Week 8: Romans 8:1

Romans 8:1: There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.

1. We are free from the chains of sin and this world and no longer guilty of our iniquities.  Why?  Because Jesus, God’s only son, took on the weight of our sins and was sacrificed to atone for them.  Where we once were condemned to death, Jesus instead took our places.
1. How many of us live though as if we are free?  Too often we live in chains and in bondage, as if we are still condemned.  Condemned means "to be sentenced to a particular punishment, especially death."  We fail to see the liberty that Jesus has given us.  Without His sacrifice, God would be just in condemning us each to hell for our sins (Romans 3:23) for eternity.  Instead, the perfect, spotless Lamb of God willingly took on our sins and died so that we could have everlasting life.  This is staggering.  And those of us that live our lives as if we are condemned might as well be smacking Jesus in the face, saying yeah, your sacrifice was great, but really it's not enough for me.  We should all wake up and bow down to God, thanking Him for His love and mercy, for lifting our condemnation, for giving us life and reason and joy.
2. I read a very poignant passage in Job over the weekend.  Job's friend Elihu shows up and eloquently praises God.  In Job 36:8-12, he talks about people being bound in chains and ultimately dying by the sword and without knowledge.  Jesus has broken all chains that bind us, freeing us (Galatians 5:1,13), giving us liberty so that we can live a life that glorifies Him.  We're not to be bound to anything, and we have this freedom because of what Jesus did.  There is no condemnation for us.  Let's live like that and see how the world changes.
2. to those who are in Christ Jesus.  There is still condemnation for those without the blood of Jesus.  While He died for the sins of all, many do not accept His sacrifice, tragically, and condemn themselves to an eternity outside of God’s presence.

I really, really like the book of Romans a lot.  If you've not read it in a while, I encourage you to do so and be blown away by the love of God.  Also, if you're living life in bondage, floundering around in fear or indecisiveness, I encourage you to pick up Kevin DeYoung's Just Do Something (my review is here).  This short and potent book is a game-changer that I wish many American churchgoers would read.

Week 5: Romans 12:1,2

Romans 12:1,2:  “I appeal to you, therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.  Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

1. In light of the previous verses, that everything is from, through, and to God, Paul urges the recipients of this letter to present their bodies to God.  Why?  Because it is the ultimate act of worshiping to completely surrender to the Creator.
1. living sacrifice is an interesting choice of words.  It seems oxymoronic, but considering Jesus’s command to “take up the cross and follow Him,” it makes sense.  He was the final sacrifice to atone for our sins, appeasing God’s wrath.  We’re called to emulate Jesus and thus live sacrificially, willing to give up everything God asks of us, completely submitting our being to Him.
2. spiritual worship also is intriguing.  I don’t understand how there could be any other type of worship other than spiritual.  Physical worship makes sense, with raising hands and singing songs, but I would call this an act born from spiritual worship.  I suppose some can “physically worship” without “spiritually worshiping” as hypocrites.
3. Is using “by the mercies of God” the same as Paul saying, “for the love of God, do this!  It’s serious!”?  Perhaps.  If so, and I suspect it is, then I find this funny.  It brings a smile to my face when I read Scripture and I bust out laughing (cf Leviticus 13:41).
2. Do not be conformed to this world.  We’re to be in the world but not of the world.  We’re to love others, but we’re citizens of a different kingdom, where God reigns.  Also, this world implies that there is another world or home, which will be the New Heaven and New Earth created in the future.
3. Being transformed by the renewal of your mind is such an important part of walking with Jesus.  We cannot serve two masters, and if we’re not completely submitted to a master’s rule then we’re serving with less than full commitment.  Jesus wants us to completely surrender to Him, forsaking our loyalty to ourselves and our pride.  Doing this, keeping our eyes on Him, is how we renew our minds.
1. Why?  So we can know the will of God and how to act.  If our minds are renewed and transformed, they will be set on God, and if they’re set on Him, then the Spirit within us is obvious, and our actions and thoughts will be guided by Him.
1. Romans 8:5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
2. How?  Complete and utter surrender.  We have to wholly submit ourselves to God, shirking our identities and becoming new in Jesus.  Practically, emulate Jesus as best as possible, praying for mercy & guidance; read the bible to ingest God’s Word; pray to God to speak to the Father.

These two verses, along with the previous week's memory verses, are ones I constantly go back to.  It's not a daily thing to have transformation, but it's a moment-by-moment, thought-by-thought thing.  A paradigm shift, if you will.  I pray often for my mind to transform and conform to the image of Jesus, that I may be more and more like Him.

I also love the sacrificial language of these verses.  The entire OT is littered with it, as the Israelites had to sacrifice in order to have forgiveness.  Interestingly, God didn't abolish the sacrificial system completely (though, thankfully He did get rid of what we typically think of as a sacrifice), but He switched from using animals and grains to His People.  We are now living sacrifices to God Almighty, not for forgiveness of sin (that was Jesus Christ's sacrifice), but as an act of worship.  And that's awesome.

Week 4: Romans 11:33-36

Romans 11:33-36: “Oh the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and how inscrutable His ways! ‘For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has given Him counsel? Or who has given a gift to Him that he might be repaid?’ For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.”

1. How deep are the riches, wisdom, and knowledge of God!  They are bottomless things that never dry up, wells from the depths of creation and from God Himself.  He is infinitely rich, having at His disposal and use anything He desires and owning all there is.  He is infinitely wise, able to make the best possible choice and options available for His will, never making a wrong choice even when we cannot see the reasons.  He is infinitely knowledgeable, filled with the understanding of everything.  This is our God.
2. His judgments are unsearchable.  God’s thoughts are not our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8), they are so infinitely higher than ours that it’s impossible for us to search out understanding from His choices.  Who are we to question why God made the sky blue?  His reasoning is sound and seems odd because we’re so far below Him that it’s pathetic.  
3. His ways are inscrutable.  Inscrutable means unable to understand or comprehend.  Just as His thoughts are well above ours, we cannot hope to understand Him.  We can only trust in His promises and His Word.
1. No one has known the mind of the Lord and no one can give Him counsel.  This refrain echoes the depth of God’s knowledge & wisdom.  It is comforting to think that there is no one above our God.
2. God is indebted to no one (evidenced by the next verse).  He does not owe us anything, and every breath we have is a gift of His creation.  The chief gift is salvation and the cross, the ultimate gift of His only Son, and it’s a gift so that no one can boast but instead thank God for His providence.  
4. From Him and through Him and to Him are all things.  God created everything, and it was all made by His hands or by His direction.  He set the mechanics of the universe in order.  He placed the sun in our sky.  He put the breath in our lungs.  He is the only Creator, and everyone owes their worship and praise to Him alone forever.

These verses are Paul's declaration of how awesome God.  I like to incorporate them into my prayers, for God is still bottomless, limitless, insurmountable, inscrutable, and mind-blowing.  Just when we think we understand something about God, a whole new facet opens up and astounds us all over again.


To God be the glory forever, indeed!