"(12) Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned - (13) for before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account when there is no law. (14) Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come."
I guess if you don't really believe in Adam and Eve and all that jazz, you would feel very scornful toward these passages. How could one man and one woman doom us all? Maybe you think that if you were Adam you would have been able to follow God's commands in the first place and we'd still be living in Eden. But it is clear to me that we are no better than Adam. I can't even ride down the interstate without becoming iritated at someone so how can I think I'd be better than Adam or Eve? It's interesting to me that Paul points out that we all die. Whether you sin or follow all the rules, you will still die. What is beyond? I guess that's your choice. Sin leads to death, death of body, death of spirit, but if you choose to believe in the love of God and the salvation available to you through Jesus Christ, sure, you'll die, but your spirit will live on in the greatness of God's kingdom.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Romans 5:9-11
NIV "(9) Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! (10) For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! (11) Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation."
CEV "(9)But there is more! Now that God has accepted us because Christ sacrificed his life's blood, we will also be kept safe from God's anger. (10)Even when we were God's enemies, he made peace with us, because his Son died for us. Yet something even greater than friendship is ours. Now that we are at peace with God, we will be saved by his Son's life. (11)And in addition to everything else, we are happy because God sent our Lord Jesus Christ to make peace with us."
These verses were confusing to me, hence the two versions. The word "justified" seems to throw me off every time. One of the harder thing for me to understand is what Paul meant by being an enemy of God. It took me a few minutes of reading the footnotes in my Bible to realize he was talking about this: Humans are fallen, meaning we sin. God does not sin, so we are always seperated or against God because of our sin. In a very real sense, sin makes us enemies of God.
But Jesus is like a bridge. Jesus' blood allows us to be at peace with God. Picture two sides of a huge war suddenly being at peace. But if that was all Jesus did, the scars of the war would still exist and we all know that scars from war take many years to go away. Think about the trenches dug in World War I or the concentration camps of World War II - they're still there decades later. Thankfully Jesus also allowed our lives to be saved. In my war example peace exists, but the scars are also healed and we're allowed to move forward with life because both sides are saved. No more trenches, no more concentration camps, no more conflict, no more guilt over the past.
Wouldn't it be wonderful to be connected to God? I can tell you that for me it's a comfort to know I can be at peace with the One all-powerful God. I just need to remind myself every day that it's through the blood of Christ and his sacrifice that I can do that.
CEV "(9)But there is more! Now that God has accepted us because Christ sacrificed his life's blood, we will also be kept safe from God's anger. (10)Even when we were God's enemies, he made peace with us, because his Son died for us. Yet something even greater than friendship is ours. Now that we are at peace with God, we will be saved by his Son's life. (11)And in addition to everything else, we are happy because God sent our Lord Jesus Christ to make peace with us."
These verses were confusing to me, hence the two versions. The word "justified" seems to throw me off every time. One of the harder thing for me to understand is what Paul meant by being an enemy of God. It took me a few minutes of reading the footnotes in my Bible to realize he was talking about this: Humans are fallen, meaning we sin. God does not sin, so we are always seperated or against God because of our sin. In a very real sense, sin makes us enemies of God.
But Jesus is like a bridge. Jesus' blood allows us to be at peace with God. Picture two sides of a huge war suddenly being at peace. But if that was all Jesus did, the scars of the war would still exist and we all know that scars from war take many years to go away. Think about the trenches dug in World War I or the concentration camps of World War II - they're still there decades later. Thankfully Jesus also allowed our lives to be saved. In my war example peace exists, but the scars are also healed and we're allowed to move forward with life because both sides are saved. No more trenches, no more concentration camps, no more conflict, no more guilt over the past.
Wouldn't it be wonderful to be connected to God? I can tell you that for me it's a comfort to know I can be at peace with the One all-powerful God. I just need to remind myself every day that it's through the blood of Christ and his sacrifice that I can do that.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Romans 5: 6-8
"(6) You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. (7) Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. (8) But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
These three verses are some of the most famous in the Bible. People often quote verse 8, but I really think we need to focus on what Paul is saying on the other verses as well. It's interesting in verse 6 that he writes that Christ died for the ungodly. He didn't say that he died for the Jews, for the righteous, or for those that believed, but for the ungodly. It makes me so happy that I believe in a God that is willing to die for even people that don't believe in Him. Now, it's easy to write that Christ died for us, but Paul points out that people don't generally die for people they believe are good muchless for people that are bad and we have to know that among the "ungodly" we have some really awful people. It would have to be some really strong love that would drive a person to die for people that are righteous and good as well as those that are selfish and despicable.
These three verses are some of the most famous in the Bible. People often quote verse 8, but I really think we need to focus on what Paul is saying on the other verses as well. It's interesting in verse 6 that he writes that Christ died for the ungodly. He didn't say that he died for the Jews, for the righteous, or for those that believed, but for the ungodly. It makes me so happy that I believe in a God that is willing to die for even people that don't believe in Him. Now, it's easy to write that Christ died for us, but Paul points out that people don't generally die for people they believe are good muchless for people that are bad and we have to know that among the "ungodly" we have some really awful people. It would have to be some really strong love that would drive a person to die for people that are righteous and good as well as those that are selfish and despicable.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Romans 5:1-5
"(1) Therefore, since we have been justifed through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, (2) through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. (3) Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces persevereance; (4) perseverance, character; and character, hope. (5) And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us."
I found these verses sort of confusing because it throws out a bunch of abstract ,, concepts that I had to wrap my mind around in order to understand. I read it the first time and wondered - what does it mean to be justified through faith? Another version rewords it "By faith we have been made acceptable to God." That is easier to understand. By faith in Jesus Christ and his resurrection, we are good with God. It reiterates the concept that no one can get to God by works or by just being a "good person". Paul goes further to say that through faith we are at peace with God. How comforting to know that even though we sin, we can be at peace with the awesome power of God wrath through the blood of Christ! Sometimes I just imagine humans as small children continually into trouble. Human parents might cut their children loose and turn their backs on them because of their behavior, but God never turns his back and he never stops loving even though we deserve the severest reprimand. The concept of recieving Gods love even though we don't deserve it is where grace comes in. Through Christ we continually live in God's grace, which helps us draw closer to Him.
The second part talks about suffering leading to perseverance (or endurance), which leads to character, which leads to hope. Now suffering seems like something most American's don't seem to have in thier lives - we don't generally suffer like some people in other countries where famine, political coups and natural disasters cause genuine, heartwrenching suffering. But looks can be decieving. Maybe our sufferings are not as awful as the ones in say Haiti, but plenty of people are loosing thier jobs, wondering how to strech $10 for two weeks, doing drugs, involving themselves in unhealthy relationships, or simply allowing this world to fill their heads with lies. But Paul says that all this suffering leads to one thing - HOPE. By ourselves we could never overcome the suffering, but through God and Christ and the Holy Spirit, we can endure, build our character and have hope in a greater future. If it were not for God, we would only see our own problems, never the hope. Thank God for the hope we can put in Him, otherwise this world would be far too overwhelming.
I found these verses sort of confusing because it throws out a bunch of abstract ,, concepts that I had to wrap my mind around in order to understand. I read it the first time and wondered - what does it mean to be justified through faith? Another version rewords it "By faith we have been made acceptable to God." That is easier to understand. By faith in Jesus Christ and his resurrection, we are good with God. It reiterates the concept that no one can get to God by works or by just being a "good person". Paul goes further to say that through faith we are at peace with God. How comforting to know that even though we sin, we can be at peace with the awesome power of God wrath through the blood of Christ! Sometimes I just imagine humans as small children continually into trouble. Human parents might cut their children loose and turn their backs on them because of their behavior, but God never turns his back and he never stops loving even though we deserve the severest reprimand. The concept of recieving Gods love even though we don't deserve it is where grace comes in. Through Christ we continually live in God's grace, which helps us draw closer to Him.
The second part talks about suffering leading to perseverance (or endurance), which leads to character, which leads to hope. Now suffering seems like something most American's don't seem to have in thier lives - we don't generally suffer like some people in other countries where famine, political coups and natural disasters cause genuine, heartwrenching suffering. But looks can be decieving. Maybe our sufferings are not as awful as the ones in say Haiti, but plenty of people are loosing thier jobs, wondering how to strech $10 for two weeks, doing drugs, involving themselves in unhealthy relationships, or simply allowing this world to fill their heads with lies. But Paul says that all this suffering leads to one thing - HOPE. By ourselves we could never overcome the suffering, but through God and Christ and the Holy Spirit, we can endure, build our character and have hope in a greater future. If it were not for God, we would only see our own problems, never the hope. Thank God for the hope we can put in Him, otherwise this world would be far too overwhelming.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Romans 4: 18-25
"(18) Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be." (19) Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead - since he was about a hundred years old - and that Sarah's womb was also dead. (20) Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, (21) being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. (22) This is why "it was credited to him as righeousness." (23) The words "it was credited to him" were written not for him alone, (24) but also for us, to whom God will credit righeousness - for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. (25) He was delievered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justificaiton."
I love the point that Paul makes in these passages. He tells Abraham (picture white haired, wrinkled, maybe bent and walking with a stick, no children) that he's to be a father of a great nation and He tells Sarah (picture grey hair and wrinkled) that she will have child. Even Paul acknowledges that Abraham had every right to not believe God, but he did and was rewarded beyond belief for his faith. So lets say you are staring at a seemingly-insurmoutable problem - you have mountain of debt, you are in a bad relationship with someone, you have a health problem, you can't seem to get your act together is studying God's Word, whatever - God has promised you His love, His help and His mercy if you only have faith in him. If God can make Sarah have a child well past child-bearing years and make child-less Abraham into a father of a nation as vast as the stars in the sky, then He can help you overcome anything in your life. BUT ONLY TROUGH FAITH.
We should allow ourselves to be like Abraham. Abraham saw an insurmountable problem and like to see him thinking, "Well, I can't overcome this problem by myself, so I'm going to HAVE to trust in the Lord." If he had thought, "I'm going to do this all by myself," the I would not be sitting here today. In our world we are taught to be self-sufficient and only rely on ourselves, but we cannot do this for everything. If God has set your feet on a path, trust Him to help you find your way. If you dug yourself into a hole, trust Him to build you a ladder so you can climb out.
I love the point that Paul makes in these passages. He tells Abraham (picture white haired, wrinkled, maybe bent and walking with a stick, no children) that he's to be a father of a great nation and He tells Sarah (picture grey hair and wrinkled) that she will have child. Even Paul acknowledges that Abraham had every right to not believe God, but he did and was rewarded beyond belief for his faith. So lets say you are staring at a seemingly-insurmoutable problem - you have mountain of debt, you are in a bad relationship with someone, you have a health problem, you can't seem to get your act together is studying God's Word, whatever - God has promised you His love, His help and His mercy if you only have faith in him. If God can make Sarah have a child well past child-bearing years and make child-less Abraham into a father of a nation as vast as the stars in the sky, then He can help you overcome anything in your life. BUT ONLY TROUGH FAITH.
We should allow ourselves to be like Abraham. Abraham saw an insurmountable problem and like to see him thinking, "Well, I can't overcome this problem by myself, so I'm going to HAVE to trust in the Lord." If he had thought, "I'm going to do this all by myself," the I would not be sitting here today. In our world we are taught to be self-sufficient and only rely on ourselves, but we cannot do this for everything. If God has set your feet on a path, trust Him to help you find your way. If you dug yourself into a hole, trust Him to build you a ladder so you can climb out.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Romans 4: 16-17
"(16) Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring - not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. (17) As it is written: "I have made you a father of many nations." He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed - the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were."
Going through Romans I think I might have needed to start with Genesis because Paul refers back to Abraham a lot in this fourth chapter. So a little background if you're not all that familiar with the story of Abraham. God told Abraham to leave his country and go to the land that He would show him and that He would make him the father of a great nation. Abraham did has he was told and through his children, a great nation was indeed created. Jesus was a direct descendant of Abraham and through Jesus we all become part of this nation. In my last post we found out the Abraham became saved through his faith in God. The law (think ten commandments) hadn't even been given, but Abraham's faith saved him just as our faith saves us.
Now, I just wanted to throw this out there today because it was on my mind. Some people might be wondering if I REALLY believe what I'm writing and I want you to all know that I do. I do believe that God reveals himself through his creation and that we're only saved through our belief in Jesus Christ. Symbols of our faith are fine, but if it's not in your heart, then it's worthless. By making these statements I'm not trying to be all high and mighty. I fail multiple times every single day and I frequently fail to live up to what God wants of me, but I'm trying, which is all that God can ask.
Going through Romans I think I might have needed to start with Genesis because Paul refers back to Abraham a lot in this fourth chapter. So a little background if you're not all that familiar with the story of Abraham. God told Abraham to leave his country and go to the land that He would show him and that He would make him the father of a great nation. Abraham did has he was told and through his children, a great nation was indeed created. Jesus was a direct descendant of Abraham and through Jesus we all become part of this nation. In my last post we found out the Abraham became saved through his faith in God. The law (think ten commandments) hadn't even been given, but Abraham's faith saved him just as our faith saves us.
Now, I just wanted to throw this out there today because it was on my mind. Some people might be wondering if I REALLY believe what I'm writing and I want you to all know that I do. I do believe that God reveals himself through his creation and that we're only saved through our belief in Jesus Christ. Symbols of our faith are fine, but if it's not in your heart, then it's worthless. By making these statements I'm not trying to be all high and mighty. I fail multiple times every single day and I frequently fail to live up to what God wants of me, but I'm trying, which is all that God can ask.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Romans 4: 9-15
"(9) Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham's faith was credited to him as righeousness. (10) Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before! (11) And he received the sign of the circumcision, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them. (12) And he is also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised. (13) It was not through law that Abraham and his offfspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but thorugh the righeousness that comes by faith. (14) For if those who live by law are heirs, faith has no value and the promise is worthless, (15) because law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression."
Paul continues chapter 4 by continuing to discuss Abraham. Abraham was the hero of ancient Jews and the founder of the Jewish race/religion. It was through him that God made a covenant for him to be the father of a great nation. Paul points out, though, that Abraham was made right with God through his faith, not the outward symbol of circumcision. I think sometimes as Christians we put too much emphasis on outward symbols of faith. But God doesn't care about the outward symbol as much as he cares about the inner faith. We can be baptised before an entire church, but if our heart isn't change and faith isn't there, then it's meaningless. In fact Abraham hadn't even conducted the outward symbol of circumcision before God blessed him because of his faith. If the outward symbol was more important, then faith would have no meaning and that's not what God is all about. The emphasis is on faith.
Paul continues chapter 4 by continuing to discuss Abraham. Abraham was the hero of ancient Jews and the founder of the Jewish race/religion. It was through him that God made a covenant for him to be the father of a great nation. Paul points out, though, that Abraham was made right with God through his faith, not the outward symbol of circumcision. I think sometimes as Christians we put too much emphasis on outward symbols of faith. But God doesn't care about the outward symbol as much as he cares about the inner faith. We can be baptised before an entire church, but if our heart isn't change and faith isn't there, then it's meaningless. In fact Abraham hadn't even conducted the outward symbol of circumcision before God blessed him because of his faith. If the outward symbol was more important, then faith would have no meaning and that's not what God is all about. The emphasis is on faith.
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