Category: Romans

A First Century Jew

2 Samuel 9-10

Psalm 54

*Romans 15

-Devotion by Jeremy Martin (TN)

            I really like Paul, he just strikes me as the kind of guy who has what they used to call “grit”; he’s feisty, and blunt to the point of offensive at times.  When he’s writing the book of Romans (@ 56 AD, give or take a couple years) it seems like he’s writing to folks he hadn’t actually met yet (Rom 1:8-15) but considers fellow believers, is praying for them, and hopes to visit them soon (he’s arrested in Jerusalem before that can happen).  This letter was most likely written from Corinth, around the time of his 3rd missionary voyage. 

            Paul was a “Jew’s Jew” (Phil 3:5, it actually reads “Hebrew’s Hebrew”), the guy was fiercely zealous for God and initially saw believers in Christ as a threat to Judaism (see activities just prior to his conversion: Acts 7:57-8:3, Phil 3:4-6, and Gal 1:13-14), but after he is converted he brings that same feisty zeal to the service of the Christ.  He was a Pharisee (1 of the 4 Jewish “philosophies”, more on that later), a student of Gamaliel (a renowned rabbi), a Jew from the tribe of Benjamin, and a Roman citizen (he was born in Tarsus, a city in the province of Cilicia that held the status of a “free city” within the Roman Empire, which granted legal Roman citizenship).

            I was very surprised (and amazed) that some modern day “apologists”  on YouTube have recently begun to claim that Paul espoused doctrines that weren’t even existant until the 4th century.  Here’s the thing: Paul was a Jew, not just that but a “Jew’s Jew”,  and ALL of the Jewish people (since the time of the return from the Babylonian captivity) have been FIERCELY monotheistic.  According to Sir Anthony Buzzard, to even begin to comprehend scripture properly it must be examined through the lens of a 1st century Jew.  I agree.  Saying anything different is just not doing your homework, and stating that a 1st century Jew such as Paul believed in a speculation that didn’t even exist in any form until the 4th century is clearly an anachronism (and a prime example of  ‘confirmation bias’, and shoddy homework).

            We can see Paul’s theology in the first chapter of Romans, it’s very clear, as it is in most of his letters.  In Romans 1:1-4 he refers to the promises of God made in advance through His prophets  about The Messiah (or Christ) as being a Jewish man descended from David genealogically, and designated as the son of God in power (Gen 3:15, Deut 18:18, 2 Sam 7 to name just a few of those prophecies).  Romans 1:7 states “…Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the **Lord Jesus Christ.”, as he does similarly in most of his letters, showing a clear delineation in Paul’s thinking between the two.  Paul did have a radical change in thinking, but it was from the Pharisee’s view of “the messiah is yet to come”  to his post vision understanding that “The Messiah has come, this man Jesus who was a descendant of David.” (not any of the later speculations from the 4th century).  **=Please note that the translation “Lord” here in “Lord Jesus Christ” is accurately “my lord“ (no caps) and not “THE LORD” (all caps), and every time you read “Christ” in scripture it is the title of a man whom God has anointed as King (and not somebody’s last name).  “THE LORD” (all caps) is a later textual corruption done with good intentions (and bad results),  mistranslating the name of God (which occurs about 7000 times in the old testament as “YHVH” or “YHWH”).

            If Paul had somehow, against all logic and reason, ever changed his fiercely monotheistic Jewish understanding of God there would have been a VERY clear and direct dissertation on it to at least one of his many churches, more realistically a whole lot of dissertations to all of them; Paul wasn’t what I’d call a “subtle” guy, he was very direct.  We would have entire books devoted to explain this new “doctrine”, and that just never happened.  Quite the opposite.  The only real doctrinal controversy Paul ever chimes in on is “should the gentiles be circumcised“ (he says not).  Paul was probably, however, the single greatest (human) force in bringing the gospel that was delivered originally exclusively to Jews (by Jesus and then his apostles) over to the gentiles.  In our reading today in Rom 15:16, we can see Paul (despite being a devout Jew himself) has now self-identified as a minister of the Messiah Jesus to the Gentiles (non-Jewish folks), a priest to them.

            Even when he is ministering to the Gentiles, though, he constantly refers to the scriptures that the Jews were familiar with at the time: what we call the Old Testament.  These were just the scriptures that a first century Jew had available, and the vast majority of the intended audience at this point were also first century Jews (keep in mind the New Testament wasn’t compiled in it’s entirety until later); numerically there were just fewer gentiles at this point in the development of Christianity than there were Jews, and they had a much clearer and simpler understanding of these scriptures.  The later believers’ “complex” problems were of their own devising, and didn’t occur until after the (then numerically superior) gentiles brought their mythology and speculation in to the church around the 4th century.  We see clearly in todays reading Paul’s reliance upon and belief in the ancient Jewish scriptures in the Old Testament.

            In Romans 15, Paul quotes Jewish scripture (that’s the Old Testament to you gentiles) 4 times in this one chapter, with the intention of unifying “God’s people” (the Jews) and Gentiles (we who were “grafted on”).  In v9 he (Paul) quotes 2 Samuel 22:50 (or Psalm 18:49), where David rejoices that God has mercy on the Gentiles.  In v10 he quotes  Deuteronomy 32:43, urging the Gentiles to rejoice with God’s people. In v11 he quotes Psalm 117:1, calling all nations to praise the Lord, and in v12 he quotes Isaiah 11:10, describing the root of Jesse who will rise to reign over the Gentiles, in whom they will hope.  His whole point here in chapter 15 is to encourage the Jews and the Gentiles to “accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God” (Romans 15:7, LSB).  I honestly don’t doctrinally agree with most of the mainstream Christian folks out there right now, but I do try to accept them as brothers (and sisters) in Christ, because after all who am I to judge the servant of another (Rom 14:4)?

            I’ve heard a lot of  folks take the stance that the Old Testament doesn’t matter, because that was for the Jews and we are “Christians”, and I disagree (in love).  The New Testament didn’t in any way negate the Old Testament, it just clarifies it; all together it is just one long and unbroken story of the love that God has for His creation, and the overwhelmingly beautiful character of our God.  Jesus, the servant of God (Acts 3:13), quoted extensively from the Old Testament.  Paul, the servant of Jesus, who was the servant of God, quoted extensively from the Old Testament.  We, who strive to be grafted on to the branch of God’s people (the Jew’s), by right of belief in the “root of Jesse who will rise to reign over the Gentiles” (the son of David: Yeshua, Jesus), should humbly acknowledge that the branches die without the root.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

  1. Do you read the Old Testament or the New Testament more often, and why?
  2. Have you ever allowed doctrinal differences to cause you to view any of your brothers or sisters in Christ in a negative light? Why?
  3. Have you ever allowed doctrinal differences to cause you to view any of  your fellow Children of the Book (Jews and Muslims) in a negative light? Why?
  4. Do you think that what you believe or how you behave is more important in terms of your entry into God’s kingdom, and why?

PRAYER

Father God,  Creator and Sustainer of all life, thank you for my life.  Please lead me, and allow me to humbly be a servant who pleases my master.  Teach me wisdom, Father, and whisper in my ear.  Help me to seek the old ways, and to know the truth about You.  Please grant me Your spirit so that I can love my fellow creation and faithfully follow the instructions of my King, the one whom You sent for us.  Father God, have mercy upon me.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Total Weirdos

2 Samuel 3-4

Psalm 53

Romans 12

-Devotion by Sarah Johnson (MN)

I don’t know if any of you have noticed recently, but the world sure isn’t getting any better to live in.  There’s still a lot of really terrible things that happen all the time, everywhere.  There is rarely harmony and peace when I happen to check the news.  Across the world we see the ongoing impact of a lack of peace from country to country, state to state, and family to family.

‘Peace’ can be both a verb, and a noun, and has six different meanings according to Merriam-Webster.  In Romans 12:18, the Greek word for “living at peace” or “live peaceably” is εἰρηνεύοντες (Thank you, Google!).  It is a present, active participle.  This means it is an action assigned to a subject (in this case, a person) to do consistently. 

This peace is much more than just a lack of conflict or disagreement.  This peace is one that takes ongoing work.  This same Greek word is also used by Jesus in Mark 9:50 where he reminds those to “have salt, and be at peace with one another”.  In this passage, it seems Jesus is tying this peace to a distinct trait amongst Christians. Paul is doing the same in his letter to the Roman church.  He is listing out many unique traits believers should portray to live out their lives as “living sacrifices” (v.1).  

Consider what Paul writes about in this chapter – humbling yourself, working for the betterment of one group, hating evil, honoring others above yourself, being joyful and patient and faithful, blessing those who persecute, living at peace, not taking revenge, feeding your enemy, overcoming evil with good…  All of these things are downright WEIRD in our society!  And that’s exactly the point – this is how we are not conformed to the pattern of the world, but transformed by the renewing of our minds (v.2).  As believers, we should be standing out as total weirdos in our world. 

Peace that takes work doesn’t always look like staying silent.  Certainly in some moments it can, however, in many situations it looks like asking thoughtful questions, respectfully sharing truth, being willing to disagree and yet still show love to others.  Being peaceful may often look like standing up or standing out from the rest of the crowd. It is not something that will come naturally, or even be easy to do.

While “living at peace” is an active verb, where the subject has to take action, “be transformed” is a passive verb; the subject here has to receive the action.  What does this mean for us?  It means that we are not the ones doing the transforming by ourselves… we are not the ones that can renew our own minds.  This is something that is done to us, so that we can do all of those other wonderful things Paul describes for others.  Which is why it makes sense that the world simply cannot be better than it is, unless it too experiences the transforming renewal that Jesus Christ can offer.  We eagerly await his return, knowing that with it, he will bring a forever peace to this earth.  I am truly so excited for that day!

Reflection Questions:

  1. How would you describe the differences between the types of ‘peace’ that is in the world today, versus the type of peace Paul calls believers to?
  2. In the list of traits and characteristics Paul calls the Church to have and be, which stand out to you most as areas for improvement in your life?  What could you do today to practice?

Prayer:

Thank You Father for Your good, acceptable and perfect will. I want to be smack dab in the middle of Your will. Thank You for your tranforming me when I renew my mind and focus on You not on the world. I do not want to look like or follow the world. Help me always desire and put forth effort to do the hard work of living at peace with humility, service, and Your wisdom, direction and love. We pray for the return of Your Son!

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Roots & Grafts

2 Samuel 1-2

Psalm 52

Romans 11

-Devotion by Sarah Johnson (MN)

I have personally never practiced tree grafting.  I did a quick online search to better understand the process, where I learned a few things.  Although the process is not very labor intensive, it requires a lot of precision and time before there is any success.  Those branches tend to be very easily torn away from the root when disruption occurs, or just reject the graft and die out.  Grafting is known in many circles of horticulture as a science and an art.

When considering this metaphor, it highlights to me the real validity to Paul’s warning to us Gentiles in verse 20.  We have been grafted into an amazing promise, but we aren’t naturally connected to the root.   This should cause us to tremble!  Indeed, we know nothing can separate us from the love of God, but we also know our own rejection of the root will certainly cause us to lose our life source.  We need to take a moment to understand that God’s kindness will continue, provided we continue in His kindness (v. 22).  

What would it look like to reject the root we have been grafted into?  It could be rejecting the truth of Jesus Christ, by denying him as the Messiah.  It could look like ignoring the expectations we have for humbling ourselves, or not confessing and turning away from sin.  It could also look like attempting to keep ourselves connected by our own hand, thinking we can create our own life source out of “doing good”, ultimately rejecting grace (v.6).  David writes with similar imagery in Psalm 52:3-7, describing the man who trusted himself rather than making God his stronghold, and as a result, was uprooted!  In all of these things, our own actions are the common denominator.  No, there is nothing we can do to save ourselves.  And yet, we must cling to the life-giving root in order to be saved.  

More than that, we should be rooting for others (pun only slightly intended) to also cling to the same source of life we are!  Our God has the desire to graft ALL in – the root is not going anywhere, and all are welcome, but they must accept the source.  

I learned something else in my searches on tree grafting… a failed graft can be redone until it’s completely dead.  It may take extra time and attention, some readjusting, pruning, and reconnecting, but it can be done and still become a successful branch that bears fruit!  Failures in our faith walk can often be corrected, and we have an incredibly patient and merciful God who loves to give second (and third, or fourth) chances.  To Him be the glory forever!

Reflection Questions

  1. Have you had moments where you have experienced being “re-grafted” back to the root?  How have those experiences shaped and changed how you grow today?
  2. Why do you think some people may reject the “root”?  What way could you share the gospel with them that would be more impactful?

Prayer:

Dear God, I praise You for the life You give and for Your wisdom and knowledge which are so far beyond my own. Help me not be blind to You, Your purpose, Your kindness, as well as Your severity. Help me see Your ways and walk in them always, guiding others also to come to You to be miraculously grafted into Your life-giving way through Your Son.

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Sharing Your Relationship Status

1 Samuel 29-31
Psalm 52
Romans 10

-Devotion by Sarah Johnson (MN)

For anyone who is married or in a long-term relationship, do you recall when you first started dating your significant other?  Or, perhaps when you first met your best friend?  You may have rearranged your schedule to spend more time with them, told your friends about their good qualities, and depending on your generation, maybe you started posting pictures or even changed your relationship status on social media to show the public you were connected to them.  The relationship impacted, and even interrupted, your life and caused you to act differently in your day-to-day.

Coming off of Romans 9, it can be challenging for Christians to take seriously the responsibility of spreading the gospel.  We just read that God saves who He decides, right?  So what does it matter if we tell others, if it’s not really up to us at all?  Well, for one thing, it’s a pretty clear expectation that Jesus commands as an act of obedience (see Matthew 28:19).  But beyond that, we should desire to share the good news of our Messiah simply because we love our relationship with him!  Throughout chapter 10 of Romans, Paul describes a proclamation and confession of faith that should impact our life and cause us to spread the good news – ultimately creating an opportunity for others to hear and experience salvation should they choose to confess Jesus as their Lord.  Not only is it a life-changing blessing for them to hear, but often it can be a life-changing blessing for those who speak it as well!

Our confession of Jesus Christ as our Lord is not only through our mouth, or even only through baptism; it is through our daily lives and how we reflect Christ to others, especially non-believers.  Our proclamation of Jesus as the Messiah must go out beyond our church walls, or it’s not really being proclaimed.  You and I must be the beautiful feet spreading the greatest news, because of how head-over-heels in love with it we are. 

It’s not our job to bring salvation to the world (we sure couldn’t even if we tried), but it is our job to share about the one who already has.  Our faith should change every part of our life so that simply by existing, we are confessing Jesus as our Lord and Savior.  

We change our lives when we meet someone we know is going to be important to us.  We get excited to tell other people about them.  How much more then, should we be shouting from the rooftops how wonderful our Messiah is?

Reflection Questions

  1. Sometimes people may hide behind perspectives such as “I’m too introverted to share Jesus with others” or “I don’t really have the gift of evangelism”.  While there is a chance those things are true, we all still have our lives changed by Jesus, and as a result, have the opportunity to share him with others.  What are ways you could confess Jesus outwardly in your life this week, even if it doesn’t look like what you may expect it to?
  2. Think back on your own personal testimony.  Whose beautiful feet may have introduced you to Jesus?  Have you thanked that person, or persons, recently for blessing you with that beautiful message?  If not, I challenge you to do that this week!

Prayer

Dear Father, I thank You for Your goodness and love and plan of salvation through Your Son, the Chosen Messiah. Thank You for putting me in a place where I could hear and accept and now share the good news. Thank You for all the mouths and hearts and actions confessing Jesus as Lord. I want to love Jesus more and more. Help me share You and Jesus with more zeal, knowledge, boldness and compassion.

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A Mystery

1 Samuel 27-28
Psalm 51
Romans 9

-Devotion by Sarah Johnson (MN)

Some people are a big fan of mysteries.  I am not one of those people.  When getting a new fiction book, I start by reading the last paragraph of the last chapter just so I know what to expect (trust me, I know it’s weird…).  So you can imagine there are many things within our faith that are a challenge for me to grapple with as “mysteries of God”.  Romans 9 is a great example of one of those things that requires me to acknowledge that I simply do not, cannot, and most definitely should not know everything there is to know about our Creator.

Paul starts this chapter off by attempting to describe how deeply he loves his Jewish community and desperately wants them to understand Jesus, so much so that he wishes he himself could simply be cursed and cut off for the sake of his people (v. 3).  This is similar to how Moses offers himself to be blotted out of God’s book when he watches his people worshipping a golden calf (Exodus 30:32).  In both of these instances, these men have a deep love for their people, and yet their love alone is just not enough to change their salvation.  There was only one who was capable of holding that type of power in substitution, the man Jesus Christ.  Paul references many Old Testament passages that point to a coming Messiah and how salvation may be brought to the Gentiles in this letter – he knows exactly what doubts his fellow Jewish believers may have, and tries to proactively present his case, as he often does in his writing.

And then we start getting into that mystery part of things… God is sovereign, the Ruler over all, the one who decides who he extends mercy to, and who he hardens (v. 18).  Well that’s just not fair, is it??  I want to justify these verses in my own mind to make them “nicer” – somehow I want to twist these words, rationalize them, make them more presentable, and far less mysterious.  But in doing so, I remove God from His rightful place of sovereignty in my mind.   I am absolutely the type of person Paul references in verse 19 – “one of you will say to me: Then why does God still blame us? For who is able to resist His will?”.  I am nothing more than a mere clump of clay, pretending as if I have any right to tell the potter what to make of me.  

In his study of Romans book, author Jared C. Willson writes this on my very thoughts above: “If we dictate to God what he must be like, then we are not in fact worshiping God – we are worshiping an idol, for it is a god of our own making.”  When I try to over-simplify or “clean up” these mysterious moments of God, I am no longer genuinely focused on Him.  I am focusing on the more presentable parts of the gospel, when in reality, we must wrestle with ALL parts, praying for wisdom and understanding as we navigate the mystery.

I will not pretend to know why God does what He does.  I will not pretend to understand why some people just won’t grasp the gospel.  I will not pretend I can figure out the mysteries of God.  So while it may be confusing, and at times slightly disheartening or even frustrating, I will also choose to find comfort in the fact that it does not depend on human desire, or effort, but on God’s mercy alone (v.16).  What a beautiful mystery!

Reflection Questions

  1. Have there been moments in your faith walk when you attempted to dictate to God what He must be like?  Looking back now, are you able to see what you missed in doing so?
  2. The last few verses of this chapter describe Jesus as a stumbling stone.  How might believers stumble over the truth of Jesus?

Prayer

What an honor it is to speak to You Lord God, the Maker of Heaven and Earth and me. Help me see You for who You are – a God too big and great and right for my comprehension. And help me see me for who You made me to be, and do what You want me to do.

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A Kingdom Appetizer

1 Samuel 25-26
Psalm 51
Romans 8

-Devotion by Sarah Johnson (MN)

Romans 8 is truly a big chapter when I consider all of Paul’s letters… there are so many amazing ideas, reminders, and encouragements within these verses.  I encourage you to read this chapter more than just once to see what stands out to you each time through.

Woven throughout this whole chapter is the impact and role the Holy Spirit has in the life of a Christian.  This gift is one that brings life, sonship, righteousness, advocacy, and victory.  It makes sense why David is practically begging God to not remove it (Psalm 51:11) when he is caught in sin with Bathsheba!

In David’s example from Psalm 51, we are reminded of the contrast to Spirit-living: living in the realm of the flesh, which leads to death.  In this instance, though the death was not his own, David’s acting on his sin did lead to the death of Uriah as well as his son who was conceived in sin.  Not only that, but you have the heartbreak Bathsheba must have been experiencing by being taken advantage of, losing her husband, and her baby.  And yet in all of this, David writes “Against you, you only, have I sinned…” (v.4).  He understood the magnitude of his actions that caused him to be drawn away, into the realm of the flesh, which is full of death.  

At times, I think we can forget about the power we have access to that connects us deeply with God and His Son.  Sometimes, as non-trinitarians, I find we even tend to shy away from discussing the Holy Spirit.  But when we do, I fear we truly miss out on one of the greatest gifts we have access to in this lifetime!  Obviously, Jesus’ death and resurrection that bring about eternal life is truly the greatest gift.  But that is a promised gift – something we will experience and reap when Jesus returns.  The Holy Spirit is the gift we can use right NOW, a taste of what is to come…an appetizer to the Kingdom if you will. 🙂

Unfortunately for David, he did not have the bigger picture we have today to keep him going during times of struggle.  He knew of a coming Messiah, but did not know who, or when, or how.  As modern-day Christians, we have so many advantages we must remember and utilize.  One of those advantages is access to the Scriptures.  We are so fortunate to know of the final verses in Romans 8:

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Reflection Questions:

  1. There are many benefits we gain when we access the Holy Spirit, and those benefits are part of what make us so unique as Christians.  Think about your own life, have there been moments where you have experienced a supernatural peace, joy, or patience?  Have you been called to move in a way that brought about a significant change?  Have you been at a time so challenging in your life you couldn’t imagine taking another step, and yet found strength to carry on?  All of these are moments where the Holy Spirit may be interceding in your life.  
  2. What would you add as a reminder to yourself to Paul’s list of things that cannot separate you from God’s love?
  3. What other verses or key concepts stood out to you today from our reading?

Prayer:

Dear God, I praise You for Your incredible love and mercy. Thank you for the incredible gifts of Your Son and coming eternal life and thank You for Your presence and Your Spirit. Help me live daily in Your Spirit!

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Stuck at a C Average

1 Samuel 23-24
Psalm 50
Romans 7

-Devotion by Sarah (Blanchard) Johnson (MN)

Anyone else out there a rubric fan?  You know, someone who absolutely LOVES a rubric… an exact description on how to get that A+… As a student, I would get so much joy in having a clear answer as to how to get 100% in class.  If I knew the expectation, I could ensure I did exactly the right amount of work to meet the standard.  The Israelites had the law as their rubric.  The problem was, the law was essentially impossible to follow in its entirety to “get an A” with God.  Enter, Jesus.

In Romans 7 Paul describes how the law interacts with sin and God’s grace.  Though Jesus had already fulfilled the law, Paul is reiterating how the law still carries value when it comes to experiencing life and deliverance through Jesus Christ.  How exactly does this work?  It is through the law that sin is revealed in our lives – the law recognizes sin as sin, which is ultimately death (v.13).  Sin is what keeps us from life, and if we do not know what sin is, how will we know what to avoid or rid ourselves of?  

Paul’s personal confession provides a vulnerable look at the reality we ultimately all experience – “For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.” (v.18).  Even with a rubric, Paul was incapable of rising to the standard due to the sinful nature in his own life.  This is the same for every Christian in all of history!  Even at our closest to perfection, we are simply never going to be above a C average.  

BUT, thanks be to GOD, who delivers us through Jesus Christ our Lord (v. 25)!  

From my perspective, this is the tension that every Christian walk holds: I am a sinner, yet I am redeemed.  There must be humility and confidence in my identity; the recognition of the death that comes from sin allows for the opportunity of salvation through my Savior.  These seemingly conflicting truths are our reality as born-again Christ followers.  Thanks be to God indeed!

Reflection Questions:

  1. As a Christian, what then is our response to the reality of these truths?  Looking to Paul as an example, it seems to start with gratitude!  How can you practice this today?
  2. Reflecting on Paul’s vulnerability in verses 18-23, have you experienced similar feelings?  How have you reminded yourself of God’s grace in these moments? 

Prayer:

Dear God – You are worthy of all my praise. Thank You for Your holy, just and good law that shows us what sin and death is. Thank You for loving us even when we were stuck at a C average, or worse. Thank You for the new union You provided for us, to Your Son Jesus whom You raised from the dead. Help me to live each day in the newness of the Spirit, bearing fruit for You.

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Set Free

1 Samuel 21-22

Psalm 50

Romans 6

-Devotion by Sarah Johnson (MN)

 I am excited to be back with you all again this year!  We will be focused primarily on our Romans passages this week, but will pop back and forth between our others as well.  Be sure to take time to continue to read the story of David, and enjoy the Psalms!

In Romans 5, we read about the abundance of grace God offers to us through the death of Jesus.  Paul begins chapter 6 assuming the rigid Romans would now be attempting to “logically justify” their own fleshly desires, to which Paul gives them NO opportunity to misinterpret his message.  In verses 1 and 15 Paul calls out “By NO means” are we to continue to live in our sinful nature!   We are set free from whatever struggles we may face, and instead bound to a loving, faithful, and holy God that promises us an everlasting life with Him when we become slaves to righteousness.


What’s more remarkable is that this ‘slavery to God’ does not fit the typical role of slavery.  Slaves offered something to their masters – labor resulting in some profit.  Their sacrifices brought about something of value and worth to their masters.  In case you forgot, God needs no laborers.  He needs no profit.  There is nothing we could ever do that would give something to God He could not get Himself.  There is no sacrifice we could offer that would bring more value or worth (see Psalms 50) to us in His eyes.   AND YET, we are called to offer every part of ourselves as instruments of righteousness (v. 13).  Why?  Because we know the wages of sin is death, and we have been given a gift of eternal life (v.23) when we submit ourselves to the One who created us. 

This simple truth of the gospel so easily loses its grandeur.  Pause a moment here and reflect on this:

You are no longer bound to sin that leads to death.  

You are free to accept the gift of eternal life.  

Jesus Christ has indeed died to sin once for all, so we may reap the benefits of eternal life.

You are under God’s grace.  

You too, may live a new life, my friend.  

Reflection Questions:

  1. Is there a sin in your life you are allowing to hold you captive?  Confess it now, and experience freedom. 
  2. What practical way can you offer every part of yourself to God today?

Prayer:

Dear Father,

Thank you for being a great God and master who gives the incredible gift of grace through Your son Jesus. Thank you for making a way out so I no longer need to be a slave to sin. Help me walk in newness of life now and eternal life in Your Coming Kingdom.

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Fully Persuaded

I Samuel 17-18

Psalm 49

Romans 4

-Devotion by Rachel Cain (OH)

An Italian Proverb states, “Hope is the last thing ever lost.” 

As long as there is hope, we can muster up the strength to endure. But the loss of hope is perhaps the deadliest possible wound to our soul. 

Our New Testament scripture says that “against all hope, Abraham in hope believed…” 

Even though it seemed impossible and it didn’t make sense, “…yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.” 

This word for hope, elpis in Greek, isn’t a superficial or flippant word like we might tease, “I hope a money tree starts growing in my yard” or “I hope all my favorite teams win the championships while I’m in the front row of every game.” This word elpis indicates true confidence and real expectation, without a doubt in one’s mind. How often do we possess that kind of hope?!

David’s faith in God did not waver when confronted with the Philistine giant, and Abraham’s faith did not waver even though there was no humanly way God’s promise could come true. How awesome that we serve a God not bound by the limits of humanity! Abraham’s belief and hope in God’s promises caused him to be “strengthened in his faith and [give] glory to God” rather than discouraged and straying from the faith. 

I want to have a belief against all hope! I pray that we will not waver even when God’s way doesn’t make sense, because His way is higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9) and He is able to do more than we could even imagine (Ephesians 3:20). 

Because of Abraham’s faith and hope, it was credited to him as righteousness (v. 22) – and the next verse indicates that the same righteousness extends to us, if we also choose Jesus! 

We as believers must remain focused on our ultimate hope, the return of Jesus and eternal life in the Kingdom. Keep hoping beyond hope. Keep praying. Keep the faith. God is still all powerful! May it be said of us as it was of Abraham: “and yet they did not waver!”

Reflection questions: 

What would your life look like if you truly embraced the concept of elpis?

In what specific ways might God be calling you to believe against all hope? 

Prayer:

Help us, Lord, to have a deep faith and hope that is beyond all human understanding. May we follow you even when it doesn’t make sense. 

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The “One Anothers”

Romans 14-16

Romans 14:10-13 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. 11 For the Scriptures say,
“‘As surely as I live,’ says the LORD,
‘every knee will bend to me,
and every tongue will declare allegiance to God.’”
12 Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God. 13 So let’s stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall.

The ministry of strengthening individuals and the church is based on two main elements.  We are instructed to encourage one another, and to build up one another.  Note the importance of “the one anothers” in the instructions God gives us in His Word.

To love one another.

John 13:34-35(NLT) So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

To welcome one another.

1 Corinthians 16:19-20(NLT) The churches here in the province of Asia send greetings in the Lord, as do Aquila and Priscilla and all the others who gather in their home for church meetings. 20 All the brothers and sisters here send greetings to you. Greet each other with a sacred kiss.

To have great affection and honor for one another.

Romans 12:10(NLT) Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.

To pray earnestly for one another.

James 5:16(NLT) Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.

To care for one another.

1 Corinthians 12:25(NLT) This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other.

To accept one another

Romans 15:1b-9(NLT) We must not just please ourselves. 2 We should help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord. 3 For even Christ didn’t live to please himself. As the Scriptures say, “The insults of those who insult you, O God, have fallen on me.” 4 Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled.
5 May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. 6 Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
7 Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory. 8 Remember that Christ came as a servant to the Jews to show that God is true to the promises he made to their ancestors. 9 He also came so that the Gentiles might give glory to God for his mercies to them.

Have you also noticed the“one another’s” that God does not instruct us to do? For example, to chastise one another, humble one another, tear down one another, gossip about one another, or pressure one another. 

This is hardly an exhaustive list, but do you see the theme of all these verses?  Together we are the body of Christ, and those things that we do to strengthen the body are a group effort.  Everyone has a responsibility for one another to do the things that only you can do.  There is only one “you” in the church today, and God is counting on you. Love, care, welcome, prayer, and encouragement are all ministry to others.  Don’t make the Christian walk of trust and faith too complicated for people.   We need to become like the little child in Jesus’ teaching, where we hear the truth with simple hearts of believing.  In the small and personal ministries of people to others in the church the true love of God in Christ becomes alive and evident.

Romans 16:25-27 Now all glory to God, who is able to make you strong, just as my Good News says. This message about Jesus Christ has revealed his plan for you Gentiles, a plan kept secret from the beginning of time. 26 But now as the prophets foretold and as the eternal God has commanded, this message is made known to all Gentiles everywhere, so that they too might believe and obey him. 27 All glory to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, forever. Amen.

Thanks to God for revealing the sacred secret so that we as Gentiles can share in the promises made and kept by God.

Love in Christ – Tom Siderius

Reflection Questions

  1. When have you fallen into the trap of condemning or looking down upon another believer? What is the problem with this? What would have been a better response and attitude on your part?
  2. Make a list of “one anothers” that we are NOT to do if we are living according to God’s way. Which ones come too easy for you? How can you work towards stopping these “one anothers”?
  3. What responsibility towards one another does God want to see YOU take part in today? How many different positive “one anothers” can you do today to build up the body of Christ and please God? Who benefits and how? Pray for God’s help in eliminating negative “one anothers” and focusing instead on seeing, doing, speaking, positive ones instead.
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