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Where is the Theological Bedrock of Christian Thought 4

We have been studying the apostle Paul’s book of Romans, commonly recognized as the bedrock of Christian theology, (see Part one, Part two, and Part 3).

            Today, we will finish our study. The apostle begins by shifting his Holy Spirit-inspired focus to the eternal prize awaiting God’s children:

…what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are.

Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we all know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Rm. 8:18 – 22. NLT

            So, when Adam and Eve corrupted themselves through sin, God levied the consequential penalty upon the entire earth and its inhabitants, in addition to our progenitors.

            The perfection of the Garden of Eden is presently denied to humankind until the children of God receive their reconciliation and resurrection at the end of time. The remainder of God’s creations waits for that moment as well:

And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. Rm. 8:23 NLT

            The children of God already possess the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (the ‘first fruit’ of our heavenly transformation), and they are assured of the consummation of that transfiguration.

            Jehovah has given us a hope that does not disappoint. However, we must supply our faith, which will be bolstered by the love of the Spirit of God:

We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. But we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.) Rm. 8:24, 25. NLT

And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.

And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. Rm. 8:26, 27. NLT

            Thus, in addition to strengthening our faith, the Holy Spirt intercedes for us through a supernatural prayer language that we do not understand; however, Jesus does. He takes those prayers and stands in intercession for us as well. So, we are well-equipped to be able to cling to the salvation promise of God:

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that the Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.

And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory. Rm. 8:28 – 30. NLT

            Jehovah always had a plan for your total and absolute redemption. Your part in that redemptive process is to accept His plan, by placing your faith in who Jesus is, what He’s done, and do your best to walk like He did. Then, God has got you covered:

What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?

Who dares to accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one – for God has given us right standing with himself. Who then will condemn us? No one – for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us. Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Rm. 8:31 – 35. NLT

            The answer to that question is found in my favorite Scripture in the entire Bible:

…nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death or life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow – not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.

No power in the sky above or in the earth below – indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rm. 3:38, 39. NLT

            Nothing can stand in the way of you receiving Jehovah’s love, (except for unrepentant sin) …

            Remember that the overriding purpose of Paul’s epistle was to unify both Jew and Gentile followers of Christ within a formidable Gospel foundation. Now, he addresses the Jews specifically:

And Isaiah calls out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the sons of Israel be like the sand of the sea, it is only the remnant [a small believing minority] that will be saved [from God’s judgment] … Rm. 9:27 AMP

            Paul is reiterating God’s promise to Abraham, to cover the earth with his descendants. Yet only those Jews (the ‘remnant’) who embrace Christ, will be awarded His salvation.

            Next, the apostle contrasts the natures of the Jew and Gentile pursuits of salvation:

What does all this mean? Even though the Gentiles were not trying to follow God’s standards, they were made right with God. And it was by faith that this took place.

But the people of Israel, who tried so hard to get right with God by keeping the law never succeeded. Why not? Because they were trying to get right with God by keeping the law instead of trusting in him. They stumbled over the great rock in their path. Rm. 9:30 – 32. NLT

            What was this rock?

God warned them of this in the Scriptures when he said,

“I am placing a stone in Jerusalem that makes people stumble, a rock that makes them fall. But anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.” Rm. 9:33 NLT

            That rock is Jesus:

For Christ is the end of the law [it leads to Him and its purpose is fulfilled in Him], for [granting] righteousness to everyone who believes [in Him as Savior]. Rm. 10:4 AMP

            The Gentiles pursued their salvation by faith. The Jewish ‘remnant’ must do likewise, instead of trying to earn their salvation by works – rejecting Christ (the ‘stumbling stone’), as was prophesied 400 years before most of the Jews did.

            Now, Paul tells both the Jews and Gentiles about the clear path to salvation:

If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. Rm. 10:9, 10. NLT

Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. For “Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.” Rm. 10:12, 13. NLT (See also Joel 2:32.)

So faith comes from hearing [what is told], and what is heard comes by the [preaching of the] message concerning Christ. Rm. 10:17 AMP

            So, it all comes down to faith – gained by Holy Spirit inspiration, when you listen to the Gospel…

            Then, the apostle addresses the Gentiles, warning them not to become ‘self-righteous’ because it was the Jews’ unrighteous rebellion against Christ that gave the Gentiles the opportunity to receive the Gospel. Paul did not want the Gentiles to think that they were somehow in some higher hierarchy in Christian rank:

And since Abraham and the other patriarchs were holy, their descendants will also be holy – just as the entire batch of dough is holy because the portion given as an offering is holy. For if the roots of the tree are holy, the branches will be, too.

But some of the branches from Abraham’s tree – some of the people of Israel – have been broken off. And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree have been grafted in. So now you also receive the blessing that God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich nourishment from the root of God’s special olive tree.

But you must not brag about being grafted in to replace the branches that were broken off. You are just a branch, not the root. Rm. 11:16 – 18. NLT

“Well,” you may say, “those branches were broken off to make room for me.” Yes, but remember – those branches were broken off because they didn’t believe in Christ, and you are there because you do believe.

So don’t think highly of yourself, but fear what could happen. For if God did not spare the original branches, he won’t spare you either. Notice how God is both kind and severe toward those who disobeyed, but kind to you if you continue to trust in his kindness. But if you stop trusting you also will be cut off.

And if the people of Israel turn from their unbelief, they will be grafted in again, for God has the power to graft them back into the tree. Rm. 11:19 -23. NLT

            Jehovah’s mercy knows no bounds. All He asks, is that you keep your eyes on the prize.

            Paul now summates his letter by explaining how to act out our Christianity:

…give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice – the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Rm. 12:1, 2. NLT

            We must devote our entire being to God and rise above the ways of the world, by keeping our minds ‘renewed’ through the continual study of His word.

In addition, Paul goes on to say that we should use our spiritual gifts to serve our brothers and sisters in Christ with love, compassion, empathy, and humility – without giving into pride for doing so:

Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.

Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!

Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see that you are honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. Rm. 12:9 – 19. NLT (See also Dt. 32:35)

Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good. Rm. 12:21 NLT

            Again, the Christ-like walk is a loving, serving, humble and forgiving one. This includes (dare I say) our attitude towards our government:

Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. Rm. 13:1 NLT

Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay your taxes and government fees to those who collect them, and give respect and honor to those who are in authority. Rm. 13:7 NLT

            We may not like the government we have, but we generally get the one we deserve – usually as a byproduct of constituent apathy. Regardless, Jehovah is not a god of chaos and anarchy. Honor those whose task it is to keep those things from manifesting – as long as the governmental actions do not try to force us to forsake God’s will.

            Finally, Paul reveals that with God, all things are about love:

Owe nothing to anyone – except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God’s law…summed up in this one commandment “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God’s law. Rm. 13:8 – 10. NLT

            It is imperative that we always walk in love – keeping ourselves in a place of ‘righteous readiness’ for all that Jehovah has prepared for us:

The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living. Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see.

Don’t participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires. Rm. 13:12 – 14. NLT

            We don’t want to be counted among those who choose to cling to the world. Yet, we do want to remain kind and continue to offer the hope of Christ to those who will listen. And neither do we judge other believers:

So why do you condemn another believer? Why do you look down on another believer? Remember, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. Rm. 14:10 NLT

So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God. Therefore, let us no longer judge one another. Instead decide never to put a stumbling block or pitfall in the way of your brother or sister. Rm. 14:12, 13. CSB

Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory. Rm. 15:7 NLT

            Paul signs off by asking again for church unity within both the Gentiles and Jews:

Remember that Christ came as a servant to the Jews to show that God is true to the promises he made to their ancestors. He also came so that the Gentiles might give glory to God for his mercies to them. Rm. 15:8, 9. NLT

Goodnight and God bless.

Where is the Theological Bedrock of Christian Thought? 3

            In part one, we learned that the apostle Paul’s book of Romans was indeed that bedrock. In part two, Paul spoke of faith and sin.

            Now, the apostle continues his revelations on sinful behavior and his own struggles with it:

Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. Rm. 6:16 NLT

            That righteous living is a gift from God, through Christ (Rm. 6:23). It cannot be attained through the impossible effort of trying to be perfectly obedient to the Mosaic Law:

You died to the power of the law when you died with Christ. And now you are united with the one who was raised from the dead. As a result, we can produce a harvest of good deeds for God. Rm. 7:4 NLT

            Paul continues to talk about how the law itself is not bad, because its job was to reveal our sin, so that we would see our need for salvation. He points to his own personal struggles with sin, to emphasize his point:

So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin. I really don’t understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. Rm. 7:14, 15. NLT

            The apostle is concentrating on his pre-conversion condition. He now recognizes the sinful nature of his flesh:

So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. Rm. 7:17, 18. NLT

            Now, Paul points us to the way out:

Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. Rm. 7:24, 25. NLT

            We can see then that the Mosaic Law was intended to be a spiritual standard, wherein one’s total obedience to it, guarantees a 100% righteous state before God. However, there is a continual war within us, between our spirit, (which can and wants to obey the Law), and our Adam-tainted flesh, (which relishes rebellion against it).

            Jehovah God shows us His mercy, by revealing one of His mightiest spiritual warriors, (Paul), who struggles with his own humanity; in turn, showing us the need to apply mercy and compassion for ourselves and everyone else, and lay condemnation aside.

            Our Father knows about our internal tug-of-war. Even when we seek to be obedient and advance His Kingdom, the voice of Satan is ever-present in our flesh, trying to convince us to do otherwise.

            When we do slip and fall, we gain nothing by condemning ourselves. (Remember how Jesus refused to condemn the adulteress?) A slip-and-fall is a ‘lost skirmish’ – not a loss of the entire battle. Christ is at the helm. He washes away those lost skirmishes with the blood of redemption, as we confess and repent. Indeed, He leads us to our eternal victory:

So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.

The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins.

He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit. Rm. 8:1 – 4. NLT

            What a God! What a Son! Also, see that word in the second sentence – ‘freed’? It means that all who receive Christ have already been delivered from the condemnation of sin. And, it has been removed for every sin we have committed and those we commit in the future, if we do our best to emulate Jesus.

            We have met all the requirements of the Law vicariously, through the righteous mantle Christ covers us with. And we walk presently in the newfound freedom of Jehovah’s new and final Covenant – through Jesus. Moreover, Christ Himself empowers us to live a spirit-filled life. Our job, is to use our free will to make righteous choices:

Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your life leads to life and peace. Rm. 8:5, 6. NLT

For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God. Rm. 8:7, 8. NLT

            In other words, when we set our focus on going after the ways of the world, we are rebelling against God; and spiritual and physical death is assured if we remain in that mire. Praise Jehovah that He blankets His children with love, mercy, and grace, through Christ, for all eternity:

But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.)

And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. The Spirit of God, who raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you. Rm. 8:9 – 11. NLT

Therefore…you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. For all those who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.

So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you have received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. (Speaking to the Gentiles here). Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.

And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. Rm. 8:12 – 17. NLT

            When you accept Christ as your savior, you are filled with the Holy Spirit – cloaking you with the righteousness of Jesus, which wipes all your sins off your heavenly ledger. And you become adopted sons and daughters, bathed in love and joy. A little suffering too because you are now on the devil’s ‘enemy list’. He will do his best to get you to reject your Savior.

            However, what did Jesus tell us?

(“My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand.” Jn. 10:27, 28. CSB)

            Goodnight and God bless.

Where is the Theological Bedrock of Christian Thought 2

In part one, we established that it is the book of Romans. We looked at the Gospel and Christ’s place in it – as well as our mandate to spread the Good News. The apostle Paul also revealed what darkness lies ahead for the naysayers.

            Now, Paul continues by speaking about faith…

            We cannot earn our salvation. It is a gift of God’s grace. And if a gift, there can be no exchange. Salvation is not something that we accomplish. Faith is the vehicle in which we receive the gift of salvation. Faith is not a doing; it is a being and a having.

            Faith is not something that we produce; it is a gift that we receive when we accept Christ as the living Son of God:

(…let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Heb. 12:1, 2.)

            Jesus gifts us with faith to nurture our eternal relationship with Him. God uses our acceptance and practice of our faith to ‘justify’ (from the Greek dikaioo, meaning to ‘make innocent’) us in His eyes through the Propitiate (from the Greek hilasterion, meaning ‘an atoning victim’), i.e., Christ upon the cross.

            Paul begins:

For the Scriptures tell us, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” Rm. 4:3 NLT

But how did this happen? Was he counted as righteous only after he was circumcised, or was it before he was circumcised?

Circumcision was a sign that Abraham already had faith and that God had already accepted him and was declared to be righteous – even before he was circumcised. So Abraham is the spiritual father of those who have faith but have not been circumcised. They are counted as righteous because of their faith. Rm. 4:10, 11. NLT

Clearly, God’s promise is to give the whole earth to Abraham and his descendants was not based upon his obedience to God’s law, but on a right relationship with God that comes by faith. Rm 4:13 NLT

            Thus, Abraham’s faith in God purchased the blessing of faith for all future descendants who would embrace it by coming to Christ:

And when God counted him as righteous, it wasn’t just for Abraham’s benefit. It was recorded for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God. Rm. 4:23 – 25. NLT

            Faith is what unifies us as children of God. It is the centerpiece of God’s covenant promise:

Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.

Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.

We can rejoice too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. Rm. 5:1 – 5. NLT

When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Rm. 5:6 NLT

…God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation.

For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. Rm. 5:8 – 10. NLT

            God is love. He is merciful. Therefore, Love is merciful. Even when we were enemies of God, (enslaved to the ways of the world), He opens His arms through the arms of His Son and scoops up everyone who is willing to be the recipient of His love.

            In His limitless mercy, Jehovah sacrificed His Son so that we could be transformed, cleansed of worldly enslavements by His grace, to become children of God, who are called to spend eternity in His love…

            When you have a better understanding of what you are placing your faith in, it will be strengthened. The apostle dives right in to do just that, by clarifying what Jesus did, and what it meant.

            First and foremost, God sent His Son so that He could undo the sin of Adam, and point you heavenward:

When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. Rm. 5:12 NLT

But there is a great difference between Adam’s sin and God’s gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ.

And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins.

For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ. Rm. 5:15 – 17. NLT

So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Rm. 5:21 NLT

            Through Jehovah’s clemency and grace, He struck down your Adam-derived death sentence by the free gift of Jesus Christ. And the suspension of your sentence is eternal…

            If Christ has done all this work and saved us, do we then have liberty to willfully sin?

…should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. Rm. 6:1-4. NLT

We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin.  Rm. 6:6, 7. NLT

When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. So you should also consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.

Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace. Rm.  6:10 – 14. NLT

            Jesus died for all our sins, for all time. Those who receive Him obtain the transformation of righteousness – literally becoming new men and women in Christ. In response, we are called to walk in God’s ways as best we can.

            However, our flesh will not give up its cravings. There will be moments when our will is weak and we give into them. Yet we can always tap into the resurrection power of Christ to help us oppose sin and reduce our transgressions to a minimum. God promises us that He will always make a way to escape our potential sins. (See 1 Cor. 10:13)

            If we do slip, (and we will, repeatedly), we can present ourselves to God with confession and repentance for a cleaned slate…

            Next time, we’ll see that even Paul wars with sin.

            Goodnight and God bless.

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