The Book of Romans ~ Lesson Fifteen

"Breathe On Me Jesus"

Romans 8:1-17 (NLT) 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 fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.
   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 mind leads to life and peace. 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.
   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 Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.
   Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, 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 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 received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. 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.

Let's look at the first verse. "So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. " Do you understand the enormity of that statement? Those who have taken on Jesus as the Rescuer and Leader in their lives, are no long condemned to a sentence of death. That is gargantuan. I think that Churches today don't preach enough on the topic of sin and death. I don't mean hell, fire and brimstone at all. I mean the promise of being rescued from the sin in our lives that separates us from God. What Jesus did on the Cross is phenomenal. It is greater than any Governor's stay of execution for someone on death row.

2 Corinthians 3:8-11 (NLT) Shouldn’t we expect far greater glory under the new way, now that the Holy Spirit is giving life? If the old way, which brings condemnation, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new way, which makes us right with God! In fact, that first glory was not glorious at all compared with the overwhelming glory of the new way. So if the old way, which has been replaced, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new, which remains forever!

We are no longer under sin's control but under the control of the Holy Spirit of God dwelling within us. If we are truly seeking God's will, and are obedient to Him, the Holy Spirit directs us into all that is good. We have a right relationship with God through Jesus.

Verses 15-17 reveals this wonderful message "So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. 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." 

Let's break it down:
1. We are not slaves to fear anymore.
2. We are God's children.
3. We call Him "Abba" which means, "Daddy."
4. We are heirs, with Christ, to His Eternal Kingdom.
5. We share in His suffering. Which means we will be rejected by this world.
6. We share in His glory, which is peace and relationship with God.

John 20:21-22 (NLT) Again he said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit."

The breath of God is within those who choose Jesus. Just as He breathed on the disciples before He left this earth, we are filled with His eternal life-giving breath. I love this old hymn, "Breathe on Me Breath of God." It really speaks of this wonderful gift that God gives to those who love Him. I'll leave you with these words:

"Breathe On Me Breath of God"

Words: Edwin Hatch, 1835-1889 

Music: Robert Jackson, 1842-1914 

Breathe on me, Breath of God, 

fill me with life anew, 

that I may love what thou dost love, 

and do what thou wouldst do. 

Breathe on me, Breath of God, 

until my heart is pure, 

until with thee I will one will, 

to do and to endure. 

Breathe on me, Breath of God, 

till I am wholly thine, 

till all this earthly part of me 

glows with thy fire divine. 

Breathe on me, Breath of God, 

so shall I never die, 

but live with thee the perfect life 

of thine eternity. 

Be blessed and receive the breath of God.

The Book of Romans ~ Lesson Fourteen

"Doing It Right"

Romans 7:1-6 (NLT) Now, dear brothers and sisters—you who are familiar with the law—don’t you know that the law applies only while a person is living? For example, when a woman marries, the law binds her to her husband as long as he is alive. But if he dies, the laws of marriage no longer apply to her. So while her husband is alive, she would be committing adultery if she married another man. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law and does not commit adultery when she remarries.
   So, my dear brothers and sisters, this is the point: 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. When we were controlled by our old nature, sinful desires were at work within us, and the law aroused these evil desires that produced a harvest of sinful deeds, resulting in death. But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit.

Paul is teaching that the Law opened mankind's eyes to how we sin against God. With the Law there was now no excuse for behaving badly against God and His requirements of us. There was no way to be totally redeemed through the Law. But when Christ came and paid the penalty for our sins, He fulfilled the requirement of the Law and made a way, in fact, the only way, to God. Until we die to ourselves we are bound by this Law. When we give ourselves to Jesus and His death, we too die and are raised to a new life. In this redeemed life there is freedom from the Law. However, this doesn't mean that we should continue sinning. No, we have died to that sin and are raised like Jesus and must live as He lives. We live by His grace and forgiveness.

Romans 7:7-25 (NLT) 7 Well then, am I suggesting that the law of God is sinful? Of course not! In fact, it was the law that showed me my sin. I would never have known that coveting is wrong if the law had not said, “You must not covet.” But sin used this command to arouse all kinds of covetous desires within me! If there were no law, sin would not have that power. At one time I lived without understanding the law. But when I learned the command not to covet, for instance, the power of sin came to life, and I died. So I discovered that the law’s commands, which were supposed to bring life, brought spiritual death instead. Sin took advantage of those commands and deceived me; it used the commands to kill me. But still, the law itself is holy, and its commands are holy and right and good.
   But how can that be? Did the law, which is good, cause my death? Of course not! Sin used what was good to bring about my condemnation to death. So we can see how terrible sin really is. It uses God’s good commands for its own evil purposes.
   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 don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. 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. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.
   I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. 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. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.

The Law doesn't cause me to sin. Sin takes the Law and distorts it. Sin compromises what God created me to be. When I go against the Law that reveals God's holiness it causes separation from Him. Jesus bridges that gap. Through Him alone can I reach God. There is no other way. Without Jesus there is nothing good within me. Look at the following verse:

Romans 8:14-20 (NLT) 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 don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. 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.  I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.  But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.

This is one of the most misunderstood verses in the Bible. It's misquoted and confusing. I'm going to try to explain what I understand it to mean by using the following equations:

The Law + A Sinner = Failure.

Christ + A Repentant Sinner = A life restored.

When we try to be good on our own, we will fail. No matter how hard we try we can't redeem ourselves. It is only through Jesus living and leading within us that we can reach the Father and be found blameless in His sight. Without Him the Law only points out our inadequacies to reach God and commune with Him.

Philippians 1:9-11 (NLT) I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return. May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God.

Life lived in Christ and through Christ is a life filled with the fruit of salvation. This fruit is what is produced when we live according to His will for our lives. It is walking in obedience to Him. When we walk with Him we grow in His knowledge and understanding. We are in a perpetual classroom sitting at the feet of the Rabbi. He teaches us as we go through life and our ignorance about the mysteries found in Christ is removed. Every day we walk with Him and commune with Him, we grow. We never become stagnant in our faith when we walk and learn with the Savior. We know what to do and by faith in Him, we can do it right.

I'll leave you with this scripture. It is my prayer for all of us who have chosen to follow Jesus. Be blessed.

1 Thessalonians 3:12-13 (NLT) And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows. May he, as a result, make your hearts strong, blameless, and holy as you stand before God our Father when our Lord Jesus comes again with all his holy people. Amen.

The Book of Romans ~ Lesson Thirteen

"True Freedom"

Romans 6:15-23 (Message) So, since we're out from under the old tyranny, does that mean we can live any old way we want? Since we're free in the freedom of God, can we do anything that comes to mind? Hardly. You know well enough from your own experience that there are some acts of so-called freedom that destroy freedom. Offer yourselves to sin, for instance, and it's your last free act. But offer yourselves to the ways of God and the freedom never quits. All your lives you've let sin tell you what to do. But thank God you've started listening to a new master, one whose commands set you free to live openly in his freedom!
   I'm using this freedom language because it's easy to picture. You can readily recall, can't you, how at one time the more you did just what you felt like doing—not caring about others, not caring about God—the worse your life became and the less freedom you had? And how much different is it now as you live in God's freedom, your lives healed and expansive in holiness?
   As long as you did what you felt like doing, ignoring God, you didn't have to bother with right thinking or right living, or right anything for that matter. But do you call that a free life? What did you get out of it? Nothing you're proud of now. Where did it get you? A dead end.
   But now that you've found you don't have to listen to sin tell you what to do, and have discovered the delight of listening to God telling you, what a surprise! A whole, healed, put-together life right now, with more and more of life on the way! Work hard for sin your whole life and your pension is death. But God's gift is real life, eternal life, delivered by Jesus, our Master.

"Offer yourself to sin... and it's your last free act." That doesn't sound right from the world's point of view. It would seem freedom is doing what you want to do when you want to do it. But, God's Word says different. It tells us, "freedom never quits." What does that mean?

1 Corinthians 15:54b-56 (CEV)"Death has lost the battle! Where is its victory? Where is its sting?"Sin is what gives death its sting, and the Law is the power behind sin. But thank God for letting our Lord Jesus Christ give us the victory!

"Sin is what gives death its sting, and the Law is the power behind sin." From the moment of the first disobedient act of man and woman, death entered. It's like the sting of a black widow spider. First, comes the bite and then the necrosis of the place bitten (that's the death of that area where you were bitten). Sin is far deadlier because the bite of sin without God's redemptive power leads to ultimate death. The death I'm talking about is the eternal death resulting in separation from God and all that's good.

The NIV Bible says it this, "...you are slaves to the one whom you obey." If we aren't slaves to God, having a right relationship with Him, then we are slaves to sin. Obedience to God leads to life. Obedience to sin, leads to death. Paul uses the example of slavery to drive his point home to his readers. We all know what slavery is. It is being bound by another power. What power do you want to be bound by? Sin, which leads to death or God, who leads to life.

1 Corinthians 7:23 (CEV) God paid a great price for you. So don't become slaves of anyone else. 

God did pay an awful price for our freedom from sin's death grip on our lives. He gave up the perfect sacrifice that made a way for us to have the freedom to enter into His presence wherever and whenever we want. He paid the price by giving His Son Jesus. I could never offer my son for you. NEVER! But, God did and that should prove His love for you. Our freedom is because Jesus purposefully became bound by sin's hands and died as a result of its enormous weight. He rose again by the hand of God and lives forever seated at His Father's right hand.

We live forever free when we come to Him. We are offered His eternal life. One day there will be no more sorrow or pain. Jesus will return and set up His Kingdom on this earth that will be fully renewed. The Garden of Eden and the perfection it had will return, only this time there won't be a serpent. God will make all things new under the rule and reign of His Son Jesus.

If you don't know Jesus, I urge you to let Him in. Become obedient to the One who promises your freedom from death. Sin offers nothing but death. Without Jesus we are nothing. The bite of sin and the resulting necrosis is all we will get. Give you heart to the One who can set you free and experience true freedom.

The Book of Romans ~ Lesson Twelve

"Benefits of Grace"

Romans 6:1-12 (NLT) Well then, 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.
   Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. 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. And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. 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 also should 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.

When a person gives the control of their lives over to the Living Savior Jesus the Christ, we accept His death as ours. We are raised from the inevitable death that is ours into a resurrected new life in Him. His grace is our grace. His love is our love. His life is our life and His life is eternal.

Being in this earthly body we are tempted to sin and sometimes succumb to it. But, because of the grace found in Jesus we find forgiveness. Paul writes that sin doesn't increase God's grace. God's grace is always enough. There is no grace found in sinning. There is grace found in repentence and obedience in Jesus.

Colossians 3:1-4 (NLT) Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.  And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.

How do you view God's grace? Do you think that when you sin you can just ask for forgiveness later? I lived that type of life for a long time. It's an insult to God to reject His will and walk our own path, then ask for forgiveness when we really mess up. We wonder why He doesn't answer our prayers right away. But really, think about it, when we are turned from Him, we can't hear Him. Walking closely with Jesus brings direction and healing from Him. He waits for us to turn to Him to speak.

2 Corthinthians 4:7-10 (NLT) We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.
   We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.

"We...are like fragile clay jars, containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God." Because we are fragile, we must depend on the power of Jesus that resides within us. We can't fix anything in our lives. Only Jesus residing in us in the form of the Holy Spirit can accomplish the impossible. Sin only weakens our already fragile state if we choose to live in it. But, the Holy Spirit builds us up and restores us.

Galatians 5:22-24 (NLT) But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
   Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.

I love the benefits of living life according to His will. Look at them:
   * love ~ joy ~ peace ~ patience ~ kindness ~ goodness ~ faithfulness ~ gentleness ~ self-control.
If I love them so much then why do I not fully tap into the Holy Spirit living within me? It is my prayer that I focus, we all focus, on walking closely with our Savior Jesus. His grace is abundant to those who call Him Lord. He's waiting on us. He loves us. He's always ready to take us in His arms and shield us.

Dear Lord,
   Draw us closer to You. Help us remember the benefits of living by the power of Your Holy Spirit dwelling within us. Thank you for this phenomenal and undeserved gift of grace. We love you!

The Book of Romans ~ Lesson Eleven

"Abundantly Free"

Romans 5:12-21 (NLT) When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. Yes, people sinned even before the law was given. But it was not counted as sin because there was not yet any law to break. Still, everyone died—from the time of Adam to the time of Moses—even those who did not disobey an explicit commandment of God, as Adam did. Now Adam is a symbol, a representation of Christ, who was yet to come. 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 the result of 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.
   Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous.
   God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant. 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.

When did sin start? It all started with one man ~ Adam. He and Eve ate that darn apple. Yet, it isn't as simple as eating forbidden fruit. Sin started when one man decided, by his free will, to disobey God. When that happened, death, disease, tragedy, and such entered this world. It was an ugly birth of separateness from God. It ruined the perfect place and the perfect relationship between God and man.

Genesis 3:1-7 (NLT) he serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”
   “Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied. “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’”
   “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”
   The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.

Why did God even put that tree in the garden if He didn't want them to eat from it? It's one of those questions that I'm going to ask when I get to heaven. But, I wonder, could it be that because He gave man free choice there had to be a choice to obey or disobey. Everything else was permitted. This one tree represented the freedom man had to choose. At the point of disobedience, death came. God didn't lie. Death became part of life at that point. God had already decided life, and a way out of the sin Adam brought, would have to come through another man. That man was Jesus, who also was God Himself.

Did you know that the name "Adam" means "man"? This first man and his wife "Eve" which means, "from man or woman,"  were the first of mankind and since they sinned against God all their offspring were and are tainted by sin. The world is also broken and with this brokenness comes sadness and loss of hope. The good news is God didn't abandon man. God made a way out of this tragedy by coming down to earth as man in His Son Jesus. It is through Him we find hope.

1 Corinthians 15:21-22 (NLT) So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man. Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life.

There was no Law until Moses received the Ten Commandments in the desert about 3500 years after Adam. Paul asks if that meant there was no sin if there was no Law to break. His answer was that sin entered the world through Adam . The Law, given to Moses, put it all in writing.

John 3:16-17(NLT) “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.

God made a way back to Him through Jesus and His sacrifice for us. I think I take this for granted. I don't comprehend the greatness of this act. Through Adam sin and death came. Through Jesus, the perfect "Adam," life came. Now there is a way for you and me to have a right relationship with God. There is no other way no matter how much we search. No other Messiah exists.

Philippians 2:6-8 (NLT) Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

I am so grateful that Jesus humbled Himself and went to the cross for my freedom from sin. The garden, the perfect place where God resides, is now open to all who call Jesus Lord. He wants everyone to come to Jesus and bow to His Name. What is sad, is that many will refuse this perfect gift of redemption. The way to the garden is closed.

God's grace is greater than all the sin ever committed. Do you know the old hymn "Grace Greater Than Our Sin"? Here are the words to this beautiful song:

"Grace Greater Than Our Sin"( J.H. Johnston and D.B. Towner 1910)

Marvelous grace of our loving Lord,
Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt,
Yonder on Calvary's mount outpoured,
There's where the blood of the Lamb was spilt.


Grace, grace, God's grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
Grace, grace, God's grace, Grace that is greater than all our sin.

God's grace, found in Jesus Christ alone, is powerfully great. Even though our sin is great and leads to death and separation from our Creator God, God's grace far exceeds it and makes a way for mankind to be redeemed. Jesus made the way where there was no way.

Ephesians 1:3-10 (Message) How blessed is God! And what a blessing he is! He's the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in him. Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son.
   Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we're a free people—free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free! He thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need, letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making. He set it all out before us in Christ, a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in him, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth.

We are free from sin through Jesus, abundantly free. The once angel-guarded garden we were all banned from is now open to those who accept Jesus' sacrifice. He bids all to come. If you haven't answered His call, then please answer. He loves you so much and has made a way to God for you. There is no other way. There is no other Savior. Come to Him.

The Book of Romans ~ Lesson Ten

"Undeserved Privilege"

Romans 5:1-11 (NLT) 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.
   When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us 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. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.


"Peace on earth, goodwill towards men..." This time of year we often hear this scripture sung in choirs, read on cards and spoken in church. It is one of the most misquoted verses ever read. When the angels proclaimed the birth of the Christ Child so many years ago, they weren't proclaiming peace like the world defines peace. The peace of Christ is the peace found when we are made right with God. There is no peace without a good relationship with God. Without Him, we are not a peace, but turmoil.

Luke 2:14 (NLT)  “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.

Like the verse says, "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." This relationship with God is undeserved. It is a true privilege to be able to approach the God of the universe without fear. We are welcomed into His presence because of Jesus.

Ephesians 2:18 (NLT) Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us.


Ephesians 3:12 (NLT) Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence.

With the knowledge that we can approach and talk to the highest authority and power ever, peace comes. He knows all things and how they fit together. He understands the puzzling. He works out all the details to the unsolvable. He alone can fix the unfixable. The privilege to even enter His throne room in prayer is beyond all reason. What Christ did for us is really phenomenal. Do you know anyone who would or even could do that for you other than Jesus? Placing our full faith in Jesus gives us hope and the will to persevere through life's trials.

Look at this equation that only belongs to those in Christ:

Problems/trials = endurance = character = hope

With Jesus we know that the problems and trials of this life, when persevered with Him, develops within each of us the endurance we need. As our endurance through faith grows our character builds up and hope is the result. The more and more we practice trusting Jesus the more and more our faith and character grows.

Even though we aren't free from sin, Christ Jesus chose to die for us. He paid the debt we owed to God for going against His will. We were and are powerless on our own to overcome sin. He overcame it for us. His love for us is true and pure. He died for the ungodly to raise us up to holiness in God's sight.

1 Peter 3:18 (NLT) Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit.

He died to bring you and me "safely home." We should greatly rejoice in this knowledge. Why do we forget the enormity of what Christ has done? Why do we wrap His gift to us back up with the pretty paper of the Christmas season? This gift should be unwrapped and used. It should be used to approach the Living God and commune with Him.

Scripture tells us we were enemies of God. Did you know that? Without Jesus we were at war with God and the truth is we were facing His wrath and eventual destruction. But, because of His great love for us He made a way to be His friends and allies through Jesus. In fact, we are called children of God when we accept Christ's gift of salvation.

During this Christmas season let's reflect on His true peace on earth. In our daily lives we have the undeserved privilege to His peace. What will your response be? 

"He is our peace who has broken down every wall"

The Book of Romans ~ Lesson Nine

"Trusting in His Perfect Vision"


Romans 4:18-25 (NLT) Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping—believing that he would become the father of many nations. For God had said to him, “That’s how many descendants you will have!” And Abraham’s faith did not weaken, even though, at about 100 years of age, he figured his body was as good as dead—and so was Sarah’s womb.
   Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous. 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.

Abraham and Sara wanted a baby of their own for so many years. It wasn't until Abraham was 100 and Sarah was around 90 that God gave them a son who they named Isaac. Not only did they receive their promised Son from God, they received the beginning of God's Promise to make Abraham's descendants into a nation. We read today, "Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises." He believed God.

What are you hoping for? What is it that you want God to do for you? 

Abraham believed what God had promised Him. He didn't demand anything from God but waited for what God had told him He would do for him and Sara. Abraham believed the promise of God. He believed God. Who knew God would act when Abraham and Sara were considered "as good as dead"?

Psalm 105:7-9 (NIV) He is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth. He remembers his covenant forever, the promise he made, for a thousand generations, the covenant he made with Abraham, the oath he swore to Isaac.

God remembers His promises to His people. He is always faithful. Sometimes, He answers things differently than we think He should. We want our way and not His ways. I'm sure Sarah would have wanted to be pregnant in her 20's or 30's and not her 90's. She would have had so much more energy. I'm sure Abraham wanted to be well into retirement and not raising a baby. God had something so much different in mind and we can see that His plan was the right plan.

Galatians 3:6-9 (NLT) In the same way, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” The real children of Abraham, then, are those who put their faith in God.
   What’s more, the Scriptures looked forward to this time when God would declare the Gentiles to be righteous because of their faith. God proclaimed this good news to Abraham long ago when he said, “All nations will be blessed through you.” So all who put their faith in Christ share the same blessing Abraham received because of his faith.

God's promise to Abraham wasn't just a son. God promised to bless all the nations through Abraham. That blessing came through Jesus who was a son of Abraham. Because of Jesus, we all are blessed. We, who believe in Jesus, receive Abraham's blessing and are children of Abraham. We are all included in the Promise, that is eternal life through belief in Jesus the Messiah.

This is our true Hope ~ Jesus. With Him we face everyday life. We must trust in His plans and purposes for our lives. He wants the best for us even when we think that He has forgotten us and even when we are faced with the hardest issues of life.

God has the power to do what He has promised. He will not go back on His word. The question is this, "Do you trust Him?" Even when you have waited and waited, will you trust Him? Even when His answers are not what you expected, can you trust Him? We can trust God because He sees the whole picture. We only see part.

1 Corinthians 13:11-12 (NLT) When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. Now we see things imperfectly as in a cloudy mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.

Our vision on this earth is cloudy. We see things imperfectly. God's vision is clear and perfect. What we know compared to God couldn't fill a thimble. Faith is getting past the limitations that we experience on this earth and trusting in our perfect Savior. He sees our "forever" even when we don't know what our next step should be. Let's trust Him together. Who knows, we may experience a miracle like Abraham and Sarah? Whatever the case, we can trust the One who knows us best and loves us most.