karma dovetail with the view here; the moral principle of the universe is building up pressure with each wicked act; on that day, all the chickens are coming home to roost!

2:5-16 Your presumption of special position is wrong!

If you think it's a comfort to hear that we will be judged impartially on our deeds (verses 6-8), is that really a good thing? I personally interpret Paul here as saying by this standard, NO ONE is going to make it. He will later say that explicitly; there is none righteous, no not one. Eternal life will not be earned by law-works by anyone. Period. Ever. Got it? Now, there is Biblical evidence that even believers will stand before a judgment, and at that judgment our works will be examined. The important thing to know about that is (1) believers will not meet their sins at any future judgment; Jesus already bore that guilt and it is gone. (2) Believer's lives and/or works will be made plain on that day, perhaps to confirm our salvation but certainly to establish rewards or ranking in the life to come. If that notion bothers you, you might want to set down your copy of Das Kapital and pick up your New Testament. It amazes some folks to learn that the degree of faithfulness in stewardship now will be reflected in levels of reward and responsibility then...but it is repeatedly taught. Pick up Bruce Wilkinson's little book, A Life God Rewards, for a quick intro to the Biblical data.

If you think your Jewish status guards you from judgment, think again (verses 9-11). More light means more responsibility, and your preference as a Jew simply means that judgment will START with you (I Peter 4:17).

If you think your lack of God's Torah law shields you from judgment, think again (verses 12-16). Whether you have God's law on a scroll or written into your heart, Jew or Gentile, you will be judged by that law.

If you think your status as a legally trained Jew shields you, think again (verses 17-24). You brag about being a teacher of others, but the bottom line is do you practice what you preach? The answer is no; even Jews are law breakers whose checkered lives bring dishonor to God.

If you think your circumcision somehow blocks you from judgment, think again (verse 25-29). Yes, the rabbis taught this; that the very fact of physical circumcision meant you could not go to Gehenna. But they were wrong; the outward, physical MARK or symbol means zilch if you do not have (1) the inner reality, circumcision of the heart, and (2) the outer fruit, a real life of obedience and law-doing.

Bottom line; we are all headed toward Judgment Day with dirty consciences and guilty sins. If certain Jews had been living in denial about that, Paul wants to disabuse them of the fatal notion that all was well. Wake up and feel guilty! Then you might find and appreciate the relief grace will offer...in the passages that follow.

The Dark Exchange

2010-09-14T15:21:00.000-07:00

Romans 1:18-32 Why Are We The Way We Are?

I've stolen (ahem, borrowed) my title, The Dark Exchange, from John Piper, who is one of the few who have written about what I consider the heart of this passage. There is a spiritual decision that every human being makes, not less than rational but beyond reason, in the deep and hidden places of the soul. We have all turned away from God in that deep place, and unless we respond to God's gracious calling we will grow darker and worse from that point onward.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

The apostle Paul says that we EXCHANGE the glory of God for something less. Three times Paul will march through the same basic outline here in Romans 1:

1. The Dark Exchange (1:23, 1:25, 1:28a)

2. God gave them up (1:24a, 1:26a, 1:28b)

3. Disorder results, usually evidenced in sexual disorder (1:24b, 1:26b-27, 1:28c).

What fascinates me...and I can't find anyone who really deals with this at length...is the almost economic nature of this spiritual "trade." It seems to be such a major Biblical theme; Eve, in the garden, trades away her relation with God for the fruit. Esau trades away his birth right for a bowl of stew, which is basically a Biblical type of our spiritual sin. We give away the eternal for the immediate, and regret it as soon as the stew is gone. Jesus warned us about giving our souls away in an attempt to gain the world.

Is reality some kind of "let's make a deal" game show, where Monty Hall offers us what's behind curtain number three (usually a donkey) in exchange for our vacation in Hawaii? Is the devil Monty Hall? What exactly are we trading away, and what do we think we will gain?

According to Paul, we trade away the very glory of God. We break the first commandment, and choose a false god in God's place; we give away our future glory, our hope of sharing God's glory. We think we see things more beautiful than God; we are wrong. In Jeremiah 2, God accused the Israelites of exchanging Him, the fountain of living water, for a broken cistern that could not hold water. We lose everything worth having and gain nothing worth keeping in this trade. What a tragedy!

Verse 21 outlines the flow of this movement:

From this inner spiritual choice...

To a refusal to honor or thank God

To flawed, pointless thinking (our reason gets poisoned)

To darkened hearts (our spirits are blinded)

And finally into a terrible list of evil behaviors which fill the closing verses of the chapter.

Yuck. Is this really us? Well, looking at history, yes.

But it all flows from that horrible spiritual decision to turn our backs on God because we think we've found something better.

Verse 22: The Sophomores

We should remember this word means "wise fool." Thinking they were so wise, they actually became fools. No one makes a trade they think is a bad deal from the outset; we trade God away because we think we're so smart! And once we make this terrible deal, well, we have to keep justifying it, because who wants to admit we've just been duped in the greatest con of all time? No, we LIKE living without God! At least, we pretend that we like it...

Read Isaiah 5:20-21 and ponder the connection of intellectual arrogance with moral blindness.

I won't detail the verses here...they are terrible. Paul himself gets so upset in the middle he has to break out into praise, as if he's trying to clear the air with some hallelujahs. The thing to see is the flow...from our smarty pants rejection of God, the next thing that happens is on God's side. God lets us go...he gives us our way. The father lets the prodigal head off for the far country, into hunger and misery and emptiness (surely in the hopes that the boy will learn his lesson and come home!). And then, since we are out of alignment with our Maker, the most fundamental aspect of human life, sexuality, gets out of alignment. Yes, Paul talks about homosexuality as a consequence of this brokenness at the heart of things. This is not the way God meant life to be for us. It is not God's best plan for human happiness. But it's all part and parcel of our losing our relation with God.

The really horrifying thing is the way the chapter ends. Not only do we live in unrepentant sin ourselves, we actually applaud and affirm sin in others. We become spiritual Dr. Kervorkians, helping others to destroy themselves too. Is it possible for a human soul to become less Christ-like than this? Isn't this the most we could become like the the evil one?

Real Wrath of God Stuff

2010-09-13T12:15:00.000-07:00

The rest of Romans chapter 1 is tough going. It is all about "the wrath of God being revealed from heaven." But in chapter 1, this is not end of the world judgment; it is wrath visible NOW on earth, as God allows human beings to eat the consequences of their own choices. We are free to make sinful choices; but we are NOT free to escape the consequences of those choices.

The Root Cause: Truth Suppression (1:18b)

This is somewhat surprising! Many people think if only we could craft the perfect Case for Faith (a la Lee Stroebel) that every reasonable person would have to agree that our faith is true. Paul claims that there is a deeper process going on; people do not believe in, obey or acknowledge God, not because of a lack of evidence, but because of a willing choice to reject God! AFTER that, they suppress the evidence! Jesus said people prefer the darkness to the light "because their deeds were evil." If the mirror shows your face is dirty, you either wash your face or break the mirror. Thus many turn from God's light and willingly prefer darkness.

The Evidence for God

Paul claims it is there, clearly evident for all people. It is actively "shown" by God (Ps. 19); constant, from creation until now; and clearly perceived, a phrase which implies drawing a conclusion from evidence. People who reject God are, in Paul's words, "without excuse." God has revealed Himself, both through nature and through His own intentional communication in words (the Bible) and Word (Jesus). From nature itself, any honest and rational creature should be able to know several things about God: He exists, He must be mighty and wonderful; He is moral and expects morality from us (1:32).

There is a "knowing" that is spiritual, deeper than consciousness. Our blindness toward God is willingly self imposed. To quote John Piper, "Every person we know already knows God, deep down, and knows God's law. That is an astonishing truth for anyone who wants to communicate the gospel." When we do stand before God, when He is revealed to us and we are revealed to ourselves, I do not believe ANY of us will say, as Bertrand Russell claims, "Why did you not make the evidence of your existence more obvious?" Instead, we will say, "I have know all along you were real, and that this day was coming."

Why would human beings make this terrible choice, suppress this truth about God? Tune in next blog time, next blog channel...

Romans 1:1-17 Paul's Introduction

2010-09-13T10:49:00.000-07:00

Prologue 1:1-7

In a meandering and insightful prologue, Paul touches on who he is (1a), what the gospel is (1b-5), and who the Romans are (6-7).

Paul himself is a slave of Jesus Christ; the word means the absolute property of someone. A slave has zero authority in himself; but then Paul says he is called to be an apostle. The apostle carries the full authority of the One who sent him! An amazing balance, almost a paradox. The word for "set apart" in 1a is a combination of Greek words, meaning "off-horizoned." Paul has a new center of gravity! Having Jesus as Lord will do that to you.

The gospel, or Evangel, is a word and a concept taken from the Old Testament. In Isaiah is it the joyful announcement that the exiles have been delivered out of bondage and can go home. This was a foreshadow of the ultimate redemption Jesus offers us! This good news is FROM God, FORETOLD in the written Scriptures, and FOCUSES on God's Son. It's all about Jesus, descended physically from David, but declared God's Son when the Holy Spirit raised Him from the dead. From this wonderful Redeemer Paul says he received both grace and apostleship. Again, the Bible shows a perfect balance in all things. We are freely brought into the family of God, AND given responsibility! The goal of this apostleship is to bring about "obedient faith" (another balance, see Gal. 5:6) for the sake of His name, among all the nations. This sounds like Paul is reflecting on the Great Commission.

1:6-7 speaks of who the Romans are:

Called to belong to Jesus (like Paul)
God's Beloved
Called to be saints.

Notice the structure; what they are called to be, called to strive toward, but in the center is who they ARE already. They...and we...are the beloved of God.

1:8-10 Paul's Prayer

It is a thankful prayer (8), a ceaseless prayer (9), and a petitioning prayer (10). How was this request granted? Paul finally arrives in Rome...as a prisoner! Yet God never answers our prayers with some kind of gotcha gimmick. All of God's answers are good, and for our good. Great good came out of Paul's witness in those chains.

1:11-15 Paul's Passion

The apostle wants to impart some edifying gift (11), find mutual encouragement (12), and reap some harvest among them (13) because of his sense of obligation (14) and his zeal to proclaim the good news (15).

1:16-17 Paul's Pride

Paul is not ashamed of the gospel, a round about way of saying He is proud of it. It is God's power for salvation for the person who believes, Jew or Gentile; it reveals the very righteousness of God. Here we come across the key word of the entire epistle: righteousness. The Greek root is brought over into English with a variety of words: just, justification, righteous, righteousness. The fundamental meaning of righteousness is to declared "in the right," especially in a courtroom setting. This forensic meaning of the word is really inescapable. The most important thing in all of life is to somehow gain this right relationship with our Maker, which we have lost. Paul's whole point is that we cannot earn or acquire this right standing on our own; it is given to us by God, "by faith from first to last." Paul's grammar is amazingly consistent on this theological point: we are saved by grace, through faith in God's Son. Just compare Paul's wording with these two passages:

Rom. 3:21-22 "But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe."

Phil. 3:9 "...not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ - the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith."

Here in Romans 1:17, Paul quotes from Habakkuk 2:4: "The just shall live by faith." In this context, the meaning is clear: "The person who is righteous (gets this right relationship with God) through faith is the person who will live." To me, this is a precise reflection of the same truth found in John 3:16: "whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

Grace is the source, faith is the key, righteousness is the gift, everlasting life is the result...the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ!

Welcome to Rome!

2010-08-26T10:36:00.000-07:00

My first year here, I led a study of Mark...lots of rich narratives, Jesus walking on water, healing the sick, driving out demons, dead, buried and risen. Then last year I worked through Genesis; again, high drama from Creation through the patriarchs and then the heart-rending story of Joseph. We are starting this Fall with Romans, which is not so much narrative as it is DOCTRINE. But that's okay...as Dorothy Sayers used to say, "The dogma is the drama." The central, essential truths of our faith are the most wonderful and touching story earth has ever seen...the story of salvation offered to the lost, through faith in Christ.

Romans is not so much about the Romans in particular. Most of Paul's other letters were addressed to specific needs in particular communities; Romans tells us more about Paul's central beliefs than anything about the Romans. If the book had jacket blurbs, there would be a photo of Paul wearing a tweed jacket and smoking a pipe, and it would be peppered with quotes from fans of the book:

“Time and again in the course of Christian history it has liberated minds, brought us back to an understanding of the essential nature of the gospel, and started spiritual revolutions.” F.F. Bruce

“The probability is that every great spiritual revival in the church (is a result) of a deeper understanding of this book.” F.L. Godet

“When anyone gains a knowledge of this Epistle he has an entrance opened to him to all the most hidden treasures of Scripture.” John Calvin

“It is the fullest, plainest and grandest statement of the gospel in the NT. Its message is not that ‘man was born free, and everywhere he is in chains,’ as Rousseau put it; it is rather that human beings are born in sin and slavery, but that Jesus Christ came to set us free.” JRW Stott

“If a tyrant destroyed all of Scripture, but Romans and John escaped, Christianity would be saved.” - Martin Luther

God's Holy Spirit has used this book time and again to save and to revive. In 386ad, a young man named Augustine heard a voice chanting, "Take it up and read it; take it up and read it." He picked up a nearby Bible and read a passage from Romans and was saved, much to the joy of his praying mother. In 1515 a miserable Augustinian monk named Martin was lecturing on the book of Romans, and suddenly felt the gates of paradise open for his own soul. His gloomy legalism fell away before the teaching of God's grace in Christ, and the Protestant Reformation began. In 1738, an Anglican priest named John listened as someone read from Martin Luther's preface to Romans, and felt that God had personally forgiven his own sins for Christ's sake, and the Methodist Revival began. In 1918, a German theologian published a commentary on Romans in which he detailed his discovery that Christianity was not merely a vehicle for radical socialism in the world, but the proclamation that God in His grace could act to save the spirits of humanity. Karl Barth's commentary hit the playground of liberal theologians like a holy hand grenade. Such stories could be repeated throughout history; and now, in 2010, a group of believers at Norcross First UMC opened the Bible and began to read...who knows what God might do?

Paul most likely wrote Romans while he was staying at Corinth, the Las Vegas or perhaps the Bangkok of the ancient world. He writes about his hopes to move west, to visit Rome and then branch as far out as Spain to proclaim the news about Jesus. Perhaps he hoped that Rome would become for him, as Antioch had been, a base of operations.

Romans has many famous passages, and many difficult ones. We will find in chapters one and two that the entire world, Gentile and Jewish, is locked up in bondage to sin and guilt. There is none righteous, no, not one. We will come to see the importance of righteousness, which means to have a right standing before God, to be declared "in the right" with the Almighty. None of us have this, and none can earn it for themselves. But in the gospel, God has revealed a way to achieve this wonderful right standing; it comes to those who, by God's grace, put their faith in Jesus Christ. This was an alarming claim, and Paul spends much time explaining that it is true and why it matters. Abraham (chapter 4) is held up as the prime example of someone who "was reckoned as righteous" not because of his works, but because "he believed God." Faith is the key. Paul will talk about new life in Christ in chapter 5. Then he will look at various problems that arise if we accept this teaching about faith and grace. In chapter 6 Paul will ask, if grace is true, why not just go on sinning? In chapter 7 he will draw a terrible picture of a life dominated by sin, and then he will move into chapter 8, the glory of a life dominated by the Spirit of God. In chapters 9-11 Paul will discuss God's intentions for Israel, and in the closing chapters he will deal with various relational matters: how we relate to God, self, others, the state, and finally the weaker brother.

At the heart of Romans is 1:17: "For in the gospel, a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written (in Habbakuk): the just (or the righteous) shall live by faith." This is gospel indeed, good news; our right standing with God is not "from" us, it is "from God," a gift; it is attained not by works, but by simple trust in God through Christ. This is simply another way of expressing the truth found in John 3:16: "...whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life."

Updates!

2010-08-17T11:26:00.000-07:00

Summer is winding down (that's wishful thinking on my part) and as Bible Study ramps up once more it is time for me to update this blog! I struggle to find the time to blog in great detail, and I am looking at (1) continuing my sermon series through the Sermon on the Mount, (2) doing my weekly men's lunch study on I Corinthians, (3) teaching every Wednesday evening on Romans, (4) gearing up for charge conference in November, (5) preparing the stewardship campaign series for October/November, and also (6) all the other stuff that swirls around the life of this busy, busy congregation. So pray for me, and be understanding if my postings are a bit terse!

For now, I'll just offer a few quotes for reflection:

"God does not continue to act upon the soul, unless the soul reacts upon God." Wesley, "The Great Privilege"

"I have loved you with an everlasting love." - God (Jer. 31:3)

"God has clothed his thoughts in words, and there is no way to know Him except by knowing the Scriptures." JRW Stott

"The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed - and hence clamorous to be led to safety - by menacing them with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary." HL Mencken

Discipleship ain't bells and whistles but thorns and nails. - unknown

The law of incarnation: what comes down must go up. - unknown

COMING - introduction to Romans!

Accountability Questions

2009-09-22T17:05:00.000-07:00

Several folks asked me about the questions people use in small group settings to enter deep fellowship and exercise real accountability. What follows is a sampling of some, ending with a list from the early Methodists. Whenever in my life I have had a group of guys who met regularly, prayed consistently, and utilized this kind of discipline, I have grown in my walk with Christ!

Chuck Swindoll’s Accountability Questions for groups of pastors:
1. Have you been with a woman anywhere this past week that might be seen as compromising?
2. Have any of your financial dealings lacked integrity?
3. Have you exposed yourself to any sexually explicit material?
4. Have you spent adequate time in Bible study and prayer?
5. Have you given priority time to your family?
6. Have you fulfilled the mandates of your calling?
7. Have you just lied to me?

From the Highway Community in Palo Alto, CA:
1. Did I invest the proper quality/quantity of time in my most important relationships?
2. Did my life reflect verbal integrity?
3. Did I express a forgiving attitude toward others?
4. Did I practice undisciplined or addictive behavior?
5. Was I honorable in my financial dealings?
6. Was I sexually pure?
7. Did I spend time with the Lord this week, completing the Bible reading for the week?
8. Did I pray for my pre-Christian friends? Did I talk with someone about Christ?

From Dave Guiles, director of Grace Brethren International Missions:
1. How have you sensed God’s presence in your life during this past week?
2. Have you received a specific answer to your prayers? What was it?
3. Have you spoken with a non-believer about your faith in Jesus Christ? With whom?
4. To whom have you shown God’s love during this past week?
5. What have you learned about God in your personal Bible reading this past week?
6. As a result of your Bible reading this past week, how have you determined to better obey God?
7. Specifically, what area of your life do you feel that God most wants to change? Have you taken specific steps to make those changes?
8. What good habit do you feel God wants to form in your life? Have you taken specific steps to develop that habit?

Neil Cole's Basic Questions:
1. What is God telling you to do?
2. What are you going to do about it?

Questions asked in the early Methodist Class Meetings:
Have you the forgiveness of your sins?
Have you peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ?
Have you the witness of God’s Spirit with your spirit that you are a child of God?
Is the love of God shed abroad in your heart?
Has no sin, inward or outward, dominion over you?
Do you desire to be told of your faults?
Do you desire to be told of all your faults, and that plain and home?
Do you desire that every one of us should tell you from time to time whatsoever is in his heart concerning you?
Consider! Do you desire we should tell you whatsoever we think, whatsoever we fear, whatsoever we hear, concerning you?
Do you desire that in doing this we should come as close as possible, that we should cut to the quick, and search your heart to the bottom?
Is it your desire and design to be on this and all other occasions entirely open, so as to speak everything that is in your heart, without exception, without disguise, and without reserve?
- The Works Of John Wesley, Volume 9 (The Methodist Societies, History, Nature,
and Design), pp.77-78.

Even if you find only one prayer partner who will share this kind of relationship, it can and will change your life for the better!

- Pastor Terry