READ Romans 1-4
If the NT were a skeleton, Romans would be the bones. It explains the major doctrines and how to apply them. It tells of God’s amazing work in our redemption. I cannot do justice to this wonderful book, only read and listen to what God says.
He tells of Jesus, “who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations . . . .” (Romans 1:3–6)
When much younger, I heard the usual encouragement that I could be just about anything I wanted to be. Much later, God called me to be a Christian. Why me? The above verses answer: I received grace to make possible obedience of faith for the sake of His name among all the nations. I could have been lots of other things, but could my life have a greater and more eternal purpose?
Romans 1 speaks of praying always. I joined “Toastmasters” for a time, and spoke at conferences and camps, but can there be a more important conversation than talking with Almighty God, the Creator and Sustainer of all things who hears and answers prayer?
Paul was eager to strengthen others, to share the gospel, to reap a spiritual harvest, all this of course by God’s enabling. I once led a national writers’ group and even though the members were Christians, the goal was often to be published and wear the label. I dropped out, choosing instead to freely share Jesus this way and focus on how He changes lives, mine included, again by God’s enabling.
Paul was not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. Why would anyone be ashamed of such good news? Is it because that good news includes bad news?
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. (Romans 1:18–23)
I think of this as the ‘slippery slope’ where people are standing on the hill of realization but look down instead of up, and take a fatal step in the wrong direction. Instead of upward to faith and eternal life, they choose to not honor or give thanks to God — and walk down into darkness, no longer able to see more wonders that God wants to reveal. Following that are two ‘therefore’ verses about God’s response to that choice:
Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. (Romans 1:24–25)
And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them. Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. (Romans 1:28–2:1)
Then, lest I think I’ve done well to choose otherwise, this reading says: “No one is righteous, no, not one. no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one . . . . for there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness . . . .” (Romans 3:10–12; 23–25)
And today, I again bow in thankfulness for God’s gracious gift of faith given to undeserving sinners such as I. Why me? Why anyone!
No comments:
Post a Comment