A Renewed Attitude

Here are some things for us to all strive for:

1. Give people more than they expect--cheerfully (Philemon 21).
2. Do not believe everything you hear.
3. Smile (even when answering the phone). Callers can hear it in your voice.
4. When you say, "I'm sorry," look the person in the eye.
5. Spend some time alone (Matthew 14:23).
6. When you say, "I love you," mean it (1 Peter 1:22).
7. Don't let a dispute ruin a friendship (Proverbs 27:10).
8. Do not judge people by their relatives (Matthew 7:1).
9. Do an anonymous kindness each day (Ephesians 4:32).
10. When you lose, don't lose the lesson (James 1:2-4).
11. When you make a mistake, admit it and take the immediate steps to correct it.
12. In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling, threats, or bringing up history.
13. Love deeply and passionately. It is the only way to live completely.
14. Never forget that your identity as a Christian hinges upon your love for others (John 13:35).
15. Take time during the day to pray (Luke 18:1) and give attention to God's word (1 Timothy 4:3).

Seasoned With Salt

It is no fun for someone to say unkind things to us or to someone that we deeply care about. Perhaps the most difficult aspect of such a scenario is not listening to it, but rather keeping ourselves in check and making sure we don't bite back. Boy, do I ever struggle with this!

Jesus found Himself in similar situations often throughout His ministry. Sometimes He responded with questions of His own. Sometimes He had a direct answer. And sometimes He chose to say nothing at all. And the only conclusion we can draw is that however He responded, He did it without sinning (Hebrews 4:15) and therefore left for us the perfect example. Obviously God wants us to follow Christ's example (1 Corinthians 11:1). Jesus Himself reminds us that part of what characterizes those who belong to His kingdom is serving others as lights and salt in the world (Matthew 5:15).

Paul in his letter to the Colossians gives us a tremendous charge:

"Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person" (Colossians 4:5-6).

What is the purpose of salt? We have all heard before how it preserves, purifies, and enhances. That is one lesson here about the effect our speech ought to have on others. I remember one day as a child, I was with my step dad feeding our cows and I pointed to a salt block and asked him what that was. After telling me it was a salt block, I then preceded to ask him why it was there. He told me it was to make the cows thirsty so they would drink water. Does our speech, which is supposed to be seasoned with salt, make others thirst for God?

Also, notice, Paul says to let our speech ALWAYS be this way; not just when it is convenient. But even when we are not treated in the same way. This is an example of why I believe that it can be really difficult to be a Christian at times. But in reality, instead of griping about being in fishbowls, we should accept with gladness the fact that we should be held to a higher standard. The reward is great. Not only in that we have a heavenly home to look forward to, but what a great sense of peace and security it can be to walk in this life, knowing we are hand in hand with Jesus, and not allowing the world to negatively affect us!

Please pray for me that I will do a better job with this; accepting the fact that I am held to a higher standard as a child of God.

Friendship

Friendship is a beautiful thing. I don't know where I would be today without the blessing of friends. I am grateful that my wife is my friend. I am fortunate that my parents are friends. I have been blessed with lots of people in my life that I can call true friends. I believe establishing friendships are very important to Christianity. The fellowship that we are able to enjoy with one another is a tremendous part of what should get us through difficult times.

Friendship is at least in part what helped Peter and John get through what I would perceive as a difficult time. In Acts 4, the church is in its infant state, and as Peter and John were out preaching the good news of Jesus Christ, the Jewish leaders grew quite annoyed with them. They had recently healed a lame man who was a beggar, thus establishing credibility among the people as to what they were teaching. And although the authorities could not find anything inherently wrong with their message, it was still a threat to them. So they arrested Peter and John and "charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus" (Acts 4:18). Of course, the reaction and response of Peter and John to all of this is quite interesting in that they said they could not help but speak about Jesus (v.19) along with their affirmation that they will place God over man (Acts 5:29). Eventually, due to these leaders' inability to find a reason to punish Peter and John, they let them go. It was what Peter and John did immediately upon their release that catches my attention.

"When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them" (Acts 4:23).

I am certainly grateful for the reality that it is very unlikely that we will ever face this type of persecution in our great country for preaching Jesus. But I do often wonder, if ever this were the case, who would I run to? When I face any challenge in life for that matter, whether it be a sin I am struggling with, persecution of some type, grief over a loss, or in need of Godly counsel and wisdom, do I have the type of friends that I could go to, confide in, and ask to pray with and for me? Notice how Peter and John's friends responded to their immediately going to them.

"And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, "Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them....." (Acts 4:24ff).

They prayed together! What a beautiful picture of what friendship is all about. Do I have the type of friends that I have no doubt in my mind I can run to, and know that they would stop what they are doing and pray with me and for me? The ones I am closest to in life, am I comfortable enough around them to pray with them?

You bet!

Thank you Heavenly Father and Creator of life for the friendships I have in my life! And please help me to be such a friend to those who are so dear to me.

I Stand in Awe of You

You are beautiful beyond description…
Too marvelous for words.
Too wonderful for comprehension.
Like nothing ever seen or heard.
Who can grasp Your infinite wisdom?
Who can fathom the depths of Your love?
You are beautiful beyond description…
Majesty enthroned above.

And I stand, I stand in awe of You.
I stand, I stand in awe of You.
Holy God to Whom all praise is due.
I stand in awe of You.

--Mark Atrogge

Jesus Saves

I have a story to tell before sharing an awesome video.

Some of mine and Cody's best friends, Clay and Joanna Martin, live in Hobbs, New Mexico. He preaches there. While attending college at what is now called Texas State University in San Marcos, Clay was my roommate and he dated Joanna at the same time me and Cody were dating. So we all became quite close. We were very involved with the church there together and with the Bible Chair there. I attribute a lot of my growth as a new Christian to Clay and his encouragement. There is nothing quite like staying up til 3 AM talking bible, knowing you have a 8:00 AM class that same morning. He challenged me. He grew with me. Those are truly some of the greatest years of my life. And I will forever be indebted to him.

In the summer of 1997, we all went our separate ways. We still see each other and talk frequently. But we all got married that summer. First, John and Amber Johanson, then me and Cody, then Clay and Joanna, later that summer Patrick and Melissa Hammack, then Travis and Melissa Herbelin. Well, while we were all engaged, the running joke was undoubtedly, Clay and Joanna would be the first to get pregnant. They didn't disappoint. About 3 months after they were married, they showed up at the door of our apartment to announce their good news. Of course, I laughed at them. But at the same time I was happy for them. We all knew it would happen, accident or not. I remember going to visit them at the hospital on the night of Caleb's birth day. Just a few hours old, he was crying and Joanna held him and sang to him, while saying, "Mommy is here. It's okay." I wept. Then Clay laughed at me. So I guess he actually got the last laugh.

Great memories! Well, this coming July Caleb will be 11 years old. He is growing up. What a great young man he has turned out to be and Cody and I love him as if he were one of our own. Clay and Joanna have obviously done a great job with him, along with their two daughters, Faith and Jenna. And he is as strong as an ox. I found out this past December when we saw them, that I can no longer easily pick him up and manhandle him like I used to do.

Well, I wanted to share with you a video of Caleb preaching his first sermon. I hope all will take the time to watch this. It is incredibly encouraging and refreshing. It is only 3 1/2 minutes long so it won't take up too much of your time. His brevity in and of itself is a great example to us preachers, right? HA! He has us all beat I think, with regard to his age for preaching his first sermon. And what an awesome topic, Jesus is the only One who saves. Great job, Caleb!





Clay and Joanna Martin, we love you. You guys are incredible. Thank you for the encouragement you are for Cody and me. And thank you for your wonderful example of raising a young boy who is learning more and more every day how to love Jesus and walk with Him. And may God's richest blessings continue to shine on your beautiful family!

Will You Help Feed the Dump People?

It is amazing how truly blessed we are, materially speaking! I remember going to Jamaica for the first time in 1997 on a mission trip and while there, thinking to myself and aloud, "Man, the poor people in the United States are much richer than the rich people of Jamaica." I am not sure if we can really know how blessed we are until we see how unfortunate some circumstances are in which others are forced to live. And this especially lies true with regard to our material wealth.

• Can you imagine being so hungry that you would be willing to go to the city dump and find food that was thrown away in order to eat and feed your family?


• Are we able to fathom what it must be like to want to move your family to live at the city dump in order to have access all day to food thrown away?


• What would it be like to live in shelters put together at the city dump; shelters made of sticks and garbage bags?


• How would you feel about living in a place that has an odor so bad that most people would gag when they smell it?


• How did Jesus respond when He walked upon such a place?

Here is an article written about such a place in Santa Ana, Honduras. Please take a couple of minutes to read this. It is powerful. For a video with some footage of what life is like here, along with an interesting perspective on this, click here.

Thankfully we have missionaries there to help these people with food and clothing, as well as to teach them about the good news of Jesus Christ. There is always a need for funds to help feed these people. And it doesn't take a lot. There are a lot of hungry souls at this dump, but $20 per day allows the missionaries and workers there to make sandwiches to feed these people. What could you give up for a week to save $20? It wouldn't be much, and think what it would mean to the dump people in Santa Ana, Honduras.

Tuesday, May 5th, in 12 days from today, there will be a very special day and I pray that you will participate. You can read more about "Feed the Dump People Day" right here but what Trey Morgan wants to do for his friend who is a missionary there is help raise $2500 to feed hungry people who live at this dump. This is an opportunity for each and everyone of us to help fulfill what Jesus discusses in Matthew 25:31-46. Here is an opportunity to have the kingdom hearts Jesus promoted throughout His ministry. We make a daily habit of asking, "What will we eat today?" while the dump people are asking, "Will we get to eat today?"

What can you give? Can you give $50? $20? $10? Whatever you can give will be appreciated and it WILL make a difference. Please consider this. More importantly, please pray for these people that the efforts here will not only noursish and strengthen them physically but that spiritually speaking, these precious souls may come in contact with the gospel. I will provide more details soon on where you can send finanical help. But for now, please take note of May 5th and consider making a commitment to help out with "Feed the Dump People Day."

Thanks for reading!

Benefits of Our Belief

Obviously one benefit of believing in God is to avoid dying in our sins. Jesus states:

“I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins” (John 8:24).

There is little doubt that our faith must be in Jesus if we are to have any hope of salvation. All of us want to avoid spending an eternity apart from God. But as we mature, I believe our faith lies much deeper. There are also certain positive motivational factors that should serve as an impetus for our belief in God to become stronger and stronger as each day passes.

“And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).

The more we put our trust in Him as our Savior, the more we will seek to please Him, hopefully. That we are rewarded and because our love for Him increases as a result should be more of a motivator for our belief than merely seeking to avoid hell. This should come as we mature spiritually. There are a lot of rewards that come with our faith, as the Hebrews writer suggests. Salvation is certainly something that we look forward to in the next life that has far more to offer than this life. However, let us never forget how much we can enjoy our status as citizens of God’s kingdom in the here and now also. Jesus and His apostles, throughout His ministry, in preaching on the kingdom, promoted it as a citizenship to be gained and enjoyed in this life. Salvation is something we can relish today. And this in turn, should effect how we choose to live.

Obviously there are many passages that suggest that we can lose this status as citizens when we cease to live in such a way that confesses Christ (Matthew 10:32-33). Paul implies that when our heart is not set on serving Him, we no longer make Him our Lord (Romans 10:9-13). We "call on the name of the Lord" by living in such a way that reflects Jesus as our Lord. So, as we become a part of God’s family, when we know we are walking in the light (1 John 1:7), we have every reason to rejoice with confidence that we are in God’s grace. And man cannot take this away (Romans 8:31-39).

Because of God’s grace, in addition to the ultimate reward of an eternity in Heaven, we can enjoy the benefits that come with our belief now. Our faith in God allows us to cope with the evil, pain, and suffering in this world. It allows us to not fear our own death. It gives us the security of rejoicing when a loved one leaves this life and goes on to a much better one. Our belief in God hopefully changes our entire perspective on life. It allows us to look at things differently so as to not be so tied to this world. It gives us every opportunity to put our stock in the “bigger picture,” a much greater citizenship than what this world has to offer. Our belief helps us to see that this world was never intended to be our home.

Thank God I can live a life of rejoicing, with a positive mindset rather than focusing on all the negative in this world. I am so happy that I can enjoy a life where I can optimistically look forward to the next one.

A Few Rules To Live By

Here is something I ran across over the weekend when cleaning off my desk here at the house. I don’t know who wrote this, but it is excellent. I hope you enjoy:

• Return everything you borrow
• Stop blaming other people
• Live within your means
• Be humble
• Listen more; talk less
• Every day, do something nice and try not to get caught
• Strive for excellence, not perfection
• Be on time
• Don't criticize anyone
• Be even kinder to unkind people
• Take time to study God's word and pray
• Admit it when you make a mistake
• Understand and accept that life isn't always fair
• Let someone cut ahead of you in line
• Don't argue
• Know when to say something
• Know when to keep your mouth shut
• Don't make excuses
• Don't sweat the small stuff

--Author Unknown

You're the One

Lord, the people praise You
Lift You up and raise You
For You are the Holy One
You’re the One, You’re the only One
Lord, the people love You
Place nobody above You
For You are the Holy One
You’re the One, You’re the only One

(Chorus)
Singin halle, halle, hallelu
All the glory is due You
For You are the Holy One
You’re the One, You’re the only One

Bless You’re name Lord Jesus
Only name that frees us
For You are the Holy One
You’re the One, You’re the only One
We will praise You right here and now
Lest the hills and rocks cry out
For You are the Holy One
You’re the One, You’re the only One

(Chorus)
Singin halle, halle, hallelu
All the glory is due You
For You are the Holy One
You’re the One, You’re the only One

If we had ten thousand hands
We would bless You as You command
For You are the Holy One
You’re the One, You’re the only One
If we had ten thousand tongues
We would praise You with every one
For You are the Holy One
You’re the One, You’re the only One

(Chorus)
Singin halle, halle, hallelu
All the glory is due You
For You are the Holy One
You’re the One, You’re the only One

--Babbie Mason

"Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to Him, 'Are you the One who is to come, or shall we look for another?' And Jesus answered them, 'Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them'" (Matthew 11:2-5)

Happy Marriages

Here are some things to consider in marriage. Sometimes it is what seems like the "little things" that add up to the big things and make a marriage happy. God has blessed me with almost 12 years of marriage to Cody and as I anticipate the privilege of growing old with her I pray that I will always remember these "little things:"

• We are never too old to hold hands with our spouses


• Remember to say "I love you" to your spouse at least once every day


• Compliment your spouse each day. Make sure they know they are valued and important to you.


• Stay romantic


• Try not to go to sleep angry at your spouse


• Believe the best. Live in the appreciation room rather than the depreciation room


• Always stand together with your spouse to face the world as a team


• Express gratitude to your spouse


• Never go too long without doing a thoughtful deed or act of kindness for your spouse


• Develop the capacity to forgive and forget


• Live by encouragement rather than by expectations that are too high. Allow your spouse to be human and provide an atmosphere for growth


• Always remember the positive qualities that made you fall in love with your spouse


• Remember that it is not only about marrying the right partner, but it is also about BEING the right partner


• Thank God every day for blessing you with your spouse

I have always admired so much the "older couples" that I have known throughout my life who have set such great examples of what happy marriages mean. I hope my wife and I can do the same for others as we get older.

Have a great weekend!

Want Help Being a Better Husband?

Don't we all! I certainly do. I came across a blogsite the other day that I am truly excited about. And I definitely wanted to take the opportunity to recommend it to all husbands out there. The website is called iamhusband.com. Here is a link to it. The site is designed to address the reality that as husbands we fail sometimes. We lose our romance, our desire to be better, our motivation, and our sensitivity. And often times we don't even know why. We get wrapped up in our routines, we often forget what we are supposed to do, and we say things that hurt the feelings of the one we love more than anything in this world. We can be self-absorbed. And all of this leaves us with the feeling of being torn. We love our wives so much but often times we lack the abilty to express it. Sometimes we need help. And that is what this blog author has set out to do. He provides a forum for discussion after each of his articles. And he hits on the real life issues in marriage. It is great stuff. It appears that he has had this open for about a year now. I wish I had known about it sooner. I have no idea who it is that is actually doing this blog as he has left his name anonymous. All we know is that he is a husband who loves his wife very much and wants to help other husbands out there improve their marriages too. What a great idea! At the very least, go check it out for yourself and see what you think.

Something else that he addresses quite a bit is the issue of sex and how this is often a topic of struggle for married couples. He actually has a lot to say and recommend with regard to masterbation and pornography. Here is a great article from this blogsite with excellent insight written about pornography. If you want to watch a DVD that is very resourceful with people sharing their stories about pornography addiction, go to this website to order one. This DVD is also designed to help us as dads teach our children about these things and hopefully prevent it. As the website states, "in Christ and through Christ, there is freedom from the crushing grip of porn."

Also, a good book that is recommended for married men who struggle with pornography and masterbation can be found right here. It is called Sex, Men, and God by Douglas Weiss, Ph.D. I have not read it yet but intend to do so soon. I honestly cannot tell you how many people have come to my office (both those in my congregation as well as those outside) and have expressed their need for breaking their pornography addiction. To see a grown man in tears because he wants to be free from this demon but can't seem to get away from it is indeed heart wrenching. So I am going to add it to my loooooong list of books to read. It is a helpful tool for learning why some men have the sexual addictions they do. Dr. Weiss not only helps us understand the underlying problems with this addiction but also provides some practical guidelines for (1) breaking the vicious cycles involved and (2) helping others to do so. In addition, there is guidance in enjoying sexual freedom in your marriage.

In any event, I hope some of you find this information helpful in some way. Please pass it on. Unfortunately this is a problem that is ubiquitous. Some statistics have indicated that over 60% of MARRIED MEN struggle with these things. Many believe the numbers are actually higher.

Hearts of Compassion

Perhaps one of the greatest challenges we face as Christians is to have compassionate hearts. When we look at the world around us, we see too many haters. There are those who hate Truth. There are those who hate God. There are those that hate the very thought of Christianity. They even hate on each other. Many simply hate the very things that Christianity promotes (i.e., goodness, kindness, relying on God, assembling with the saints, having pure speech, abstaining from ungodly environments and influences).

Because hate is so common outside of the church, it is especially devastating when found in the church. An emotion at the opposite end of this spectrum is compassion. Notice what Paul says in one of his epistles:

“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony” (Colossians 3:12-14).

These are qualities that go a long way in making us the compassionate Christians God desires us to be. Compassion is the ability to have a tender response to the sufferings of another person. And this includes exercising tender hearts toward those whose actions cause their own hardships. Haven’t we all been there? Compassion allows us to share the suffering or feelings of one another because of our common humanity, but more importantly because of our common faith. Paul said in Romans 12, to rejoice with those that rejoice and weep with those that weep.

Jesus gives us the perfect example of compassion and being genuinely concerned about those who needed spiritual and moral direction in their lives:

“And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest'” (Matthew 9:35-38).

In so many ways, these people were spiritually confused because they didn’t know who to follow. Jesus didn’t get offended. He didn’t take it personal and throw His hands up and say, “Well forget these people then! Just let them get what they deserve!” He sought to reach out to and love them despite their shortcomings. I cannot help but think that if we had the same attitude toward those who reject us or Christianity, maybe we would make a lot more progress in winning them over.

Hating is easy to do. But it takes a great deal of spiritual maturity and wisdom to kindly deal with people in a compassionate way. May we always make the effort to care! People are hurting. And they need a shoulder to lean on. They need to know they are valued and cared for, no matter how deep a hole they may have dug for themselves. People need help in dealing with devastating events in their lives. Our compassion and efforts to reach out to them is our opportunity to walk with Jesus (1 John 1:7), as well as imitate Him (1 Corinthians 11:1).

The Superiority of Jesus

There are many New Testament passages that establish the superiority of Christ (Matthew 7:28-29; 28:18; John 6:68; John 14:6; Ephesians 1:21-23; Philippians 2:9-10; Colossians 1:18). Here are some reasons why He is superior:

1. Because of His preeminence. The word "preeminence" as expressed in Colossians 1:18 comes from a Greek term meaning "to be first." Jesus ranks at the top of any "hierarchy." He is first in all things. This makes Him superior.
2. Because of His peculiarity. Jesus is peculiar in two ways. (1) His nature. He is both God and man. He is deity and He is flesh. See John 1:1-5, 14 and 1 Timothy 2:5. (2) He is the fulfillment of prophecy. Jesus fufilled prophecy by way of His birth, His perfect life in an imperfect world, His arrest and trial, His crucifixion, His death, and even in His resurrection and ascension into Heaven. No other being can successfully claim that they are the fulfillment of prophecy as Christ was. Many have tried, but to no avail. His peculiarity makes Him superior.
3. Because of His pattern. Jesus lived a perfect life. He went through the trials we experience and did it without sin (Hebrews 4:15). He serves us not only in that He died for our sins and gives us the hope of eternal life, but He left for us the perfect pattern of how to live. Take note of how He dealt with sin. He didn't stand for it. But He was not afraid of being associated with sinners as He made the effort to teach them and have an influence on them. Look at how he dealt with man. He was in the presence of those that most would not be seen with. He prayed for His enemies (Luke 23:34). He laid down His life for those who wouldn't even believe in His very name. He is the perfect pattern for us with regard to humility (Philippians 2:5-11). Jesus is also the perfect leader (Hebrews 2:9-18). Man fails in their leadership. Man is not perfect. Men as leaders break promises, forget things, make honest and legitimate mistakes, and do not always have the correct answers. But not Jesus. He is the captain of our salvation (Hebrews 2:10). Because He is the perfect pattern, He is superior to all else.
4. Because of His power. Jesus reminded His followers that all power had been given to Him in Heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18). This power and authority makes Him superior because no man or institution can rightfully claim such. How blessed we are to serve an everlasting and merciful God that places the hope of our salvation on One as powerful as Jesus Christ.

Jesus' superior nature should be a tremendous comfort to us. As we strive to walk in a partnership with Him as citizens in His kingdom, may we take great joy in Who we serve and in what we are accomplishing. And may His presence in our lives provide a sense of peace and security for us. In a world of constant struggle for power, isn't it reassuring to know that God is still and ultimately in control?

Thank God that Jesus reigns supreme!

Easter Song

This was one of my favorite songs as a child. It was a song that a bunch of us in our youth group enjoyed singing all year around. "The Easter Song" just happens to be what it is called. The words are few, but they say a lot.

Hear the bells ringing, they’re singing that we can be born again!
Hear the bells ringing, they’re singing, Christ is risen from the dead!

The angel upon the tombstone said, “He is risen just as He said.
Quickly now, go tell His disciples that Jesus Christ is no longer dead!”

Joy to the world, He is risen, alleluia! He’s risen, alleluia!
He’s risen, Alleluia, Alleluia!

(Acts 2:22-36-HCSB). Men of Israel, listen to these words: This Jesus the Nazarene was a man pointed out to you by God with miracles, wonders, and signs that God did among you through Him, just as you yourselves know. Though He was delivered up according to God's determined plan and foreknowledge, you used lawless people to nail Him to a cross and kill Him. God raised Him up, ending the pains of death, because it was not possible for Him to be held by it. For David says of Him:

'I saw the Lord ever before me;
because He is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.
Therefore my heart was glad,
and my tongue rejoiced.
Moreover my flesh will rest in hope,
because You will not leave my soul in Hades,
or allow Your Holy One to see decay.
You have revealed the paths of life to me;
You will fill me with gladness in Your presence'

.....God has resurrected this Jesus. We are all witnesses of this. Therefore, since He has been exalted to the right hand of God and has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit, He has poured out what you both see and hear. For it was not David who ascended into the heavens, but he himself says:

The Lord said to my Lord, 'Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies Your footstool.'

Therefore let all the house of Israel know with certainty that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah!"

May each and every day of our lives, be a resurrected new life unto Him (Romans 6:3ff). After all, it is His resurrection that makes it all possible.

More on the Sinfulness of Man

In making the point that the Gentiles were not exempt from deserving God’s wrath, Paul lists some of the specific sins of which man is guilty (Romans 1:24-32). He lists a host of them; about 25 different sins total. While these are certainly sins we want to avoid, they are not listed so much to serve as a “check list” of arbitrary rules to mark off and say “we are okay because we don’t do these” as much as it is Paul’s way of mentioning that these individuals showed no respect for how God designed the human body. They showed a blatant disrespect for what it means to be a human being, created in the very image of God (Genesis 1:26-27). It is apparent from what Paul is saying that their hearts were not right. I also think these are well-representative of sins that take place today in our society—some heinous, while others are so pedestrian that unfortunately we have become callous to them, as if they were “no big deal.”

Let’s take a look at this list. Many of these are self-explanatory enough to where they don’t necessarily warrant a detailed explanation.

• Dishonorable passions (vv.24, 26-27)-Obviously there are a lot of things that can fall into this category (fornication, lusting, pornography, etc). Contextually however, Paul seems to be specifically discussing homosexual behavior. I certainly believe as Christians, we need to be willing to compassionately reach out toward and be willing to love those who are caught up in this sin. I believe in more ways than we care to admit, we have been wrong in treating homosexuals as if they were lepers and acting as if this particular sin is so much worse than others. However, I also feel compelled to say that I am not real sure how one can read what Paul has to say here and come away not realizing that the practice of homosexuality is indeed sinful. I realize that some may have “tendencies.” However, “tendencies” do not make a sin okay. As a heterosexual male, I can honestly say that God made me in such a way that recognizes the beauty of women who are not my wife. That does not give me the right to act on it. As a child of God whose heart is set upon Him, I am responsible for controlling my thoughts so as to not lust or act upon any inappropriate “tendencies.”

• Not acknowledging God (v.28)-Because sin was so imbedded in their hearts, God gave them up. While it is true that we are saved by grace through faith, we should not be able to walk away from this verse (or the book of Romans) and ignore our responsibility to live holy lives (Romans 12:1-2; Romans 6:1ff).

• Unrighteousness (v.29)-A very general term for wickedness

• Evil-Another general term that means the opposite of “good.”

• Covetousness-Greed

• Malice-Depravity. A heart issue; a degeneracy from which all sins grow and flourish. Also indicates leaving oneself open to sin.

• Envy-

• Murder-

• Strife-Contentious; quarrelsome; looking for an argument.

• Deceit-

• Maliciousness-Malice. Acting out of spite.

• Gossips-whispering in the ear of one, behind another’s back.

• Slanderers (v.30)-Speaking against others with the intent of hurting or maligning them.

• Haters of God-

• Insolent-High and arrogant opinion of oneself; treats others as beneath them; attitude of a bully.

• Haughty-another term for arrogant

• Boastful-literally means using others as a stepping stone to elevate oneself. Speaking ill of others in order to make one self look better.

• Inventors of evil-instigators of bad; one who is not satisfied with the ways of sin but actually seeks new ways to engage in it.

• Disobedient to parents-I think it is interesting that those whom Paul is addressing are likely predominantly adults. Even the Law seems to indicate that this responsibility, at least to a degree, falls also upon adults and not only children.

• Foolish (v.31)-Senseless. Not talking about stupid or unintelligent, but rather failing to utilize our wisdom as God intended.

• Faithless-unreliable, untrustworthy, dishonest, not keeping one’s word.

• Heartless-Probably not the best translation here. It is a word that signifies lacking natural family affection or lacking love for family members, especially a love that ties children and parents together. When this lacks, the results are things such as abortion, infanticide, child abuse, parental abuse, etc.

• Ruthless-merciless, callous, and unfeeling toward others. It is impossible to fulfill our command to be compassionate and tender-hearted (Colossians 3:12; Ephesians 4:32) when we are guilty of this.

• Not only do they know it is wrong, they know the penalty of such (v.32)-

• They give approval of all others who do these things-

Have you been guilty of any of these? I certainly have. In fact, with some of these, it seems that the harder I try, the more difficult it becomes. We all sin and fall short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23). After studying each of these in detail, hopefully it helps us to not do these things. Obviously, we must strive to the best of our abilities to avoid these sins if we want to be a part of God's glorious and eternal kingdom (Romans 1:24, 26, 28, 32; Galatians 5:21). But I think there is an even more important principle being taught here. Hopefully we are starting to see why law-keeping as a way of salvation is impotent. It falls short because we are not capable as human beings of perfect law-keeping. Hence, there is the need for something far superior to law as a method to our salvation.

The Sinfulness of Man

What a shocking beginning to the Book of Romans! Paul seemingly shifts from talking about God’s grace to immediately discussing God’s wrath (Romans 1:18-32). What a way to begin a discussion of good news, right? Paul is showing that the Gentile recipients of this letter have no basis for thinking they are exempt from the penalty that is deserved for not following God’s law. Just like the Jews, the Gentiles too fall short and are therefore deserving of eternal damnation. I am not so sure that Paul’s writing is directed exclusively to the Gentiles here, but it certainly includes them. Many might wonder how the Gentiles could be in need of grace if they were never given a special law as were the Jews. This is why Paul, in my opinion, makes a distinction throughout this section between two types of revelation. Special revelation is a law code given by God to His people (i.e., Law of Moses for the Israelites; the New Testament for us today). General revelation constitutes that which God gives to all human beings in general; creation, providence, and a sense of morality in our hearts. So although the Gentiles did not receive special revelation, they have received general revelation (i.e., understanding between right and wrong), and they are therefore without excuse (Romans 1:19-20).

Paul wants the Gentile readers to understand that although they did not have access to the Law of Moses, (God’s special revelation to the Jews) they still knew enough about God and His expectations to be held accountable. His point is that ALL are accountable. The general revelation that God did give them, they broke and so they are therefore susceptible to God’s wrath.

Again, let me emphasize that I think Paul’s message was for all (Jew and Gentile), but the message is that the Gentiles are equally undeserving of justification. In other words, although this is technically a message for all men, this is seen as a reference to the Gentiles because they did not receive special revelation as did the Jews. So just because they didn’t receive the Law of Moses, they were still guilty of breaking God’s law. I think there is an equally important point to be made today in that many might ask the question, “Can those who have not received God’s special revelation today (the New Testament gospel message), still be in need of God’s grace? Yes, because God has given all man general revelation of knowing right from wrong. He has instilled in all man some sense of morality. For example, even before being taught what to do in order to become a Christian, I still recognized that I was not supposed to steal, curse, mistreat people, do drugs, etc… And because all men are less than perfect, this law of the heart is broken. Therefore all are in dire need of God’s grace.

Speaking of grace, I think it is interesting that Paul begins such a grace-filled message as we see here in Romans, with a tirade on God’s wrath. This is significant. Is it possible for us even today, to fully appreciate God’s loving and redeeming grace, without first understanding His wrath? How much would His mercy mean to us if we didn’t first realize that we are deserving of His wrath?

As we will see moving forward, Paul’s main idea from this point all the way to Romans 3:20 is to show that law as a way of salvation lacks. It is impotent. Law is not enough to save man. The rules of a law system states, “Keep the commandments, and escape the penalty; Break the commandments and suffer the penalty.” We will not and cannot be justified by our own righteousness because we all sin. So the only way we can escape the penalty is through something other than law-keeping. Paul will talk more about this alternative, but for now, he wants us to see that law cannot save us because as humans, we are incapable of perfectly keeping it (James 2:10; Galatians 3:10). God had to “bail us out” by giving us something better. And these Christians to whom Paul is writing, including those who did not receive the Law, are getting the message loud and clear, that they too are just as undeserving.

• In vv.18-20, Paul discusses that all men are knowledgeable of God and His law. Paul was not going to allow these Gentiles to think that because they were not God’s original chosen ones and not amenable to a special revelation as was given to the Jews, that they were therefore exempt from God’s wrath. Romans 2:14-15 has to be considered here. The point being established is that there is a universal need for salvation from God because there is a universal knowledge of God’s law.

• In vv.21-25, Paul continues this same thought by now emphasizing a universal denial or rejection of God. Not only is everyone (including the Gentiles) knowledgeable of God, but they have likewise refused to accept Him. By suppressing the truth, they refused to honor Him, refused to give Him thanks, and refused to have pure hearts. They traded the true God for powerless idols.

• In vv.26-32, Paul goes into further detail over Gentile corruption and further demonstrates why they are without excuse.

Paul is not affirming that every Gentile is guilty of every sin he lists here, but is simply pointing out the depths to which sinners sink when having no regard for God’s higher ways. Paul wants us all to understand that sin has the potential to darken the lives of every individual who denies the light God has given us.

Gentiles, like the Jews, are without excuse (Romans 1:20). They are not an exception to the general rule that no one will or can be accepted by God according to the terms of law-keeping. As Christians today who did not receive the Law of Moses, there is still tremendous application for us. We are not supposed to do these things. We are charged with the responsibility of respecting the human nature God has assigned to us. We too are without excuse—especially because we have been given special revelation (the Bible—His word). But because we fall short (Romans 3:23), we cannot be saved by law. We break the commandments and therefore deserve to suffer the penalty. So something is going to have to take the place of law-keeping as a method of salvation.

More discussion of this “alternative” to law-keeping will come later in our study of Romans. But for the time being, the next post will discuss more in detail some of the specific sins Paul lists vv.26-32.

Thank you for reading!

Parable Of The Sower

I love Jesus' parables. It is hard to pick a favorite but if had to, I am tempted to pick the parable of the sower because I believe it has application to every Christian, regardless of how long we have been Christians, or how strong we think we are, or what it is we are doing in life. This is a particular parable told by Jesus about a sower going forth to sow seed (Matt 13:3-23; Mk 4:13-20; Lk 8:11-15). The seed, which was cast forth by the sower fell on one of four types of ground. The four types described by our Lord were (1) by the way side, (2) stony ground, (3) thorns, and (4) good ground. There are no other types of ground on which the seed could possibly fall.

The key to this parable is Luke 8:11 where Jesus says, “the seed is the Word of God.” The seed is representative of God’s Word. And in the same way it is described in the parable, the Word of God is going to land on one of four types of people. It is our responsibility to receive the word as the good ground received the seed. Notice our Lord’s explanation of the types of people each ground represents (Matt 13:18-23):

The way side represents one who hears God’s Word, but does not adhere to it. These are those with hard hearts. This is what happens when we allow Satan to steal our hearts from God. The stony ground represents those who receive the Word, understand it, and adhere to it until trials and tribulations discourage them. This would be those who are weak in faith. The thorny ground is representative of one who receives the word but adheres to it only when convenient. As soon as some appealing form of worldliness manifests itself, such becomes more important, thus placing worldliness over the spiritual. Finally, the good ground represents the good hearts who not only receive the Word and apply it to their lives, but want to share it with everyone with whom they come in contact.

What a tremendous challenge this parable presents to us all! As the seed (the Word of God) is cast forth and falls on us, which type of ground is most representative of how we receive it? As citizens of His kingdom, doing our best to follow His revealed Word to us is essential.

Thank you for reading!

A Story about Kindness

Ruth is a great narrative about how kindness is played out in the lives of three individuals; Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz. Ruth is a Moabite (Gentile or non Jew) who had married a Hebrew. The setting is during the days of the Judges and it was a time when there was a famine in the land. Resources, including food, were scarce. As the beginning of the book of Ruth reveals, her husband dies and leaves her as a widow. But she remained close to her mother-in-law (Naomi), her late husband’s mother. It is time for Naomi to return from Moab to go back to her own country. Ruth wants to return with her, although she is not a Hebrew. She does this out of friendship to her mother-in-law. Of course, Naomi tries to talk her out of it but Ruth’s loyalty would not bend. So they end up going back to Bethlehem. They were poor. Once there, Ruth goes to gather barley and grain from the fields, as it was harvest time. She happens upon the fields of a rich Hebrew man named Boaz. Boaz was a distant relative of Naomi and Ruth’s late husband. And what we see take place at this point of the story is a beautiful picture of God’s providence come into play. There are a lot more details that could be conveyed here, but in short, Boaz ends up marrying Ruth, and she bears him a son, who ultimately turns out to be the grandfather of King David.

There are some great lessons to learn from this story:

• Loyalty and commitment to God as well as toward those we love
• Faith and trust in God
• Rest from hardship. God is indeed our refuge
• The value of doing our best to stay true to God’s commands
  

Another lesson that I think is important in this story is the value of kindness. First, we learn it from Ruth in how she wanted to be there with her mother-in-law. In fact, Ruth’s very name is a Hebrew term that means “friend.” Kindness is a desire to be there for someone else, genuinely because their best interest is at heart, and not our own selfish motives. Once in Bethlehem, she even went to the fields to gather the grain so her mother-in-law wouldn’t have to do it. Throughout all of this, it is clear that Naomi not only recognized Ruth’s kindness, but was prayerful that God would deal with Ruth (and her other daughter-in-law) kindly also:

“But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, ‘Go, return each of you to her mother’s house, May the Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me.’"(Ruth 1:8)

We also learn about kindness from Boaz, in how he dealt with Ruth. He didn’t keep her from taking from his fields. In fact, he encouraged it by instructing his workers to allow it. Ruth thanked him for his kindness. In celebration, Naomi gave all glory to God by acknowledging His kindness for the good deeds of Boaz:

“And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, ‘May he be blessed by the Lord, whose kindness has not forsaken the living or the dead!’” (Ruth 2:20).

In a lot of ways, the lesson teaches us that our kindness can only lead to kindness being demonstrated toward us. Notice the words of Boaz to Ruth:

“And he said, “May you be blessed by the Lord, my daughter. You have made this last kindness greater than the first in that you have not gone after young men, whether poor or rich’” (Ruth 3:10).

Boaz goes on to tell her that as a near kinsmen (or redeemer) he will look into marrying her so long as a nearer kinsman does not claim her first. This is an example of how putting God first allows for good things to happen in our lives (Matthew 6:33).

I doubt there is much arguing as to how kindly God has dealt with us when we are so undeserving. But the challenge for us now is how kind have we dealt with others? Even toward the ones with whom we are associated that may not deserve it. The New Testament is replete with exhortations for us to be a kind people.

“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).

“But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23).

“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must also forgive” (Colossians 3:12-13).

The term for kindness that we see here means not only doing serviceable and good things for others, but also denotes graciousness and pleasantness on the part of the one doing the good deed. Are we a pleasant people to be around due to our kindness? Have we made this a priority? Is this a way that those who are not Christians are able to identify us as God’s family?

In talking about the kindness of the Father, Jesus gives us a good working definition of it:

“But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:35).

If we are expected to demonstrate such kindness toward our enemy, then surely we must be able to see the charge for us to exercise this toward one another as brethren.

Thank you for reading!

The Opinion That Really Counts

This is undoubtedly one of my favorite days of the year. Opening Day in Major League Baseball. It is just something about hearing the sound made by the ball off a bat, and the beautiful music played on ESPN when “Baseball Tonight” comes on. This is the time of season when predictions are made. Everybody on this day has realistic hopes of their team winning a pennant. Anyone who knows me, knows that I have a deep passion for this game. Baseball is not the only sport I love, but of all the sports, there is none quite like opening day of the baseball season. Many consider it a National Holiday. So in light of it being the first day of baseball season, I wanted to share an interesting story.

“Babe” Pinelli died in 1984. He did have a short major league career with the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago White Sox, but was most known as a National League umpire. He called games for 21 years, getting the call for 6 world series, two of which he was crew chief. He also umpired for four all-star games. Quite a resume for a 21-year umpire. To cap his career off, he called Don Larson’s perfect game in game 5 of the 1956 World Series.

“Babe” had the reputation of being “hard–nosed” but fair. In fact, rarely did he argue back with managers and of all the umpires, he was considered by most managers the least likely to throw someone out of a game. But he also always stood his ground and rarely changed his mind about anything. Managers said that he carried himself in such a way that you knew you were wasting your time by arguing with him because he was always right. Well, one event that helped him earn this status was his rookie season as an umpire in 1935. He had been told by the more experienced umpires, to never call a strike on Babe Ruth, who was on the downside of his playing career by this time, but was by far still one of the most popular players among the fans. Well Pinelli didn’t see it that way and had already decided that it didn’t matter who anyone was. If it was a strike, he was going to call it, and that is just the way it was going to be. Well, one day as he was calling a Boston Braves game, where Babe Ruth was playing as his career winded down, Pinelli and Ruth had a confrontation. When Ruth came to the plate, a close pitch hit the inside corner that he didn’t swing at. “Strike one,” yelled Pinelli. To which Ruth said, “There is forty thousand people in this park that know that was a ball, tomato-head.” Pinelli never lost his cool. He remained calm and simply stated, “Perhaps you’re right Babe—but mine is the only opinion that counts.” As the story goes, Ruth had no reply, which was a rare occasion indeed.

I think this is a great story on a lot of levels. One lesson that obviously jumps out at me is that when it comes to how we live in this world as citizens in God’s kingdom, God’s opinion is really the only one that counts. Peter says we ought to obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29). Paul was clearly prayerful that his desire and commitment would always be upon pleasing God and not man (Galatians 1:10). God’s opinion is the one that counts. Personally, I have always enjoyed the favor of people. It is part of my nature. I like to be accepted. And I think to a certain degree, our reputations ought to be important to us (Proverbs 22:1; Ecclesiastes 7:1 Acts 2:47). But may my priority always be set on pleasing God first and foremost. As opposed to man, God will never let us down. He makes good on His promises. And He is faithful beyond what we could ever deserve. His opinions are what we should trust.

Happy “Opening Day!” I hope you have a great one!

Break My Heart

Break my heart
Dear Lord
Tear the barriers down
Show me in convicting tears
The glories of your crown

(Chorus)
My heart is hard; My soul so weak
The ways of evil cut so deep
I need you Lord to come inside
And gently break my heart

My sin is great
And I can’t see
The glories set for me
Show me Father where to start
and gently break my heart

(Chorus)
My heart is hard; My soul so weak
The ways of evil cut so deep
I need you Lord to come inside
And gently break my heart

Clint Rhodes

Quote from Jack Cottrell Regardling Law and Grace

What has been stated regarding grace in my previous posts in no way, shape, or form minimizes the fact that I must make every effort to submit to God’s will (Matthew 7:21-23) and do my best to walk in the light with Jesus (1 John 1:7). Acknowledging God’s grace as the source of my salvation does not give me license to continue in sin (Romans 6:1ff). Nevertheless, my submission is not the source of my salvation. Anything I do that is “good” is what I “owe” anyway. If I were to succeed in perfect obedience (which I cannot do-Romans 3:23), it would only be the very least I could do to thank God anyway. I can never get ahead. I will always be behind on the “payment.” That is why Jesus had to make the payment. I can never do enough to warrant God’s saving me. I do not deserve it. And may I be eternally grateful to God for His grace and mercy.

“For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:20).

“For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law” (Romans 3:28).

“Just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works” (Romans 4:6).

Today I want to provide another quote from Dr. Jack Cottrell's Commentary on Romans. It is somewhat lengthy, but after reading through some of his material again, I realize that he explains it far better than what I am capable. In fact, I think he lays it out quite beautifully that the Apostle Paul, in at least portions of Romans, is contrasting God’s grace as the source of our salvation with the general idea of law and works as the source of salvation.

“Here I want to call attention to one of the most serious errors committed by many Christians in their attempt to understand the gospel of grace. They correctly see that the gospel can be understood only as contrasted with law. The problem is that they limit “law” to the Law of Moses, and thus see the gospel as standing in contrast only with the Law of Moses. As I see it, there is no greater hindrance to a proper understanding of the gospel of grace than this. The actual contrast is not just between the gospel of Jesus Christ and some particular law code, especially the Law of Moses, but between grace as a method or system of salvation (on the one hand) and law as a method or system of salvation (on the other hand). The law system is not limited to depending on the Law of Moses for salvation; it is something that may be (futilely) pursued wherever human beings have any awareness at all of God’s moral law, whether this be through a special revelation such as the Law of Moses or the Pauline epistles, or whether it be only through the general revelation written on the heart (Romans 2:14-15).

This contrast between grace and law as ways of salvation has been present ever since God began presenting the good news of forgiveness of sins, as far back as Eden (Genesis 3:15). Everyone who has had access to God’s special revelation has had the choice between law and grace. Those who lived under the Law of Moses knew the grace of God (3:21), though certainly not as fully as those who know Jesus Himself. Anyone under the Law of Moses who was saved—indeed, any sinner anywhere, anytime who has been saved—was saved by grace through faith in God’s promises, not by law-keeping of any sort.

…..many of those who do have special revelation and its message of grace (many Christians!) do not really understand it, and they still labor under the misconception that their ability to obey God’s commandments is the determiner of their salvation or damnation. But Paul makes it very clear that “no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law” in any form (3:20). This is why the good news is so good! It tells us, even those of us who want to be saved and are already struggling to be saved by our works, that the one true, effective, conscience-clearing, peace-giving, fear-banishing way of salvation is grace, which means putting your complete trust in the work of Jesus Christ rather than in your own works as the way of being accepted as righteous by God.

No wonder it is the gospel (good news), and no wonder Paul was so excited about it! No wonder it is dynamite! God has given us an alternative to law as a way of salvation—an alternative to law, which is a way of human power, or rather, human weakness; a way in which it is theoretically possible to be right with God, but which in fact will never work because it is nullified by the presence of even a single sin; a way which in fact leads only to despair or else to self-deception and false confidence.

But the gospel gives us an alternative to this, a way of salvation that depends not on man’s weakness but on God’s power, a way that depends not on human righteousness but on God’s righteousness, a way that depends not on our ability to keep God’s commandments but on Christ’s ability to pay our penalty for us, a way that will lead to salvation for everyone who believes. Is this not good news?”(pp.71-72)

Is Paul Contrasting God's Grace with the Law of Moses?

I have spent a significant part of the last few months considering this connection between grace, faith and works. One reason is because studying Paul’s letter to the Christians in Rome has forced me to delve deeper into the subject. Another reason I have spent so much time looking at this is because of how disturbing it is that I missed the mark on this for a number of years. I have to admit that what Paul says throughout Romans with regard to the process of our salvation doesn’t seem to fit well with what I have believed in the past. Let me say with strong emphasis (and conviction) that nothing has changed as far as whether or not I believe we should submit to God in order to be saved. I have always believed and taught this, and I still do. What has changed however is that I can longer ignore Paul’s greater emphasis on God’s grace and His righteousness as opposed to our own.

The Romans epistle (along with others), emphasizes acceptance of salvation by God’s grace through our faith (i.e., Romans 3:28; 4:6; Romans 5:1-11; Ephesians 2:8-9). In other words, I do not see some precise “perfect 50/50 balance” between our works and God's grace expressed in the Bible as for what constitutes our being justified. I don’t see where God says, “meet me half way” or “you do your part and I will do my part.” That would not make sense because the Bible teaches that Jesus already paid it all (Romans 5:6-11). What I do see, is where God has lovingly and mercifully sacrificed in order to provide us with a salvation that we could not provide for ourselves. I see where we are given the charge to believe, accept, and trust in His wonderful power to save as opposed to thinking that our own righteousness somehow saves us. And I don’t believe that this compromises or diminishes from the fact that conditions were indeed met by the early Christians when they became a part of the church (Acts 2:37-47).

I think a lot of the “hang up” that prevented me from focusing more on grace in the past, was my insistence that Paul, throughout Romans, was comparing this new system of grace to the Law of Moses, as if grace were not substantial in the Law of Moses too. We have always taught that God’s character does not change. And I believe the Old Covenant, albeit to a lesser degree perhaps, was a system of grace as the New Covenant is today. The Law of Moses came as a tremendous blessing to God’s people as they had been stuck in Egyptian bondage for years. The Law was a beautiful gift from God that taught them how to live and function as a community of His followers, while striving to inherit the Promised Land of Canaan. They did not inherit this land by their own doing. It was a gift from God. And it was their faith in Him and their trust in His righteousness, as opposed to their own, that allowed them to follow His lead that got them there.

Thus, it is difficult for me to imagine Paul solely talking about the Law of Moses when contrasting law and grace as competing sources of salvation. The gospel does not stand in contrast with only the Law of Moses. The contrast is not between the gospel of Jesus and a particular law code, but rather between grace as a system of salvation and law as a system of salvation. When Paul states that we are not saved by a system of law, he is not intending to limit this to the Law of Moses, but is including any system of law—the idea of law. If “law” every time it is used, is limited exclusively to the Law of Moses, then why would Paul write what he does in Romans 2:14-15? The concept of “law” applied to more people than just those under the Law of Moses. The overall context shows that Paul is contrasting grace as a method of being saved with the idea of law or works as a method of being saved.

I don't feel real comfortable suggesting that God's justifying us is really a “both” scenario either. Paul seems to be setting forth this law/grace contrast as a “either/or” concept. It cannot be both. If law saves, why did Jesus die on the cross? And just because one meets the conditions of God’s grace (which are required, yes), does not mean that their obedience saves them. To suggest such would completely miss the point of God’s provision of what we could not supply for ourselves (2 Corinthians 5:17-21). Without God’s grace providing these conditions, there are no conditions to be met. Meeting God’s conditions gives us no right to take the credit. God is the source of salvation. His righteousness makes it possible, not ours (Romans 7:18).

“Will any one of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and recline at table’? Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink’? Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, “We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty’”(Luke 17:7-10).

“Thank You Heavenly Father for your sweet and redeeming Grace!”

The Power of the Gospel to Save

The Apostle Paul has just greeted the Christians in Rome and offered some very personal comments about both his desire to see them and preach the gospel to them. Now, before he begins what I believe to be the heart of this letter, he states the following:

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith’” (Romans 1:16-17).

Paul is expressing confidence in God’s saving message. He is saying that it is everything it claims to be. He wants these Christians to know, not only that he is proud to proclaim this gospel, but that this powerful plan of God’s can save all who put their trust in Him. This saving message of faith has been confirmed by Scripture all along; and its message is that the person who puts his or her faith in God REALLY lives as God desires His people to live. In other words, for God’s righteousness to be bestowed upon us, it begins and ends with our faith.

I stated in a previous post that Romans 1:16-17 is somewhat of a transitional statement because it seems that Paul is introducing a concept—righteous living by faith—which will eventually lead us to the actual theme of this letter—justification by faith, apart from law. One can also refer to this as a transition statement because Paul makes a drastic shift from talking about the goodness of God’s gospel and grace at the beginning of this letter to suddenly talking about God’s wrath, beginning in Romans 1:18. This section appears to serve as that proverbial “spring board” utilized by Paul to make this shift.

I really like Paul’s description of the gospel here as being the “power” of God. The Greek word for “power” is dunamos. This is actually where we get our English word for “dynamite.” The gospel is powerful in its ability to accomplish something so tremendous as salvation, which is so far from what we actually deserve. I like to harmonize this principle with Jesus’ words in Mark 10:27, which in the very context of being saved, reminds us that what is impossible for us, is indeed possible with God. We cannot save ourselves. Only God can do this. Notice here also in Romans 1:16-17, nothing is said of my power or righteousness, but rather God’s power and His righteousness. For so long, I thought I was a false teacher bound for hell if I did not give credit to myself. Now, I cannot in good conscience give credit to myself. My salvation is through the righteousness of God; not my own. Trusting in God’s righteousness as opposed to our own is the only way (John 14:6).

Jack Cottrell, in his commentary on Romans offers what I think is an excellent 6-point sermon on Romans 1:16-17:

1.) The glory of the gospel---God
2.) The power of the gospel---It saves
3.) The scope of the gospel----For everyone
4.) Faith and the gospel---faith is the means of salvation
5.) The heart of the gospel---God’s righteousness, not our own
6.) The golden text of the gospel---Habakkuk 2:4. The gospel of God’s righteousness is able to save all who believe and put their trust in it.

There is one other thing I wanted to mention here. There is going to be a lot of opportunity throughout this study for us to talk about the faith vs. law/works distinction. And we will. I still want to at some point address what some think is a contradiction between Romans 3:28 and James 2:24. In the past, I have argued that Paul is referring to the Law of Moses when talking about this law vs. grace contrast. I no longer believe that this is exclusively what Paul is talking about, however. I think Paul’s point is that God’s grace overshadows law in general—the idea of law in and of itself. Is he making reference to the Law of Moses in some sense throughout Romans and Galatians? Yes, because of who he is speaking to. But it doesn’t matter what law exists, whether the patriarchal law, Law of Moses, or law of the heart (Romans 2:14-15), no law trumps God’s grace. This is Paul's point. I will provide some more thoughts on this next time.

Tragedy

It was about 11:30 late Sunday night and I just laid there in bed. I tossed. I turned. Sleep is what I wanted and badly needed, but my efforts were to no avail. I just could not get out of my mind what I had seen and heard on the news a few hours earlier.

I needed sleep because I was sick. Very, very sick. I was doped up on medicine and because I hurt, I was already an emotional basketcase as it was. So to see and hear what I saw on the news earlier was about more than I could handle.

Last Thursday, March 26th, at about 12:30 PM, a lady from Luling, Texas, apparently a single mother, woke up to find her 18-month old son missing. Shortly after, her son was found outside. Dead! Attacked by a pitbull. The story with the details, along with a video containing an interview with the mother, can be found here. I was devastated. Immediately, as is the case for us all I'm sure, I began to think, what if this happened to one of my sweet boys? How would I deal with it? How would I ever live with myself? Would Cody and I blame each other? What was the most disturbing portion of this story on the news however, was when they played the 911 call from the mother. I still can't get it out of mind; the terror, fear, guilt, screaming, prayers, sobbing, panic, all expressed in the 81 second 911 call. I cannot imagine what this poor woman is going to have to deal with over the course of her life. My heart goes out to her.

All of us are aware of other tragic incidences that have occured in life. And much comes to mind, just like in the case of this story: Are pitbulls the problem? Is it a parenting problem? Was she irresponsible? Should she be charged with negligience? Does there really have to be someone found at fault here? These and a lot more questions have a propensity to race through the minds of many at these moments. But you know what? What does it really accomplish? It doesn't change the fact that things like this just happen. They always have, and unfortunately, they always will. Tragedy is a part of life that reminds us how life on this earth was never meant to be our permanent home. And how I long to one day be in a place where things of this nature will no longer occur.

It is probable that a lot of people are "beating her up." None of it, half as bad as what she is doing to herself, I'm sure. Personally, my heart bleeds for her. I have no idea who this woman is but I wish there was something I could do for her to ease the pain she is feeling. I know I have done a lot of irresponsible things as a parent myself that could have turned into tragedy. Something like this could happen to anyone. May things like this teach us to:

• Be responsible and demonstrate good stewardsip with what God has given us. James 1:17 reminds us that every perfect gift is a gift from the Father. And stewardship is obviously the Jesus way, as He reminds us that such is a component of kingdom living (e.g., Luke 16:1ff). This is apparently, according to the newstory, the message the mother wants to get across to the whole world.

• Hold on to those we love and never let go. May we never let a day pass where we don't express and show our love (John 13:35; 1 Corinthians 13:4-7) for the ones who are most important to us, because they can be taken from us at anytime (James 4:13-14).

• Remember that life on earth as we know it was never intended to be our permanant place of abode. If not for hardships and trials in this life, including tragedies, there would be nothing special about that heavenly place we anticipate. That is what makes being with God one day so perfect. There will no longer be tragedy. Let us always keep in perspective that nothing here on earth; no person nor thing, no event nor circumstance, and no tragedy nor hardship, can take away from what we have to look forward to in Heaven.

I think it would be a great idea to take a moment today to pray for the mother and entire family of this child that was attacked and killed.

Peace and love!