“Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them. For such men are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites; and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting. For the report of your obedience has reached to all; therefore I am rejoicing over you, but I want you to be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.

“The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you. Timothy my fellow worker greets you, and so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen. I, Tertius, who write this letter, greet you in the Lord. Gaius, host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer greets you, and Quartus, the brother. [ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.]

“Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith; to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen.”

---End of Scripture verses---

Paul issues a final warning to the brethren in Rome before bringing his letter to a close. He emphatically “urges” them to keep their eyes “on” or “open” for false teachers (verse 17). To watch out for people who would disseminate doctrine that was “contrary to the teaching” that they had learned from reliable sources that they knew was the truth. The false teaching of such men would produce “dissensions and hindrances”.

Dissensions are “divisions” which are condemned as a work of the flesh in Galatians 5:20. One of the seven things that is said to be particularly detestable to the Lord is “one who spreads strife among brethren” (Proverbs 6:19). We should all be on the lookout, but especially the leaders of a local church, for anyone who would teach anything that would cause divisions in the precious, blood-bought body of Christ (1 Corinthians 1:10-17).

Paul says that these men “by their smooth and flattering speech…deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting” (verse 18). There are two factors that make a person or a congregation of the Lord’s church susceptible to the false teacher and his damnable falsehoods. First of all, he is able to “deceive” people because, more times than not, he is a very smooth-talking flatterer. As I write this article, the face of one world-renown, smooth-talking, sweetly smiling “preacher” crystallizes in my mind.

The other pertinent factor is that the smooth talk of the false teacher usually hits its mark with “the hearts of the unsuspecting.” The word “unsuspecting” indicates the type of person that is “innocent,” “naïve,” or “unwary”. While innocence can be a very commendable quality, none of us can afford to be “unwary”. We are encouraged to be “wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil” (verse 19). We all must be alert and on the lookout for “wolves” that are bent upon destroying God’s people (Acts 20:29).

Peter wrote in 1 Peter 5:8, “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” If we are going to “resist him” firm in our faith (1 Peter 5:9), we need to be equipped with a good, working knowledge of the Holy Scriptures, and with a vigilant mind that is constantly on the lookout.

Remember that Satan is the ultimate source of false teaching (verse 20). God will soon destroy this murderer so lets make certain that we are not “crushed” along with “the father of lies” (John 8:44). Refuse to be a victim! Be prepared to see through the lies that are often hidden in smooth, eloquent speech! “Turn away” from such troublemakers (verse 17)! Don’t give them the opportunity to pollute your mind and compromise your faith! The elders of a local church must not give men like this a platform to spew their poison!

After Paul makes mention of a few of his fellow workers and extends their greetings to the brethren in Rome (verses 21-23), he closes this amazing epistle with a most beautiful “doxology” (verses 25-27). A doxology is a kind of short hymn that expresses praise to God. It is only fitting that Paul would end such an unparalleled masterpiece with a majestic form of praise and honor that is only befitting our Creator and Savior.

“To the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen.”

And to that ending I also echo, “Amen!”

We will have an introduction to 1 Corinthians chapter 1 for tomorrow, Lord willing.

Blessings!

- Louie Taylor

“I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea; that you receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and that you help her in whatever matter she may have need of you; for she herself has also been a helper of many, and of myself as well. “Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who for my life risked their own necks, to whom not only do I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles; also greet the church that is in their house. Greet Epaenetus, my beloved, who is the first convert to Christ from Asia. Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. Greet Andronicus and Junias, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners, who are outstanding among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me. Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and Stachys my beloved. Greet Apelles, the approved in Christ. Greet those who are of the household of Aristobulus. Greet Herodion, my kinsman. Greet those of the household of Narcissus, who are in the Lord. Greet Tryphaena and Tryphosa, workers in the Lord. Greet Persis the beloved, who has worked hard in the Lord. Greet Rufus, a choice man in the Lord, also his mother and mine. Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas and the brethren with them. Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.”

---End of Scripture verses---

The Apostle Paul had a great appreciation for all the quality people that added value to his work and to his life. He knew that he depended upon a strong team of committed “fellow workers in Christ Jesus” (verse 3) to spread and facilitate the Gospel, and to strengthen local congregations of the Lord’s church. The church of Christ is made up of individual people and every single one of them is important. Paul took the time here to do a lot of “name-dropping,” and to praise several of his brothers and sisters for all that they contributed to the kingdom.

He begins this section by commending a sister in Christ named Phoebe to the congregation at Rome (verse 1). Evidently she was chosen by Paul to hand-deliver this letter to the church. Paul wrote this epistle from the city of Corinth, and Phoebe lived in the nearby town of Cenchrea. Paul encouraged the Roman brethren to receive her with open arms and to “help her in whatever matter she may have need of” them (verse 2). She was a worthy sister who had dedicated her life to helping other people with their needs.

He then mentioned his old friends and fellow-soldiers, Aquila and Prisca (Priscilla) (verse 3). This dynamic duo had proven themselves invaluable to Paul in his service to the Lord, and had even “risked their own necks” in order to save Paul from one of the many “perils” that he had exposed himself to while preaching the Gospel (2 Corinthians 11:23-29). He went on to extend greetings to a host of other fellow workers who served there in the church at Rome.

Paul ends by sending greetings from “all the churches of Christ” (verse 16) that he had worked with and had received contributions from for the collection for the needy saints in Jerusalem. Each and every faithful congregation of the Lord’s church that existed in the first century properly bore the name “church of Christ.” It is no surprise that they should be called such, since Jesus purchased HIS one and only church with His own blood, and the gates of Hades did not prevail against its establishment (Matthew 16:18). Any congregation that professes to follow, serve and worship Jesus should wear His name without shame.

Paul also encouraged the brethren in Rome to “Greet one another with a holy kiss” (verse 16). This was the customary way for people to greet one another in that place and culture, so I don’t believe it is any more binding upon us as a part of the doctrine of Christ than “foot washing” is. Be that as it may, I still think we should express the warmth and love that the holy kiss conveyed in ways that are appropriate and acceptable in our culture. So, I expect at least a warm handshake or a big hug the next time I see you!

Please read Romans 16:17-27 for tomorrow.

Have a great day!!!

- Louie Taylor

“For this reason I have often been prevented from coming to you; but now, with no further place for me in these regions, and since I have had for many years a longing to come to you whenever I go to Spain — for I hope to see you in passing, and to be helped on my way there by you, when I have first enjoyed your company for a while — but now, I am going to Jerusalem serving the saints. For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. Yes, they were pleased to do so, and they are indebted to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual things, they are indebted to minister to them also in material things. Therefore, when I have finished this, and have put my seal on this fruit of theirs, I will go on by way of you to Spain. I know that when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.

“Now I urge you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God for me, that I may be rescued from those who are disobedient in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may prove acceptable to the saints; so that I may come to you in joy by the will of God and find refreshing rest in your company. Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.”

---End of Scripture verses---

As Paul wraps up his letter to the Christians in Rome, he shares his future travel plans with them (verses 22-29). It has been estimated that this itinerary would have required Paul to travel about 3000 miles in total—from Corinth to Jerusalem, then to Rome and from Rome to Spain. Makes you feel kind of guilty when you complain about driving 15 to 30 minutes to go to church services doesn’t it?

Paul next requests the prayers of his brethren in Christ that he will stay safe on his journeys, and that he will be well-received by the Christian brethren in Jerusalem. Paul had a reputation among the unconverted Jews in Judea as a traitor to the Jewish faith. Bonds and afflictions awaited Paul in Jerusalem (Acts 20:22-23), and he wanted prayers that he would be “rescued from those who are disobedient in Judea” (verse 31).

Paul also requested their prayers that the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem would accept the contributions made by the Gentile converts that Paul had helped to make on his extensive travels (verses 25-27). The Apostle Paul understood that power and value abounded in the prayers offered up to God by sanctified, righteous people (James 5:16).

As Paul prayed for his brethren in Rome, so I pray for each one of you: “May the God of peace with you all. Amen.”

Please read Romans 16:1-16 for tomorrow.

Have a blessed day!

- Louie Taylor

“Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves. Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his edification. For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, ‘THE REPROACHES OF THOSE WHO REPROACHED YOU FELL ON ME.’ For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

“Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God. For I say that Christ has become a servant to the circumcision on behalf of the truth of God to confirm the promises given to the fathers, and for the Gentiles to glorify God for His mercy; as it is written, ‘THEREFORE I WILL GIVE PRAISE TO YOU AMONG THE GENTILES, AND I WILL SING TO YOUR NAME.’ Again he says, ‘REJOICE, O GENTILES, WITH HIS PEOPLE.’ And again, ‘PRAISE THE LORD ALL YOU GENTILES, AND LET ALL THE PEOPLES PRAISE HIM.’ Again Isaiah says, ‘THERE SHALL COME THE ROOT OF JESSE, AND HE WHO ARISES TO RULE OVER THE GENTILES, IN HIM SHALL THE GENTILES HOPE.’ Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

“And concerning you, my brethren, I myself also am convinced that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able also to admonish one another. But I have written very boldly to you on some points so as to remind you again, because of the grace that was given me from God, to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, ministering as a priest the gospel of God, so that my offering of the Gentiles may become acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. Therefore in Christ Jesus I have found reason for boasting in things pertaining to God. For I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed, in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit; so that from Jerusalem and round about as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. And thus I aspired to preach the gospel, not where Christ was already named, so that I would not build on another man's foundation; but as it is written, ‘THEY WHO HAD NO NEWS OF HIM SHALL SEE, AND THEY WHO HAVE NOT HEARD SHALL UNDERSTAND.’”

---End of Scripture verses---

Paul had previously written that brothers and sisters in Christ should “pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another” (14:19). I believe that He is showing us in today’s verses that the bulk of this responsibility falls squarely upon the shoulders of the “strong” brethren in a local church of Christ. He tells us in verse one that the strong should not only “tolerate” the weaknesses of the weak brethren, but actually “bear” those weaknesses (verse 1). The ones who have strength are to help those without strength to carry their “burdens” (Galatians 6:1-2).

There is a very practical reason for this. The “strong” brethren in this instance are those who can do or refrain from doing certain things that are permissible by God without violating their consciences, while the “weak” brethren cannot (14:23). But when it comes right down to it, where there are differences of judgment and opinions that can cause disharmony among brethren in Christ, somebody has to be the bigger person. Doesn’t it just stand to reason that a “strong” brother is in a better position to “give up his rights” in order to keep the peace and help a brother stay faithful? Whenever we sacrifice our rights in order to “please” or help other people, we are rightly following in the footsteps of Jesus our Master (verse 3; Philippians 2:5-11).

“Whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” (verse 4). Paul cited Psalm 69:9 in verse 3 in order to demonstrate the selflessness of Christ Jesus as our perfect example to follow in our dealings with our fellow man. In verse 4 he insists that everything written in the Old Testament (things “written in earlier times”) is beneficial for our spiritual well-being.

Even though we are currently bound by law to God’s covenant with mankind in Christ Jesus (Hebrews 1:1-2; 7:22; 8:6-13; 9:15-17;i 12:24), God still gives us valuable “instruction” on how to live lives that please Him in the pages of our Old Testaments. Not only does He equip us to serve and please Him better, we also learn “perseverance and encouragement” when we read those old (true) stories of God’s faithfulness in His interactions with our spiritual forefathers and with the people of the world in general. It fills us with “hope” when we learn, time and time again, that God is just and merciful, and can always be trusted in every situation because He is always true to His word, and always makes good on His promises.

One thing we learn about in the Old Testament is that God’s chosen people Israel were to keep themselves “separate” from the Gentile world and their common idolatrous practices and overall sinfulness. But in Christ Jesus, the wall that separated Jews and Gentiles has been torn down, and all people can now come to Him in obedient, righteous faith (verses 7-13). Paul seems to be making an argument from the greater to the lesser in these verses. If God can unify such divergent groups as Jews and Gentiles in Christ Jesus, surely He can help to unite the “strong” and “weak” Christians together in a congregation of His sanctified people.

Paul went on to say that God has made him, “a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, ministering as a priest the gospel of God, so that my offering of the Gentiles may become acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit” (verse 16). Some people insist that Paul is claiming to hold the office of a literal priest in the New Testament church, but he is clearly using figurative language here in order to make an important point.

Paul is saying that his ministry as “Apostle of the Gentiles” (11:13) is very much like the service of an Old Testament priest offering acceptable sacrifices to God. The sacrifices that He is offering here is are the Gentiles themselves, and the instrument he uses to “offer them up” to God is the Gospel. What he accomplishes by using this terminology is to show the Jewish Christians, in their own familiar jargon, that the Gentiles are now “clean” and “sanctified” and “acceptable” to God, and therefore should be embraced as brethren.

In the church of Christ, all the petty differences that alienate people from one another are obliterated by the blood and the love and the goodness of Jesus our Lord!

Please read Romans 15:22-23 for tomorrow.

Please come worship God with us today at the Taylorsville Road church of Christ today.

3741 Taylorsville Road. 9:30 AM Bible class. 10:30 AM worship period. 5:00 PM worship period.

Hope you all have a blessed Lord’s Day!

- Louie Taylor

“Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this — not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother's way. I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but to him who thinks anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. For if because of food your brother is hurt, you are no longer walking according to love. Do not destroy with your food him for whom Christ died. Therefore do not let what is for you a good thing be spoken of as evil; for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who in this way serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another. Do not tear down the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are clean, but they are evil for the man who eats and gives offense. It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine, or to do anything by which your brother stumbles. The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin.”

---End of Scripture verses---

Even though the “strong” and the “weak” brethren in a congregation should not “judge” one another when it comes to matters of personal “judgment” or “indifference,” we still should exercise very good judgment in our dealings with each other. Today’s reading is directed specifically to the “strong” — to those who have a good understanding of what God allows us to do and what He forbids us to do. Even though the strong brother has the right to “eat all things” (verse 2), and to regard “every day alike” (verse 5), that doesn’t mean he can exercise that right with God’s approval in every situation.

Today Paul encourages strong Christians to forgo their God-given rights, and the specific example he uses is the eating of clean and unclean animal meat. Paul said, “I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself” (verse 14). But Paul, as a “strong” Christian in possession of the ability of proper spiritual discernment, understood that his weak brethren were more important that his tasty food. He knew it was more important to “walk in love” than to “hurt his brother” (verse 15).

He knew that if he exercised his right to eat what was once considered “unclean food” in the presence of a weak brother, his example could encourage his brother who “thinks anything to be unclean” to “stumble” and violate his own conscience by eating it to. This would be the equivalent of putting “an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother’s way” (verse 13). The words “obstacle” and “stumbling block” are similar in meaning and refer to anything that would help to cause a brother or sister in Christ to “fall” into sin and spiritual condemnation.

The goal of each member of a spiritual family in Christ should be to build each other up and not tear each other down (verses 19-20). Paul says we must “determine” or really “make up our minds” to do this (verse 13). If we are going to exercise our rights to eat something or do anything that might be “offensive” to other Christians then we should do so privately, as our “own conviction before God” (verse 22). Please understand that Paul is not talking about merely offending someone’s “sensibilities” or hurting their “feelings” here. Obviously we should never do something like that intentionally either, but Paul is specifically talking about things that have the potential to influence our brethren to sin and cause them real spiritual harm. We want to lift our brethren in Christ up and not contribute to their spiritual downfall!

Please read Romans 15:1-21 for tomorrow.

Hope you all have a blessed Saturday!

- Louie Taylor

“Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions. One person has faith that he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats vegetables only. The one who eats is not to regard with contempt the one who does not eat, and the one who does not eat is not to judge the one who eats, for God has accepted him. Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

“One person regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God. For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself; for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.

“But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written, ‘AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME, AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD.’ So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.”

---End of Scripture verses---

Another aspect of living the transformed, sanctified life is loving our brothers and sisters in Christ and maintaining harmony and unity, even if we don’t necessarily agree with everything they believe and do in matters of personal judgment or “Christian liberty”. We must be very careful to not apply the principles of Romans 14 with too wide of a brush. Paul is not saying that we should accept a brother or sister’s beliefs and behaviors no matter what they are.

There are many sinful things that God has forbidden us to do and many righteous things that God has commanded us to do, and these are not the types of things that Paul is giving consideration to in Romans chapter 14. In chapter 13 Paul tells us that we MUST honor the government and obey the laws of the land and pay our taxes. These are not matters of opinion and bring God’s condemnation if we disobey (13:2). And there is a lengthy list of sinful things that will kill us spiritually if we practice any one of them in 1:28-32. Paul tells us to “mark” the brethren that cause dissensions and offences that are contrary to sound biblical teaching (16:17).

So Paul is writing about matters that God has not forbidden or commanded, and there is an allowance for judgment or opinion in situations such as these. Paul gives us just a couple of examples to demonstrate this principle: eating foods and observing holy days. It is not sinful too eat meat and it is not sinful to eat only vegetables (verse 2). It is not sinful to (personally) observe a day that we consider to be “holy,” and it is not sinful to treat all days the same (all are equally holy and dedicated to serving the Lord!) (verse5). By the way, the Lord’s Day (Sunday – the first day of the week) is not under consideration here.

Paul opens this section by writing, “Now accept the one who is weak in faith…” The first issue to be addressed is just who is considered as being “weak” in this section. He obviously isn’t talking about someone who is “spiritually” weak because this brother is being very careful not to do things that would be construed as sinful (eating all things), and being very careful to do the things he thinks he should (observing certain days).

The “weak” brother is the one who has a hard time differentiating between matters of “indifference” and issues of “the faith”. He takes things that God has given us “liberty” on and treats them as matters of “law”. Paul is careful to point out that this brother is not morally “wrong” just because he is “weak,” just because he has a weak understanding of Scripture. Just as long as he doesn’t “judge” or “condemn” the “strong” brethren for doing or abstaining from doing things that God gives freedom on and that do not violate his conscience (verse 3).

And the “strong” brethren (those who distinguish matters of judgment and law better) must be careful to not “regard with contempt” (verse 3) the brethren who abstain from eating meats or who keep certain days holy in order to not violate their own consciences. The main point is that we can all “stand” strong in Christ and have fellowship with one another, even though we have differences of opinion in matters of judgment.

We should not “judge” our brethren on these nonessential matters because we are not their “master” (verse 4). While it is true that we should love our brethren and look out for their best interests, we did not live and die for them (verse 9). Christ did that! All of our brethren serve Christ and are trying to please Him and will ultimately answer to (be judged by) Him, not us (verses 7-12)!

Let’s be very careful to not view our brethren “with contempt” (verse 10) just because they don’t see things with the exact level of understanding that we do. And once again, let’s be very careful not to JUSTIFY SIN by the authority of Romans chapter 14! God certainly does not!!!

Please read Romans 14:13-23 for tomorrow.

Have a godly day!

- Louie Taylor

“Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil. Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience’ sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing. Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.

“Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. For this, ‘YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, YOU SHALL NOT MURDER, YOU SHALL NOT STEAL, YOU SHALL NOT COVET,’ and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

“Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed. The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.”

---End of Scripture verses---

Part of living the transformed, sanctified life (12:1-2) is honoring and obeying the established governmental authorities and their various rules and laws. We may not like the way that some officials govern or the laws that they enact, but Christians must comply with the laws of the land as long as they do not contradict God’s laws.

One effective motivational tool for obeying the law is the fear of reprisal (verse 4). Government “does not bear the sword for nothing.” There is a reason why police officers are armed and why punishment is inflicted, even capital punishment in extreme criminal cases. These measures have been put in place to protect the lives and rights and property of law-abiding citizens. When we cross the line and break the law, authorities are there to act as “a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil.”

For the born-again, transformed Christian, just the fact that the government is “a minister of God” and “servants of God” should be enough motivation for us to always practice lawful behavior. Paul is going to delve more deeply into matters of “conscience” in the next chapter, but a properly functioning conscience will prompt us to always seek to avoid doing wrong and pursue doing the right things because that’s always what our righteous, heavenly Father wants us to do (verse 5). And yes, that means God wants us to be completely honest when paying our taxes (verse 6)!

Paul said in verse 8 that we are to “owe nothing to anyone.” This is not to say that it is wrong to take out a reasonable, responsible loan in order to buy something. The NIV better captures the apostle’s meaning when it renders it “let no debt remain outstanding.” In other words, promptly pay what you owe. But really, this phrase is just a literary tool used as a link between what is said in the prior verse about rendering “to all what is due them,” and what is said in this verse about, owing “love to one another.”

Love is the greatest and most important debt that we owe each and every human being on earth. Because of God’s incredible gift of love in the giving of His Son as a sacrifice to save us from our sins, we are morally and spiritually obligated to love and care about the well-being of our fellow human beings. This is called a debt because it is something we can never fully pay. We will perpetually be indebted to God to love all the people that He created in His own image and to try to help them get to heaven whenever that is possible. Understanding this indebtedness will keep us from ever intentionally hurting other people because “love does no wrong to a neighbor” (verse 10).

Paul tells us to “put on the armor of light” (verse 12), and to “put on Christ” (verse 14). We are to “clothe” ourselves, inside and out, with the holy and righteous character and behavior of the One who left us the greatest example by living a perfectly sinless life. We will fall short of the goal of perfection, but we should aim for it just the same. To not have this mindset would be making “provision for the flesh in regard to its lust” (verse 14), or preparing an opportunity for sin beforehand.

Let’s be careful to not mentally or physically prepare a favorable environment for sin before it occurs, and to not make excuses for our sins after the fact.

Please read Romans 14:1-13 for tomorrow.

Hope you all have a blessed day!

- Louie Taylor

“Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

“For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

“Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.

“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation. Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,’ says the Lord. ‘BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

---End of Scripture verses---

Chapter 12 marks a major transition in Paul’s letter to the Christians in Rome. He has essentially written a major treatise about faith up until this point. From chapter 12 onward he tells us how our faith in Christ should prompt us to live. He has belabored the point that we are saved by God’s grace through faith and not by works of law. But when we get to chapter 12 he shows us that God’s grace demands a transformed life just the same. In chapter 6 he told us that when we were baptized for the remission of our past sins that we were to arise and walk in newness of life. In chapter 12 he shows us what this new, sanctified life should look like, practically speaking, on a day to day basis.

Paul tells us in verse 1 that we are to present our “bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God.” In chapter 7 we read of the conflict that exists between our minds and our “flesh” and that the “members” of our bodies have a tendency to betray us at any given moment (6:21-25). But even though our bodies have not been renewed as our spirits have, we must make every effort to offer them up, along with their sinful lusts and desires, as sacrifices to God. Unlike the sacrificial system under which physical Israel served God, where the bodies of animals were killed and sacrificed; we offer our bodies up as a “living” sacrifice. We need to put to “death the deeds of the body” (8:13), so that our living bodies can be used to serve God and advance His will.

We must not be CON-formed to the world, but TRANS-formed by the word (verse 2). As living sacrifices that have been transformed by God’s grace through His perfect revelation, we are to humble ourselves in His presence and in our service to our fellowman (verses 3-8). We are to love each other, sincerely from the heart and mind, clinging to that which is good and abhorring that which is evil (verse 9). We are to serve God and man diligently, fervently, devotedly, generously, hospitably (verses 10-13). We are to even love those who do not love us, people that would count us as their enemies (verse 14), resisting the urge to retaliate against them when they do us wrong (verses 17-2).

It is clear to see how different the worldview is that God wants for His people compared to the way that the average person living outside of Christ views reality. Only a mind truly transformed by God’s word and love and grace can ever hope to aspire to reach such lofty spiritual heights. But if we are really serious about overwhelmingly conquering the evil that is in the world around us and that dwells within us, we can only hope to do so by godly living through a regenerated mind. Evil can only be overcome by good (verse 21).

Sound, biblical doctrine (Romans 1-11) + Transformed, godly living (Romans 12-15) = Victory in Jesus!

Please read Romans 13:1-14 for tomorrow.

Have a godly day!

- Louie Taylor

“For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, ‘THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION, HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB. THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM, WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS.’

“From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God’s choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience, so these also now have been disobedient, that because of the mercy shown to you they also may now be shown mercy. For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all.

“Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR? Or WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM AGAIN? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.”

---End of Scripture verses---

The salvation of both Jews and Gentiles are very dependent upon one another. Because of the disobedience of the Jews, God’s grace greatly abounded (Romans 6:20) through the Gospel to those who were not God’s people (Romans 9:25). In one real sense, the Gentiles owe their salvation to the Jews, specifically because of their rebellion (verse 30). Therefore Gentile Christians must resist the urge to be “arrogant” (verse 18), thinking that they are better and that God loves them more. God’s former covenant people are still greatly “beloved” by the Lord (verse 28) and He doesn’t want to see any of them lost.

As a matter of fact, God uses the obedience and inclusion of the Gentiles to try to lure the hard-hearted Jews back into His fold of safety (verse 31). God wants to make them “jealous by that which is not a nation” (Romans 10:19; 11:14). Paul tells us that Israel’s “hardening” is only “partial” in verse 25. They have not been so completely hardened that it is impossible for them to repent and return to the Lord. Now that the “fullness of the Gentiles” has come in, God is using them to entice the descendants of “the fathers” into His spiritual family (verse 28).

“And so, all Israel will be saved” (verse 26). The mistake that most people make with this verse is that they put the emphasis on the word “all” instead of on the word “so”. Paul is not teaching that, at some future point in time, every single ethnic Jew will be unconditionally saved. That would completely contradict what he has previously taught on this subject in this very same context (and elsewhere in the Bible). The salvation of any descendant of Israel (or any person period), absolutely requires that “they do not continue in their unbelief” (verse 23). All people are saved by God’s grace through their own faith (4:4).

The word “so” means “in this manner.” Paul is saying that, in this manner—by God hardening His former children of covenant, and thereby including Gentiles into covenant status with Him, God will save “all Israel” (verses 25-26). That is the method that He has chosen to save all “true” Israel (9:6). All those who have been hardened by the deceitfulness of sin, hardened by their own arrogance from once being God’s elect; if they will open their hearts to the truth of the Gospel, they will be saved.

“Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!” Only God can take the hard hearts of stubborn and rebellious people and use that to advantageously serve His purposes and fulfill His promises. God executes His plan of salvation and accomplishes His will in spite of and because of man’s sinful ways. A mere human being just couldn’t make a plan like this up! All praise and honor and glory and thanks be to God!!!

Please read Romans 12:1-21 for tomorrow.

Blessings!

- Louie Taylor

“I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? ‘Lord, they have killed Your prophets, they have torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they are seeking my life.’ But what is the divine response to him? ‘I have kept for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.’ In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God’s gracious choice. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace.

“What then? What Israel is seeking, it has not obtained, but those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened; just as it is written, ‘God gave them a spirit of stupor, Eyes to see not and ears to hear not, Down to this very day.’ And David says, ‘Let their table become a snare and a trap, and a stumbling block and a retribution to them. Let their eyes be darkened to see not, and bend their backs forever.’

“I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous. Now if their transgression is riches for the world and their failure is riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be! But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, if somehow I might move to jealousy my fellow countrymen and save some of them. For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? If the first piece of dough is holy, the lump is also; and if the root is holy, the branches are too.

“But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, ‘Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.’ Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear; for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either. Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off. And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree?”

---End of Scripture verses---

Today’s verses contain both a ray of hope and a word of warning. The good news is that God has not completely rejected His former covenant people, Israel. They will always hold a special place in the Lord’s scheme of redemption for all humanity, so He will always love them. Furthermore, there has always been a faithful “remnant” of them (verse 5), and there always will be. If some of them have been saved, then there is hope that any of them can be saved (verse 16). If any of them choose to pursue God’s grace by their obedient faith (9:32), they will be “grafted back in” to the original “root” of God’s chosen, holy people (verses 17-24). Part of Paul’s desire in preaching to the Gentiles was to move his fellow Israelites to obedience by jealousy so that some of them would be saved (verses 11-15).

Now for the warning. The bad news is that if the converted Gentiles fall into the same trap that the Jews succumbed to and become “arrogant” (verse 18), then God will not “spare” them either (21). If God removed the “natural branches” then He can and will remove the “wild” branches from the root as well. In other words, just as God’s grace did not guarantee eternal salvation to all the Jews when they were His chosen people, it does not guarantee it to the Gentiles either. If we do not remain faithful then we will force God’s hand and we will be “broken off” as well (verse 20).

We see here a very balanced view of the holy God of heaven. We see His “kindness and severity” (verse 22). 1 John 4:8 tells us that “God is love”, but the Bible also depicts Him as “a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:29). God’s love and grace provide a means for us to escape the eternal damnation that we deserve because of our sins. But His holiness will not allow Him to leave continued sinfulness and rebellion unpunished.

Paul put it this way in 2 Timothy 2:11-13: “For if we died with Him, we will also live with Him; if we endure, we will also reign with Him; if we deny Him, He also will deny us; if we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.” We simply must “continue in His kindness” (verse 22) if we want to see heaven. We must remain faithful until death if we want to receive the crown of life (Revelation 2:10).

Please read Romans 11:25-36 for tomorrow.

Have a wonderful day!

- Louie Taylor

“How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!’ However, they did not all heed the good news; for Isaiah says, ‘Lord, who has believed our report?’ So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. But I say, surely they have never heard, have they? Indeed they have; ‘Their voice has gone out into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.’ But I say, surely Israel did not know, did they? First Moses says, ‘I will make you jealous by that which is not a nation, by a nation without understanding will I anger you.’ And Isaiah is very bold and says, ‘I was found by those who did not seek Me, I became manifest to those who did not ask for Me.’ But as for Israel He says, ‘All the day long I have stretched out My hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.’”

---End of Scripture verses---

In verse 20, Paul had quoted Joel 2:32 to show that “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” He said this primarily in relation to “confessing” faith in Jesus as a step of salvation (verses 9-10), even though appealing to the “name of the Lord” involves much more than that. In today’s verses Paul, as he does through a very large portion of this letter, intercepts and debunks some false reasoning and excuses that could be made by people (specifically ethnic Jews) based upon Paul’s argumentation.

He begins by saying that people have to believe in order to call on God’s name, and they have to hear in order to believe, and they need a “preacher” in order to hear the good news, and the preacher has to be “sent” in order to proclaim the message. Now for the excuses. Many of the Jews might say (maybe some actually WERE saying) that they never heard the truth and didn’t have a chance to hear, therefore they couldn’t be expected to believe. And again, no one came to them bearing the tidings of good news. And again, there were not enough preachers sent out to carry the Gospel into the world.

But Paul proceeds to show them from their own cherished Old Testament Scriptures (as he does often in this letter) just how mistaken they are. Paul quotes Isaiah 52:7 to show that many preachers or “heralds” have been sent out carrying the good news of God’s salvation (verse 15). He also quotes Psalm 19:4 to show that “Their voice has gone out into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world” (verse 18).

Paul also cited Isaiah 53:1 to show that, even though ample messengers have been sent to disseminate the all-sufficient truth, only few people have “believed our report” (verse 16). Again and again the inspired apostle tells his Jewish brethren that it is their own fault that God has rejected them and not the Lord’s, and that they are without excuse for their willful ignorance and rebellion (verse 21).

“Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ” (verse 17). No more important inspired statement could ever be written. You can’t have the kind of faith that saves you unless you hear (or read) the word of Christ, which is the New Testament (Hebrews 1:1-2). Please open up your Bibles regularly and “hear” the life-saving words of truth. And obey them. They are life to your soul and strength to your mind. They produce faith and they increase faith.

Please read Romans 11:1-24 for tomorrow.

If you have no plans for worship, we would love for you to come worship God with us today at the Taylorsville Road church of Christ.

3741 Taylorsville Road. 9:30 AM Bible class. 10:30 AM worship period. 5:00 PM worship period.

Hope you all have a blessed Lord’s Day!

- Louie Taylor

“Brethren, my heart's desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation. For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. For not knowing about God's righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

“For Moses writes that the man who practices the righteousness which is based on law shall live by that righteousness. But the righteousness based on faith speaks as follows: ‘DO NOT SAY IN YOUR HEART, “WHO WILL ASCEND INTO HEAVEN?” (that is, to bring Christ down), or “WHO WILL DESCEND INTO THE ABYSS?” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).’ But what does it say? ‘THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART’ — that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, ‘WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.’ For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for ‘WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.’”

---End of Scripture verses---

Paul could rightly “testify” that the Jewish people, for the most part, had great zeal for the Lord, but they did not seek Him according to “knowledge”. Paul himself, then known as Saul, once zealously persecuted the church of Jesus Christ while convinced that he was doing the will of God the whole time (Acts 22:3; Galatians 1:13-14; 1 Timothy 1:13).

Friends, this verse (and many others in the Bible) teaches us clearly that we can sincerely believe in God, and love Him (emotionally) with all our hearts, and (attempt to) serve Him with great passion and enthusiasm, and still be lost. Just like the majority of the Jewish people were. They were sincere, but sincerely wrong.

Just like Saul was, before he was humbled by Christ and brought to a good knowledge and acceptance of the truth, and obeyed the truth from the heart. Once again, ignorance is not a good excuse (1 Timothy 1:13). The truth has always been available, we just have to choose to learn it, accept it and obey it.

Furthermore, the truth about God’s saving grace is not complicated at all. It is not only readily available to all, but it can be easily understood by anyone who is willing to apply his or her mind to it. You don’t have to “ascend to heaven” to bring Christ down (verse 6), or “descend into the Abyss” to bring Christ up (verse 7). Christ did all the hard work for us. He came down to earth for us, lived and died for us, arose from the grave for us and defeated sin and its mastery over us for us.

So what do we have to do? We have to accept the word (the truth) that is “near” to us, that is readily available to all of us (verse 8). We have to “believe” in Jesus and that He defeated death for us with His almighty power, and confess our belief in Him as the Christ (verse 9). And we must “call on the name of the Lord” to be saved (verse 13).

Please understand that calling on the Lord’s name is not merely a matter of invoking the name of Jesus verbally. To call on the “name” of Jesus is to appeal to His absolute authority (Matthew 28:18-20). That’s really the essence of what Paul is talking about here. God wants us, unlike the majority of the Jewish people in Paul’s day, to pursue Him with “knowledge”. To learn and understand what it is that God requires of us to be saved. To learn what He commands by His authority, and then to obey it. It is not difficult but it does require an honest heart and willing effort.

And please understand also that being baptized for the forgiveness of sins is a part of “calling on the name of the Lord.” The very same Apostle Paul (then known as Saul) was told this very thing right before he became a Christian, and he was not disobedient. Let’s read the account as Paul himself relates it from Acts 22:12-16:

"A certain Ananias, a man who was devout by the standard of the Law, and well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there, came to me, and standing near said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ And at that very time I looked up at him. And he said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will and to see the Righteous One and to hear an utterance from His mouth. For you will be a witness for Him to all men of what you have seen and heard. Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name.’”

Please read Romans 10:14-21 for tomorrow.

Hope you all have a blessed day!

- Louie Taylor

“What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be! For He says to Moses, ‘I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION.’ So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, ‘FOR THIS VERY PURPOSE I RAISED YOU UP, TO DEMONSTRATE MY POWER IN YOU, AND THAT MY NAME MIGHT BE PROCLAIMED THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE EARTH.’ So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires.

You will say to me then, ‘Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?’ On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, ‘Why did you make me like this,’ will it? Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use? What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles. As He says also in Hosea, ‘I WILL CALL THOSE WHO WERE NOT MY PEOPLE, “MY PEOPLE,” AND HER WHO WAS NOT BELOVED, “BELOVED.”’ ‘AND IT SHALL BE THAT IN THE PLACE WHERE IT WAS SAID TO THEM, “YOU ARE NOT MY PEOPLE,” THERE THEY SHALL BE CALLED SONS OF THE LIVING GOD.’

Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, ‘THOUGH THE NUMBER OF THE SONS OF ISRAEL BE LIKE THE SAND OF THE SEA, IT IS THE REMNANT THAT WILL BE SAVED; 28 FOR THE LORD WILL EXECUTE HIS WORD ON THE EARTH, THOROUGHLY AND QUICKLY.’ And just as Isaiah foretold, ‘UNLESS THE LORD OF SABAOTH HAD LEFT TO US A POSTERITY, WE WOULD HAVE BECOME LIKE SODOM, AND WOULD HAVE RESEMBLED GOMORRAH.’

What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith; but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone, just as it is written, ‘BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE, AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.’”

---End of Scripture verses---

We noted yesterday that God chooses people in exactly the WAY that He does, and for the REASONS that He does, in order to serve His good purposes. God is the “Potter” and the people He created are the “clay,” and He chooses to use them the way that He wills. As the Potter, He has every right to do this. This is not saying that God hand-selects some people and groups to be saved and others to be lost. People are saved by God’s grace through their own personal faith (verse 30).

The point that Paul makes in today’s passage and in most of chapter 9 is actually just the opposite of God’s choosing people to be saved and lost. He is demonstrating to us that, just because God chooses to use a person or a group of people to serve His purposes, that does NOT mean He is required to save them eternally.

The perfect case in point is Pharaoh. God “raised up” this hard-hearted fellow to demonstrate His power and proclaim His name throughout the earth (verse 17). He did this by further hardening his heart in regard to releasing Israel from captivity until God unleashed all 10 plagues on Egypt. This demonstrated the power of the Lord and word of His glory spread throughout the world. God had “mercy” on Pharaoh by using him to serve His purposes and He also “hardened” him in order to serve His purposes (verse 18).

God USED Pharaoh but He didn’t SAVE Pharaoh. And the exact same thing is true for physical Israel. He used them to serve His purposes (to execute His grand plan of salvation—to bring the Christ into the world), but He did not guarantee that each individual descendant of Israel would be saved eternally. So they have no legitimate complaint. Salvation is promised to ALL people, both Jews and Gentiles (verses 24-33), who decide to meet the Potter on His own sovereign, gracious terms.

Jack Cottrell wrote in his commentary: “Like a potter, God has the right to take one lump of clay (the original nation of Israel) and make two completely different kinds of vases from it. One consists of those individuals who are Israelites by physical birth only. Like Pharaoh, they are unbelievers and will ultimately suffer the wrath of God. This is actually the bulk of Israel. So why does God put up with these ‘vessels of wrath’? Because through them He chose to bring into existence the ‘vessels of mercy,’ i.e., spiritual Israel, which is the church—a group composed not only of believing Jews but of believing Gentiles as well.”

The Bible frequently makes mention of God preserving a faithful “remnant” from His chosen people (verse 29). These are the only ones that God promises salvation to. These are not God’s people in name only. These are the people whose hearts belong to God as well. Only this remnant of Israel was promised salvation. Today this “posterity” consists of both the faithful Jews and Gentiles that comprise Christ’s church.

Please read Romans 10:1-13 for tomorrow.

- Louie Taylor

“I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience testifies with me in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh, who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons, and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises, whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.

“But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel; nor are they all children because they are Abraham’s descendants, but: ‘THROUGH ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS WILL BE NAMED.’ That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants. For this is the word of promise: ‘AT THIS TIME I WILL COME, AND SARAH SHALL HAVE A SON.’ And not only this, but there was Rebekah also, when she had conceived twins by one man, our father Isaac; for though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God’s purpose according to His choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls, it was said to her, ‘THE OLDER WILL SERVE THE YOUNGER.’ Just as it is written, ‘JACOB I LOVED, BUT ESAU I HATED.’”

---End of Scripture verses---

Chapter 9 starts a new section in the Paul’s letter to the Romans. He had written extensively in the first 8 chapters about the non-partiality of God (Romans 2:11); that all have sinned and fallen short of His glory (Romans 3:26); and that Jews were in the exact same boat is the Gentiles, spiritually speaking (Romans 3:22, 29); that all are saved by faith not works of the Law (Romans 3:28).

A question about God’s faithfulness might arise from this kind of argumentation, so Paul wrote this chapter to address that issue. Has God rejected His own chosen people? And if God specifically chose Israel, and now says that they are no different than Gentiles, has He gone back on His promise? And if He has, can He be trusted to be faithful to the magnificent promises that were just declared in chapter 8?

Paul had just enthusiastically declared God’s faithful people to be overwhelming conquerors in Christ, and that no outside force could possibly come between them and the love of their Creator (Romans 8:37-39). And yet in the very next sentence he declares his “great sorrow and unceasing grief” (verse 2) for his “kinsmen according to the flesh” (verse 3), because they were “accursed” (verse 3) by God.

Israel was immeasurably blessed by God. The Lord had personally adopted them has His children, had shown them His personal “Shekinah” glory (Exodus 13:21-22; 40:36-38), established a unique covenant and Law with them, and most importantly, had brought the Messiah promised to the Patriarchs into the world, through them (verses 4-5).

So, does the fact that such a privileged people, hand-selected by God to give us the Christ, have now been rejected and “accursed” by God mean that God’s promises have somehow failed (verse 6)? The answer is, “Of course not!” The simple truth is that God chose Israel to fulfill His purposes but He did not promise eternal salvation to each Jew unconditionally individually.

We will see the logic of this argumentation fleshed out in tomorrow’s reading, but in today’s verses Paul shows us that not everyone who is a descendant from physical Israel can rightly claim to be a part of spiritual Israel (verse 6). There has always been a “faithful remnant” of God people, even when the majority had disobediently rebelled against Him (consider 1 Kings 19:18).

Neither are all people called the children of Abraham just because they are physical descendants of Abraham (Matthew 3:9), or even of Isaac (verses 7-12). The point is that God chooses people in exactly the WAY that He does, and for the REASONS that He does, in order to serve His good purposes. And when all is said and done, only those who exhibit the righteous faith of Abraham will be saved by God’s grace and be considered his spiritual descendants (Romans 4:13-16).

More on this tomorrow Lord willing.

Please Read Romans 9:14-33.

Have a blessed day!

- Louie Taylor

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.

“In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.

“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, ‘FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.’

“But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

---End of Scripture verses---

Eternal victory and glory await the Christian who remains faithful to Jesus until the day He returns to reclaim His own. When we obey the command to be baptized for the forgiveness of our sins, we become the heirs of our heavenly Father and we receive “the first fruits of the Spirit” (verse 23; Acts 2:38), and all the spiritual blessings that go along with His presence in our lives. In this way, the Holy Spirit is the “earnest” (Ephesians 1:14) or the “guarantee” of the certainty of the future “redemption of our body” (verse 23). God’s gift of grace and the belief that He will be true to His promises fills our hearts and minds with hope of a glorious eternity (verses 20, 24, 25). But even so, until the day of our ultimate redemption, our life on earth in a body of flesh is fraught with temptations and “sufferings” (verse 18).

Because of the effects that sin has had on the world and in our lives personally, we frequently “groan within ourselves” as we eagerly await our body’s adoption and redemption (verse 23). Crime and violence and wickedness have run amok all around us, and pains and fears and frustrations and temptation plague us from within. Even the created universe is said to experience these same “groanings” of frustration (verse 22), since even it has been greatly affected by the first sin and the curse that accompanied mankind’s fall from God’s grace (Genesis 3:17-19). God’s creation is said to be suffering the intense “pains of childbirth together until now” (verse 22). This is reminiscent of the consequences of Eve’s sin upon all of womankind that we read about in Genesis 3:16. From the time of the first sin in the Garden, even “until now” all of God’s creation has been greatly touched and affected by sin and its consequences.

But we learn from today’s passages that God has not left us alone to flounder in our “wretched” condition. He has amply equipped us to cope with the troubles and trials of life as we eagerly wait to be immortally arrayed. Paul tells us that the Holy Spirit has been given to us to help us with our weaknesses, our inadequacies and our groanings. Sometimes we are so overwhelmed, we don’t even know how to pray or what to pray for. But the Holy Spirit can take our heart’s deepest feelings and yearnings and express them in ways to the Father that He can fully comprehend, even when our groanings are “too deep for words” (verse 26).

Arguably the most comforting and encouraging verses in all the Bible begin with this sentence from the Apostle Paul: “We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (verse 28). Since God is for us, no one and no thing can possibly prevail against us (verse 31). God will give us the grace to withstand any and all of the tests and trials that this fallen world may throw at us, and if we remain true to Him to the very end, we are guaranteed to claim the ultimate victory.

In fact, we are “overwhelmingly” conquerors through Him who loved us (verse 37). The love that God has for His adopted children knows no bounds. If He loved us so much that He wouldn’t consider withholding the sacrifice of His Only Begotten Son for our sins, surely He will not refuse us any good thing that He has at His disposal (verse 32). Nothing, but NOTHING can separate us from God’s love and His immeasurable gifts and uncountable blessings (verse 39). But please understand that God’s spiritual and eternal graces and gifts and love are expressed to those who are “in Christ Jesus our Lord” (verse 39).

If you haven’t been baptized into Christ Jesus, please don’t wait another moment. Far too much is at stake to fail to come to God in humble, obedient faith.

Please read Romans 9:1-13 for tomorrow.

Hope you all have a godly day!

- Louie Taylor

“Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

“However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

“So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh—for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.”

---End of Scripture verses---

Paul had just previously made the imploring cry, “Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?” (Romans 7:24). He further expands upon how Jesus had rescued him from sin’s bondage and condemnation in today’s verses from chapter 8. “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (verse 1). If you were baptized “into Christ” and live faithfully “in Christ” then, “the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death” (verse 2).

God sent Jesus “as an offering for sin” and He “condemned sin” for us in the flesh. When Christ died for our sins on Calvary’s cross, He quelled God’s wrath and paid sin’s penalty for us, therefore we are no longer faced with the horror of sin’s eternal condemnation. Jesus did this for us when He came in “the likeness of sinful flesh.” The word “likeness” implies something similar and yet different.

The Son of God visited the earth in the body of a human being, but one that was not corrupted by the stain of sin. He was born sinless (like we all are), and he remained sinless (like none of us do). This uniquely qualified Him to be the perfect sacrifice to span the gulf that our sins create between God and man. He was God’s Son, therefore He was (is) divine. He came in the flesh, therefore He was human. He lived a sinless life, therefore He was the perfect (spotless) sacrifice.

But even though Christ fulfilled the law’s requirement by His sacrificial death, redemption is only promised to those “who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” (verse 4). We are not left to wonder who these two classes of individuals are because Paul reveals their identities in the very next verse. The people who walk according to the flesh are those who “set their minds on the things of the flesh.” The people who walk according to the Spirit are those who dedicate their minds to “the things of the Spirit” (verse 5).

Paul is clearly not teaching a “belief only” liberation from sin, and an “impossibility” of falling from God’s grace and suffering the eternal consequences thereby. On the contrary, those who are preoccupied with fleshly, worldly, temporary pursuits, think and behave in ways that are “hostile toward God” (verse 7) and they “must die” (verse 13). On the other hand, those who focus on spiritual things, those who “set their minds” on the Spirit’s revelation and God’s will for them, will focus on righteous thoughts and pursue godly deeds and put “to death the deeds of the body” (verse 13).

These are the Spirit-led people who “please God” (verse 8) and who “will live” spiritually for eternity (verse 13). Indeed, God’s redeemed children are “under obligation” (verse 12) to live by the Spirit’s revelation and put to death the deeds of the body. That is not to say that they will not struggle with the lusts of the flesh and sometimes do sinful things they know they should not do (Romans 7:15, 19). But these Christians will be forgiven by God’s grace because the power of the Spirit dominates their lives, whereas the power of sin dominates the people who walk according to the flesh.

Who and what are the dominating influences in your life? Are you being led by the Holy Spirit, God’s Son, His perfect revelation, and a purified mind and conscience? Or are you being led by the flesh, its lusts, the world’s influence, and the power of a sin-corrupted mind?

Please don’t be deceived into thinking that you can do both of those things simultaneously and still be right with God. Some people foolishly say that Romans chapter 7 and 8 teaches that very thing (especially Romans 7:25). But Paul teaches that this is an impossibility and he clearly sets forth an “either/or” situation in this marvelous letter. These are two conflicting worldviews and they mutually exclude one another.

You can only be adopted into God’s spiritual family (verse 15) and be considered His son (or daughter) (verse 18), if you are baptized into the Son’s death and follow the Spirit’s lead and obey the Father’s commandments.

Please read Romans 8:18-39 for tomorrow.

Have a great day!

- Louie Taylor

“Therefore did that which is good become a cause of death for me? May it never be! Rather it was sin, in order that it might be shown to be sin by effecting my death through that which is good, so that through the commandment sin would become utterly sinful. For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate. But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good. So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.

“I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.”

---End of Scripture verses---

Jesus said in Matthew 26:41, “The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.” Paul really sums up this truth and the struggle that exists between the willing spirit and the weak flesh in the verses of today’s reading. The word “flesh” is used in a variety of different ways in the Bible, and even in this one particular letter that Paul wrote. But I think the word clearly refers to our bodies of flesh and blood in this particular passage.

In the first part of chapter six he wrote of the redemption and renewal of our spirits that takes place when we obey in faith the Gospel command to be baptized for the forgiveness of our sin. Those who come to Christ in obedient faith have been born again spiritually and arise from baptism to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4), but unfortunately their fleshly bodies have not been regenerated as of yet (Romans 8:19-23). Even when we have dedicated ourselves to the service of the Lord, our physical bodies are still plagued by weakness and desires and passions. It is up to our willing spirits to put up a fight against the passions and desires of the weak flesh that enslave us and cripple us spiritually.

Even something as common as human fatigue is a weakness of the flesh that can severely deteriorate our defenses against our mortal enemy—Sin. I don’t know about you, but I am much more likely to say or do something sinful when I am sleep deprived than when I am well rested. The main reason that Jesus’ three best friends could not help to keep watch over Him was because they were physically exhausted (Matthew 26:43). Even the strongest Christian (like Paul) is still afflicted by the urges and impulses of his physical body.

Don’t get me wrong, Paul is not giving us an excuse to sin or a free pass when we do. He is just emphasizing the need to be aware of the internal struggle, and to sincerely put up a good fight, and that we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, who helps us and who fights in our defense when we do sin.

Do you ever feel the same as Paul when he wrote, “For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate” (verse 15)? And, “For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want” (verse 19)? Do you ever sin and just, for the life of you, can't figure out why you just did that? You knew all along that what you were doing was wrong? You knew you shouldn’t be doing it, but you did it anyway? It’s almost like sin just moves in and takes control of you.

Several things to make note of about a situation like that. First, the devil didn’t “make you do it.” You did that and you are responsible for your actions. The urge was not irresistible even though it may have felt like it at the time. You made the poor choice to give into your weakness and follow through on your lust (James 1:14-15).

Second thing—All is not lost! It is a good thing that you at least KNOW and ACKNOWLEDGE that the sin is wrong (if you are thinking along the same lines as Paul here)! You know it. You admit it. And, thirdly, you strongly desire to stop it!!! The willing spirit is still alive and well, in a situation like this, but the body of sin is just exerting its formidable influence at the time.

Fourthly, God won’t turn His back on a born-again Christian as long as you are not turning a blind eye to your own sin. As long as you have not become calloused to your own iniquity. The person being depicted in today’s verses is one who is truly flummoxed and humbled by his own “wretched” condition. He knows that he is a sinner unclean and that he desperately needs God’s grace to forgive him of his sin, and also the grace to keep putting up the fight!

“Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (verse 25) Through Christ Jesus, and Him alone, do we have hope to be rescued from this body of sin and death (verse 24)! And with Christ, all things are possible. We can do all things through Him who strengthens us (Philippians 4). But we must keep fighting the good fight!!!

What did Paul mean when he wrote in verse 25, “So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin”? I think he is simply saying this: At least NOW we (Christians) are serving God and His law with our minds and spirits. Before we came to Christ, we were wholly given over to our sins—body, mind and spirit. But now, since we have been renewed in spirit in Christ Jesus, our minds and spirits have changed allegiance, even though our bodies still betray us from time to time (and sometimes FAR too often).

More on this subject tomorrow, Lord willing. Please read Romans 8:1-17.

Have a blessed day! KEEP FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT!

- Louie Taylor

“Or do you not know, brethren (for I am speaking to those who know the law), that the law has jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives? For the married woman is bound by law to her husband while he is living; but if her husband dies, she is released from the law concerning the husband. So then, if while her husband is living she is joined to another man, she shall be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulteress though she is joined to another man.

“Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death. But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.

“What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, “YOU SHALL NOT COVET.” But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind; for apart from the Law sin is dead. I was once alive apart from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin became alive and I died; and this commandment, which was to result in life, proved to result in death for me; for sin, taking an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.”

---End of Scripture verses---

When we died to sin and embraced God’s grace, we died to law’s domination over us. The word for “jurisdiction” in verse 1 is the same word rendered “master” in Romans 6:14 used in reference to sin. When people come to Christ in obedient faith, they live no longer oppressed by the weight of their sins and in dread of the punishment required by God’s law. God forgives us through His grace and relieves us of the guilt and the punishment we deserve when we become “obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which” we have been committed (Romans 6:17).

Paul uses the example of a widowed woman who rightfully and legally marries another man to show us that we “were made to die to the law through the body of Christ” (verse 4). Notice now, Paul is not saying that the law died, but that we died to law. We do that when we crucify the old person of sin and bury him in the waters of baptism (Romans 6:3-6). When we arise to walk in newness of life we are then bound by covenant to another, namely, Christ.

But the concern might be raised by some, since Paul appears to be writing disparagingly about law, that the law is bad. “Is the Law sin?” (verse 7) Of course not! “May it never be! The law is God’s revealed will for us and it is good for us because it reveals what sin is, and what we need to do and avoid doing to please Him. Through law comes the knowledge of sin (Romans 3:20; 7:7). But, when we come to understand God’s law, and then break it by committing sin, the same law convicts us by our violation of it. Law pronounces us guilty and worthy of death, but is not designed to forgive us and bring us back to spiritual life. God only offers us new life by faith through His grace in the offering of His Son.

Paul used the specific example of his own life in verses 7 through 12, and the particular law that was complicit in bringing about his death spiritually speaking—The Law of Moses. By the way, I don’t necessarily believe Romans chapter 7 is teaching that God’s law with Israel is dead, even though Galatians 3:23-25; Ephesians 2:15, and a host of other Scriptures teach us that the Law of Moses is no longer in force today. These verses teach us that, at one time we were spiritually alive, then God’s law was an “accomplice” in killing us spiritually, and only through God’s grace can we be revived.

Paul said he “was once alive apart from the Law” (verse 9). When could this time have possibly been? There was no time in Paul’s life when God’s law was not in place and in force. The only good explanation is that Paul is referring to the time that he was a child and unable to understand God’s law and grasp the severity of his sin. At that time, he was “alive” apart from the Law. He was not held accountable to it, and therefore not condemned by it, and therefore spiritually alive, in a right relationship with God. Once again, we are shown in Paul’s letter to the Romans (and in many other places in the Bible) that children are born innocent, not under condemnation by God, but saved by His grace.

“When the commandment came, sin became alive,” (sin sprang to life) and Paul “died” (verse 8). For Paul, sin was once dead and he was once alive. But when he reached a certain point of mental maturity, he was accountable to it, sin came to life and Paul died. And the same is true for all of us. At some point in our lives (whenever that might be for each of us individually) we reach a point of “accountability” to the law of God. Then when we violate God’s law (knowingly or not—Ignorance is not an excuse), we die spiritually. That is to say, we lose our good standing with God; we are spiritually lost and condemned.

But please notice that it wasn’t the Law that killed Paul, it was his sin. “The Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good” (verse 12). But, as we said, it was a sort of accomplice in Paul’s undoing. Paul said in verse 11 that sin took “an opportunity through the commandment,” and “deceived him”, and “through it” killed him. Friends, sin is deceptive. It can cause us to look at something holy and righteous and good, and think that it is bad. Our wants and lusts can lead us to believe that God, through His righteous commandments, is somehow holding out on us. That He is keeping “the good stuff” from us. This is the exact scenario that played out in the Garden of Eden with mankind’s first sin. Satan deceived Eve into thinking that God was keeping something good from her, so she broke God’s commandment and died (Genesis 3:1-7; 2 Corinthians 11:3).

Sin is always wrong! Sin is always bad! No matter how good it looks or seems or feels! And sin always kills! Unless it is turned from. Unless we turn to God in faith, in obedience, in baptism, in repentance and ask His forgiveness, and purpose to not continue in it. Satan is powerful. Sin’s allurement is strong. But they are no comparison to and no match for our Almighty God and His amazing love and grace! Please purpose in your heart to not continue in sin but to commit your life to Him in obedient faith!

Please read Romans 7:13-25 for tomorrow.

Hope you all have a blessed Lord’s Day!

- Louie Taylor

“What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be! Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification.

“For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death. But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

---End of Scripture Verses---

We are all slaves. That is probably offensive to most Americans because we take great pride in our “freedom”, but there is just no escaping that simple fact. Christians often delight in the freedom that Christ provides for them, and well they should! But freedom in Christ is not liberty to do just as we please and not suffer the consequences (Galatians 5:17). Christ provides us freedom from sin, our cruelest taskmaster (John 8:34-36). But, once a person is freed from the bondage of sin through the blood of Christ, he just becomes the slave of a different Master. A benevolent Master. A righteous Master. But a Master nonetheless. All people are slaves, either to sin or to righteousness; of Satan or Yahweh.

Please notice how Paul emphasizes the importance of obedience in these verses (and in all of Romans actually). In verse 16 he encourages us to be slaves to obedience. In verse 17 he says that those who have decided to truly follow Christ have become “obedient from the heart” to His teaching. Once again, he is stressing the fact that, just because we are saved by God’s grace and not law, obedience to God’s laws are still an absolute requirement if we want to please Him and be righteous in His sight and go to heaven when we die. Law can’t save us, but if we choose lawlessness (iniquity) then we forfeit our claim to God’s saving grace.

But what is “that form of teaching” to which we were committed (verse 17) that freed us from the bondage of sin and enslaved us to righteousness when we became obedient to it? I think he is referring to “the doctrine of Christ” that we read about in 2 John 9, which is not limited to, but certainly includes the death, burial and resurrection that takes place in obedience to the command to be baptized in the first several verses of this chapter. Penitent baptism is certainly the act in which we contact Christ’s blood through God’s grace and have the sins that have enslaved us forgiven.

But “that form of teaching” has a far greater reach than just our initial induction into the kingdom of Christ. Jesus said in Matthew 28:18-20: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

We are made disciples by being baptized into the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, but then we are expected to “obey everything” that Jesus has commanded us to do in the pages of the New Testament. The Apostle Paul said that we were “committed” to this form of teaching in Romans 6:17. This is the same Greek word “paradidomi” that he used three separate times in chapter one to explain how the unrighteous Gentiles were “given over” by God to their sins. In just the same fashion we must be “given over” or “fully committed” to the doctrine of Christ that is the entirety of the New Testament. Paul said that we obeyed the Gospel “from the heart”, or “whole-heartedly” and we must continue to do that for the remainder of our lives if we want to please God and remain free from the slavery of sin.

We are all slaves. But thanks be to God, we all have the ability to choose who we will serve and give our allegiance to. We can serve sin and Satan and earn the wages of eternal death, or we can serve righteousness and God and receive the free gift of eternal life (Romans 6:23). Who and what will you choose? The gift of eternal life is “free”, but it wasn’t cheap. It came at a great cost to God, and it will cost us something as well. We will have to forfeit our own stubborn will, and give up our slavery to sin. It will cost us our lives to save our lives (Matthew 16:25). And yet salvation is still a “free” gift because we don’t deserve it and it is impossible for us to earn it.

Please read Romans 7:1-12 for tomorrow.

Hope you all have a super Saturday!

- Louie Taylor

“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin.

“Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

“Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.”

---End of Scripture Verses---

Okay so Paul spilled a lot of ink writing about the futility of keeping law as a means of salvation. Does this mean then that we are free to do as we please under our covenant with God in Christ Jesus? Does law play no part at all? Paul had just written that, “The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more” (5:20). Does that mean that we should go on sinning “that grace may abound” (6:1)? The answer is, “Of course not!” “May it never be!” (verse 2) We learn in chapter six that our covenant of grace with God in Christ obligates us all the more to live righteous, godly, holy lives in obedience to the laws of our Creator.

The reason we should not go on sinning is that Christians have “died to sin” (verse 2). Before we give our lives to Christ we are dead IN sin (Ephesians 2:1). But after we allow God to crucify the old sinful self (verse 6), and bury that old dead guy (or gal) in the grave of water baptism (verse 3), we die TO sin. This does not mean that our allurement to sin dies within us, but that, as God’s new creation in Christ, we walk in “newness of life” (verse 4). Having been freed from sin, we must make the determination to resist sin’s temptation, with the help of God’s grace, the teaching of His word and the strength of a good conscience.

When we are baptized for the right reasons (because we comprehend the atrociousness of our sins, and we are sorry for them and are ready to turn from them and have them forgiven), we are “baptized into Christ” (verse 3). Into a special relationship with Him that we do not experience before we are baptized into Him. And, we are actually buried into Christ’s DEATH as well (verse 3) and thereby buried into our own death to sin (verse 4).

But just when does this death to sin take place? Is the old person of sin killed first and then the water burial takes place? Of course not! Paul tells us clearly that we are buried with Christ “through baptism into death” (verse 4). The death and the burial take place at the same time, on the same occasion—In baptism. This is perfectly consistent with other clearly written passages of Scripture. The Apostle Peter tells us in Acts 2:38 that we are baptized, “for the forgiveness of sins.” He also wrote in 1 Peter 3:21 that, “baptism also now saves you.” Baptism is not the “what” that saves you but the “where” and the “when”. The Bible teaches us that Christ’s blood saves us, God’s grace saves us, our faith saves us, baptism saves us. The initial act of salvation takes place in the waters of baptism, where we contact that saving blood of Jesus and the saving grace of God by our obedient faith, calling on His name (Acts 22:16).

Also of great significance here is the “method” of baptism. This passage clearly teaches us that baptism is a burial. You don’t bury someone in the ground by sprinkling dirt on them, and you don’t bury somebody in baptism by sprinkling water on them. It is just as important to be baptized in the right MANNER as it is to be baptized for the right REASONS.

And after we have shared in the likeness of Christ’s death and burial, we also arise in the likeness of His resurrection (verse 5). We are born again of water and spirit (John 3:5) and arise a new, spiritual creation in Christ. No longer to live for sin or be controlled by sin, but to do away with “the body of sin” (verse 6). Once the spirit has been renewed, the body must be subdued. The term “done away with” in verse 6 literally means “to render powerless.” We must try to impose the will of our spirit upon the weakness of our flesh.

Paul expands upon this idea in verses 12-14, where he tells us to “not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts;” and to “not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.”

He emphasizes in verse 14 that we cannot allow sin to be “master over” us. This takes great effort friends and brethren because Satan’s temptations can be very powerful! But our all-powerful God, by His amazing grace, will equip us to defeat Satan and sin, if we will only exert the energy and effort required to do our part. To “present” our bodies as instruments of sin means to give them over to the disposal of Satan to be used for his purposes. Instead, we should present our bodies to God and offer them as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to Him (Hebrews 12:1-2).

Please read Romans 6:15-23 for tomorrow.

Have a great day!!!

- Louie Taylor

“Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned—for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.

“But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification. For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.

“So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

---End of Scripture verses---

This has to be one of the toughest passages in all of Scripture to parse out. It contains incomplete thoughts as well as awkward statements, but the overall message is still intact and clear. Even though we may not be 100% certain on the precise meaning of everything the inspired Apostle wrote, we can be confident about things that he most certainly did NOT teach. Spiritual meat doesn’t get any stronger than this (Hebrews 5:14), and it can be “hard to understand” and digest. “The untaught and unstable” have distorted it “as they do also the rest of the Scriptures” to their destruction (2 Peter 3:15-16).

In the first eleven verses of chapter five, the author emphasized the all sufficiency of Jesus Christ as the answer to all of our spiritual needs. We can only be justified by faith in Christ and acquire peace with God through Him (verse 1). Only through Jesus and by His sacrifice alone can people hope to be reconciled to the Father in heaven from a once hostile condition of alienation (verses 10-11). Faith in Christ saves us, sustains us and spares us from the wrath of God (verse 10). Yes, all this grace and all these blessings are provided by just one man, who was much more than a man!

In verses 12-21 Paul goes on to show us how one man offers the cure for the consequences of the sin that the first man introduced to the world with his first transgression. Jack Cottrell wrote in his commentary: “His argument moves from the lesser to the greater. If we can accept the fact that one sin of a mere man has brought sin and death upon the whole world, then we can surely believe that the atoning death of the Son of God has brought salvation upon the whole world. The purpose of the passage, then, is to increase our confidence in the all-sufficiency of the death of Christ.”

It is a shame that people have taken a passage meant to bolster faith and confidence in Christ and His grace, and switched the focus to the sickness (sin) instead of the cure. Entire systems of religion have been built upon the idea of “original sin” and all the false connotations associated with it. But “sin is transgression of the law” and not a heritable trait. We will not be judged by the sins of our father or ancestors (Ezekiel 18:20), even though we may be forced to suffer consequences from them. Our Creator is the God of absolute equity and justice and He will never condemn us for sins that we do not and cannot commit.

The main point of Paul’s argument is that Christ undid for humanity every horrible thing that Adam did by first sinning. This is why Adam is a “type” of Jesus (verse 14). Christ’s one single action of obedience profoundly affected the world in a like fashion that (but in a much greater way than) Adam’s one act of disobedience did (grace abounded all the more!). Adam introduced sin to the human race; Christ introduced grace (verse 15). Adam’s sin brought in judgment and condemnation; Christ’s sacrifice gave us justification and salvation (verse 16). Because of Adam death reigned, but because of Jesus life reigns (verse 17).

Paul wrote in verse 12, “through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned.” The question is, HOW did “all” people sin when the sin of “one man” entered the world? I have heard many explanations but the most plausible one is that all people sinned representatively in Adam. As Levi paid tithes to Melchizedek through Abraham when he was still “in the loins of his father” (Hebrews 7:9-10), so Adam’s entire posterity sinned through him as the seed-bearer of our race. Moses Lard wrote: “With that sin death entered, entered at once and for all time and entered for the whole human race… Sin by representation does not imply guilt, as actual personal sin does… Hence no one of his posterity will ever, after death, be held responsible for Adam’s sin.”

If anything Paul teaches just the opposite of “total hereditary depravity” in these verses. Just for the sake of argument, if Romans 5 teaches that we inherited anything at birth it was grace from Jesus. If we truly all “die” spiritually because of Adam’s sin from infancy (which I do not believe we do), then we truly all “live” spiritually because Jesus’ sacrifice wiped away our sin from infancy. Once again, Paul wrote in verse 18, “So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men” (verse 18). Jesus completely removed the condemnation of Adam’s transgression with His “one act of righteousness” resulting in “justification” for “all”.

If this passage suggests that all people are spiritually lost universally and unconditionally through Adam’s sin (which it does not, but just for argument’s sake), then it also teaches that all people are spiritually saved universally and unconditionally through Christ’s sacrifice. Remember that the benefits of Christ’s sacrifice had efficacy before and after the cross (Hebrews 9:15), so His grace would have saved all people that ever lived upon the face of the earth before they ever incurred condemnation from Adam’s sin. Consistency demands that whatever Adam did, Jesus undid!

But what actually happened is that when Adam transgressed God’s command to not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, sin entered into the world (verse 12). Because of this sin, spiritual and physical death entered the world as well. Because of what the first human being did, no human being can escape physical death, accept those who are alive when Christ returns. But Jesus “reversed the curse” of Adam’s sin spiritually speaking. Because of what Jesus accomplished for us on the cross, all sinners can become as spiritually pure as we were when we were innocent infants.

But just as we incurred God’s condemnation when we personally committed sin, we will only receive salvation through God’s grace upon meeting certain conditions as well: we must believe in Christ and obey the Gospel. The gift of God’s grace must be willingly accepted by all who have broken God’s commandments and stand condemned before Him and in need of the cleansing blood of Christ. The only way for grace to abound “all the more” (verse 20) personally in someone’s life is for them to own up to their personal transgression and sin’s destructive nature, to turn from those sins in repentance, and to put on Christ in baptism (Galatians 3:27), calling on His name (Acts 22:16), confessing belief in Him as Savior.

Please read Romans 6:1-14 for tomorrow.

Have a safe and blessed day!

- Louie Taylor

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

“For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.”

---End of Scripture verses---

The justification that is derived from God’s grace and our (obedient) faith produces peace with God. This peace is not merely an inner feeling of tranquility, although that should come as a result of our reconciliation to our Creator. The point is that our sins create animosity between us and God (Isaiah 59:1-2), and that hostility can only be eliminated through faith and not works of law. Through the blood of Jesus Christ, we are reconciled back to God from a state of acrimony, when we submit our lives to Him in humble, trusting faith.

Paul also informs us that we have “obtained our introduction by faith into this grace” (verse 2). Many people in the denominational world would have us believe that we can’t even understand the Bible and submit to it in faith unless God first “operates” on our minds by His grace. But that is backward thinking according to this passage. It is only after we hear and believe and obey the word that God administers his justifying, reconciling, saving grace. To be certain, the revelation of the Gospel is a form of God’s grace as well. But that is what produces the faith within us, not some direct, immediate administration of grace (Acts 20:24).

Our justification by the blood of Christ, the fact that He died for us even when we were His “enemies” (verse 10), should only cause our faith to be bolstered when difficulties arise. We may be tempted to believe that God has forgotten us or that He doesn’t care when we are visited by times of trial. But the faithful child of God has a “hope” (verse 4) that those living outside of God’s saving grace just can’t understand. This hope is not merely wishful thinking but a “full assurance of hope” (Hebrews 6:11) that God is going see us through the most turbulent times and carry us home to heaven, even if we are required to die for our faith.

If God did so much for us while we were His enemies, how much more will He do for us now that we are his (reconciled) friends (verse 10)? If you are a Christian and going through a time of tribulation, don’t think for a moment that God has abandoned you. He is still with you, helping you, tempering you, proving you. And you can trust Him to carry you safely through your time of distress. God is for you so no one and nothing can stand against you (Romans 8:31). Stay firm in your conviction and strong in your faith. If God did not spare His Only Begotten Son, but sacrificed Him for your salvation, you can count on Him to see you through to the end (which is really just the beginning!).

Please read Romans 5:12-21 for tomorrow.

Have a super day!

- Louie Taylor

“For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if those who are of the Law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise is nullified; for the Law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, there also is no violation. For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, (as it is written, ‘A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS HAVE I MADE YOU’) in the presence of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist. In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, ‘SO SHALL YOUR DESCENDANTS BE.’ Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah’s womb; yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform. Therefore IT WAS ALSO CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS. Now not for his sake only was it written that it was credited to him, but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited, as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, He who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification.”

--- End of Scripture verses ---

God made a promise to Abraham that his descendants would be as numerous as the sand on the seashore (Genesis 22:17), and that he would be a blessing to all the families of the earth. God made this promise (actually 3 promises—Genesis 12:1-3) to Abraham several years before He commanded him to be circumcised, and several hundred years before He delivered the Law to Moses on Mount Sinai. So, in other words, these promises had nothing to do with the Law of Moses, or any other law as far as that is concerned.

God made these decrees through promise, and God always makes good on His promises. And Abraham received and believed the promises of God by faith. Those who are of faith, like “father” Abraham, are recipients of the promises of God. They are a part of Abraham’s prolific spiritual family that still increases to this day; and they partake in the spiritual blessings of Jesus, the seed of Abraham that blessed the whole world with His life, death, resurrection and ascension (verse 25).

Those who would “boast in the Law” (Romans 2:23) make an empty boast because law is impotent to produce the blessings that come through faith in Christ Jesus. As a matter of fact, “the Law brings about wrath” (verse 15), not blessings. Law consists of commands that must be obeyed, and punishment for those who refuse or neglect to obey them.

Laws are necessary. Laws are good. Law helps to provide structure and order and tranquility. But law cannot offer salvation, only punishment, because no one perfectly keeps law. Salvation is offered by God’s grace through the sacrifice of His Only Begotten Son Jesus.

Make no mistake about it, we are still under God’s law today (Romans 8:2), and we are required to obey it to the best of our ability. Obeying God’s law is an integral part of a vibrant faith (Romans 1:5). But since we will not keep God’s law perfectly, we can only be saved by His grace. When we sin God provides forgiveness through our godly sorrow and repentance (2 Corinthians 7:9-11), and through His grace and Christ’s blood.

“God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist” (verse 18). This is one of the most comforting and emboldening verses in all the Bible for me. God called the universe and our world into existence from nothing. He spoke, and it was so. God told Abraham that He and his wife Sarah would have a son through whom he would be the father of many nations and through whom he would bless the world. God delivered on this promise even though Abraham was 100 years old and his wife was 90 years old. This leaves no room for doubt that these blessings did not and could not have come from human will and influence. This great miracle was delivered by the promise and power of God. God spoke, and it was done.

There is a good and logical reason that Abraham had such strong faith in God and firm conviction for His promises! We can and should trust God and submit our will to His. He has all the power, and precious and magnificent promises, and we can always count on Him, even when the world lets us down! God promises heaven to all who trust and obey Him (1 Peter 1:3-5). Believe it! Count on it! He spoke, it is done!

Please read Romans 5:1-11 for tomorrow.

Blessings!!!

- Louie Taylor

“What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? ‘ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.’ Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: ‘BLESSED ARE THOSE WHOSE LAWLESS DEEDS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN, AND WHOSE SINS HAVE BEEN COVERED. BLESSED IS THE MAN WHOSE SIN THE LORD WILL NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT.’

“Is this blessing then on the circumcised, or on the uncircumcised also? For we say, ‘FAITH WAS CREDITED TO ABRAHAM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.’ How then was it credited? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised; and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised, so that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them, and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which he had while uncircumcised.”

---End of Scripture verses---

Consider what Jack Cottrell wrote in his College Press Commentary on Romans as an introduction to Romans chapter 4 for today and tomorrow I will have some commentary on these Romans 4:1-12 specifically.

“The next section of Romans (the entire fourth chapter) is a presentation of Abraham as a paradigm or pattern of grace. Paul seems to have several purposes in mind here. Most generally he uses Abraham’s example to explain what it means to be justified by faith apart from works of law (3:28). More specifically, this appeal to Abraham provides OT confirmation for Paul’s teaching. Perhaps Paul’s most specific purpose in this section is to make it easier for the Jews to accept the gospel of grace.

“An appeal to the life of Abraham is ideally suited for these purposes. He is indeed an object lesson of the main truth that Paul is explaining in these chapters, i.e., that God’s way of saving sinners is by grace, which means that we are justified by faith apart from works of law. Paul sees Gen 15:6 as a summary statement of this truth, and Romans 4 is basically an exposition of this verse.

“With regard to the Jews, their supremely high regard for Abraham makes an appeal to his life a perfect means for correcting their legalism and exclusivism. Showing that Abraham was in fact accepted by God on the basis of grace, i.e., that he was justified by faith apart from works of law, will be a major step for Paul in breaking down Jewish resistance to the gospel.

“In keeping with the thesis statement in 3:28, the major theme throughout this section is the contrast between law and grace as ways of salvation. The categories of law and grace are represented by the following concepts:

“While the contrast between the corresponding items is not as precise in every case as this chart might suggest, viewing the two lists together makes it clear that Rom 4 is indeed showing us the difference between these two possible ways of relating to God.”

—Commentary on Romans by Jack Cottrell, page 156

Please read Romans 4:1-12 again for tomorrow.

If you have no plans for worship, we would love for you to come worship God with us today at the Taylorsville Road church of Christ.

3741 Taylorsville Road. 9:30 AM Bible class. 10:30 AM worship period. 5:00 PM worship period.

Have a blessed Lord’s Day!

- Louie Taylor

"But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

"Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one. Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law."

---End of Scripture verses---

Okay so now for the good news… The Apostle Paul used the better part of the first three chapters of his letter to the Romans to tell us that everybody is doomed! It doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, all are “under sin” (Romans 3:9, 19), and “worthy of death” (Romans 1:32). All that law can do is convict you, condemn you, not rescue you. Unless, of course, you keep God’s law perfectly, which no one has done but Jesus. So what is a person to do?!

Well, thanks be to God, Christ has satisfied the law’s requirement that sinners must be punished BY keeping God’s law perfectly FOR us and dying for us! All people can be “justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:24), by “faith in Jesus Christ” (3:22). To “justify” means to “declare righteous”.

“Justification is a legal or judicial term; it has to do with one’s relation to the law. It is best understood as the declaration made by a judge once his final decision as to guilt or innocence has been made. When he justifies a defendant, the judge declares that he is in a right standing with the law. Some say it is equivalent to the judge declaring the defendant ‘not guilty’; I prefer to say it means that the judge declares, ‘No penalty for you!’” (Jack Cottrell—Commentary on Romans)

This righteous declaration is granted to all people (whether Jew or Greek) as a gift of God’s grace when they choose to follow Jesus in humble, obedient faith. The word “redemption” bears the concept of paying the price to set someone free from bondage or slavery. What was the price that was paid to set us free from the bondage of sin? “Knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.” (1 Peter 1:18-19)

The blood that Jesus shed for the salvation of all mankind is called a “propitiation” in verse 25. This is a tough word to define, but it conveys the idea of “satisfaction” or “appeasement”. The corresponding Old Testament word is “covering” and is used for the “mercy seat” of the arc of the covenant. That was the object on which the sacrificial blood of atonement was sprinkled in the most holy place of the tabernacle or temple for the sins of the nation of Israel.

Jesus satisfied or appeased God’s wrath for our sinfulness when, after He lived a perfect, sinless life, He willingly sacrificed His own life in place of our lives, and intercepted the punishment that was due us. Christ’s propitiatory sacrifice was also an appeasement of God’s wrath for “the sins previously committed” by all His FAITHFUL children who lived under any previous covenant prior to Christ’s atoning sacrifice. What an awesome God we serve! What an amazing Savior we have!

Please read Romans 4:1-12 for tomorrow.

Have a great day!

- Louie Taylor

Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the benefit of circumcision? Great in every respect. First of all, that they were entrusted with the oracles of God. What then? If some did not believe, their unbelief will not nullify the faithfulness of God, will it? May it never be! Rather, let God be found true, though every man be found a liar, as it is written, ‘THAT YOU MAY BE JUSTIFIED IN YOUR WORDS, AND PREVAIL WHEN YOU ARE JUDGED.’

“But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is He? (I am speaking in human terms.) May it never be! For otherwise, how will God judge the world? But if through my lie the truth of God abounded to His glory, why am I also still being judged as a sinner? And why not say (as we are slanderously reported and as some claim that we say), Let us do evil that good may come’? Their condemnation is just.

What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin; as it is written, ‘THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD; ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE.’ ‘THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN GRAVE, WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY KEEP DECEIVING, ‘THE POISON OF ASPS IS UNDER THEIR LIPS’; ‘WHOSE MOUTH IS FULL OF CURSING AND BITTERNESS’; ‘THEIR FEET ARE SWIFT TO SHED BLOOD DESTRUCTION AND MISERY ARE IN THEIR PATHS, AND THE PATH OF PEACE THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN.’ ‘THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES.’

Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God; because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.”

---End of Scripture verses---

Paul had rebuked the Gentiles for a catalogue of sins in chapter one, and concluded that list by saying that those who commit such atrocities are “worthy of death” (1:32). Then in chapter two he proceeded to put the Jews in the very same category by chastising them since “they practice the same things” (2:1). He went on to scathingly rebuke his Jewish brethren in verses 17-29 for taking such pride in God’s law and will, but for not practicing what they preached. He even quoted Old Testament Scripture by combining Isaiah 52:5 and Ezekiel 36:20 when he wrote, “THE NAME OF GOD IS BLASPHEMED AMONG THE GENTILES BECAUSE OF YOU” (2:20).

Paul used some very harsh words to criticize his unfaithful Jewish brethren in chapter 2, so he spent the entirety of chapter 3 answering objections that he anticipated some would raise (or maybe actually had been previously raised), because of his critique of the Jewish nation.

Paul posed the first question that a Jewish person might ask, or objection they might raise, in verse one. If both Jews and Gentiles stand condemned before God because of their sinful ways, was there ever really any big “advantage” or “benefit” in being a Jew? The answer is a resounding “Yes!” in verse 2. “Great in every respect!” “Much in every way!” “First of all, that they were entrusted with the oracles of God.”

The nation of Israel was chosen to be the stewards of the inspired “oracles” or “words” of the living God of heaven! What a great honor and privilege they possessed over all Gentile nations, that they be the standard bearers of the perfect revelation of the Almighty God! God hand-selected them over all other peoples to reveal His word to, and entrust its safe-keeping to.

Jack Cottrell wrote in his commentary about verse 2 the following: “Of special importance is the fact that the Jews knew God’s intention to send a Messiah, a Redeemer. They possessed the many predictive prophecies of his coming, and they nurtured the hope for his appearing. Thus those who happened to be living at the time of his coming would be the first to know him and to have the opportunity to believe in him and receive his salvation (1:16). Who could ask for greater advantages than these?”

Unfortunately, the vast majority of God’s chosen people rejected the very Savior that the “oracles of God” had prompted them to wait for with such great expectation. Being the chosen stewards of God’s word put them in a prestigious position, but it did not guarantee the salvation of each and every individual Israelite. Along with the honor of being entrusted with the word came great responsibility. God fully expected that their hearts belong to Him, and that they believe the prophecies and obey the commands, and that they be faithful in the execution of their duty toward Him. Unfortunately, throughout the long and privileged history of the children of Israel, they repeatedly rebelled against their loving Father in heaven.

The next possible question or objection is raised in verse 3. The unfaithfulness of the majority of God’s chosen people “will not nullify the faithfulness of God” will it? The continual unbelief and unfaithfulness of God’s people doesn’t mean that God has failed in His purposes or promises does it? The answer in this instance is a resounding “No!” “May it never be!” This is the Greek phrase “mē genoito” and Paul used this emphatic term repeatedly in his letter to the Romans. It means “Certainly not!” The King James translators render the expression, “God forbid!”

“Let God be found true, and every man be found a liar!” God is always true, and right, and just, and faithful! No matter how foolishly and pitifully His people may sometimes (often!) behave, and how hatefully and cruelly they may treat Him, God is always faithful!!!

The third objection is found in verse 5. The question might be asked (through purely flawed human reasoning), “If our unrighteousness” brings to light “the righteousness of God” in such obvious ways, is God unrighteous when He “inflicts wrath”? Jack Cottrell wrote, “The false inference suggested by the Jewish objector is this: ‘If our sin magnifies God’s righteousness, this is to his advantage and glory, and thus he really ought to reward us rather than condemn us. And if this is so, then God’s condemnation of us is really unjust.’”

Objection number four is found in verse 7 and is basically a restatement of the ridiculous objection found in verse 5. Paul emphasized the absurdity of these false complaints when he wrote in verse 8 that you might as well say, “Let us do evil that good may come!” It is never right to do wrong! It is never good to do bad! Righteous ends never justify ungodly means!

In this regard, the Jews are not “better” than the Gentiles (verse 9). Were the Jews privileged and blessed and honored because they were entrusted with the oracles of God? Most certainly! But will that make them individually any better off on Judgment Day if they are not found to be obediently faithful to God? Certainly not!!!

Paul went on verses 10-18 to quote numerous Old Testament verses (from the very oracles of God that they so proudly professed to possess) to prove that both unfaithful Jews and unfaithful Gentiles will suffer the same eternal fate.

“By the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin” (verse 20). The Law revealed sin, but it could not remove sin! Only Jesus can do that!

Please read Romans 3:21-31 for tomorrow.

Have a blessed day!

- Louie Taylor

"But if you bear the name "Jew" and rely upon the Law and boast in God, and know His will and approve the things that are essential, being instructed out of the Law, and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of the immature, having in the Law the embodiment of knowledge and of the truth, you, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that one shall not steal, do you steal? You who say that one should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the Law, through your breaking the Law, do you dishonor God? For 'THE NAME OF GOD IS BLASPHEMED AMONG THE GENTILES BECAUSE OF YOU,' just as it is written.

"For indeed circumcision is of value if you practice the Law; but if you are a transgressor of the Law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. So if the uncircumcised man keeps the requirements of the Law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? And he who is physically uncircumcised, if he keeps the Law, will he not judge you who though having the letter of the Law and circumcision are a transgressor of the Law? For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God."

---End of Scripture verses---

Let's keep in mind that all of this reasoning is tempered by the fact that no one can be justified by the works of the law (3:20). Paul is making some hypothetical argumentation in chapter 2, but the truth be known, neither a Jewish person nor a Gentile can find the salvation they so desperately need through any law. Salvation can only be provided by God's mercy and by a Savior.

"He is a Jew who is one inwardly: and circumcisions is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit..." (verse 28). With God, there is neither Jew nor Gentile any longer for He shows no partiality to physical lineage or traits (Galatians 3:28). The physical land of Israel and ethnical Jews are of no special interest to God any more. God's main interest and His dwelling place is the human heart (1 Corinthians 6:19).

Jesus said to the woman at the well in Samaria, "Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." (John 4:21-24).

God wants us to love Him with all our hearts, obey Him as best we can, serve Him with zeal and vigor and worship Him in spirit and truth. Then we will be considered the true Israel of God, no matter where live or who our physical ancestors are (Galatians 3:29).

Please read Romans 3:1-20 for tomorrow.

Have an awesome day!

- Louie Taylor

"Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things. But do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment on those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will render to each person according to his deeds: to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation. There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For there is no partiality with God.

"For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law; for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified. For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.”

--End of Scripture verses---

In the previous section (1:18-32), Paul taught us that all Gentiles were and are sinners, and therefore under God’s condemnation, and in need of His saving grace through His Son Jesus. In today’s section, he makes the very same point about Jewish people who were once in a special covenant relationship with God. Taken together, both Jews and Gentiles represent all people who ever lived in the world. Everyone is condemned by law (any law including the Law of Moses), for “all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God” (3:24). Everyone needs the righteousness that can be accounted to them only by Jesus Christ and His sacrifice and grace.

“Therefore you have no excuse” (verse1). Just as the Gentiles were said to be without excuse for their sinful behavior (1:20), the very same is true for the Jews. Many of the Jewish people thought that their special relationship with God through His Law exempted them from the Law’s punishment. But not so. As a matter of fact, the very Law that they clung to for justification condemned them. Any law only condemns and does not justify if you do not obey it completely in every point. Once you have violated one aspect of law, you stand condemned by it. And the only person to ever keep God’s law perfectly without sinning was Jesus (3:10).

"The kindness of God leads you to repentance" (verse 4). Why did God deal patiently with His rebellious children, Israel? The same reason that He is patient and longsuffering with all of His creation. Because He doesn’t want anyone of us to perish, but to repent of our sins and turn to Him in loving submission and obedience so that we can be saved (2 Peter 3:9). Paul’s point here is that Israel’s special status with God as His chosen covenant people did not give them a “get out of hell free card.” Just because they knew and understood and took pride in the Law of Moses, that didn’t exempt them from the consequences of their sins. The Law could not justify them because no law is designed to do that (3:20). God has always extended His salvation through His mercy and grace, and only to people with humble and contrite hearts who can be convicted and crushed by the weight of their own sins, and turn to Him for forgiveness and salvation (Psalm 51:17).

"For there is no partiality with God" (verse 11). This is the main point of the section we have read today. Jack Cottrell wrote in his commentary the following: “The justice of the law is truly blindfolded; who the person is makes no difference.” Paul is aiming this conclusion specifically to his Jewish brethren, but this is a true statement across the board, even for Christians. Even if we have believed in Christ and repented of our sins and been baptized to have our sins forgiven; that does not guarantee us His favored status forever. If our hearts do not belong to God and we do not remain true to Him and faithful to His word, we will not receive His grace and pardon and mercy on Judgment Day.

Please read Romans 2:17-29 for tomorrow.

Hope you all have a very blessed day!

- Louie Taylor

"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.

“Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

"For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.

"And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them."

---End of Scripture verses---

Yesterday we read that the righteousness of God is revealed in the Gospel (verse 17). In today’s reading, verse 18 tells us that the wrath of God is revealed from heaven. God’s wrath is actually a part of and a revelation of His righteousness. His perfect holiness will not allow Him to leave sin unpunished. It may appear that God has closed His eyes to all the sin that is running rampant in the world today, but God is not ignoring sin.

As a matter of fact, verse 18 says that God’s wrath is revealed against “all” ungodliness and unrighteousness. People may think that they can pull one over on God, but you can’t even slip one sin by Him without His knowledge of it. But just how does God reveal His wrath from heaven against man’s willful rebellion? I think He does that in many ways. It might be anything from the heavy weight of a guilty conscience to a prison sentence for criminal activity.

But the nature of God’s wrath that is specified in today’s passage is the “giving over” of people to the harsh consequences of their lustful desires and sinful lifestyle choices. Three times the writer says, “God gave them over” (verses 24, 26, 28). This is the Greek word “paradidomi” which means “to give into the hands of another.” If we refuse to follow the benevolent will of a loving God, He will let us go and deliver us over to the clutches of our malevolent and hate-filled adversary.

Let’s notice just a couple of things about the nature of sin depicted for us here. First of all, sin is progressive. Each time it is said that “God gave them over,” their sinful behavior went from bad, to worse, to worst. They (the ungodly Gentiles in this instance) went from idolatry to sexual impurity to homosexuality (yes homosexuality is sinful!!!) to “a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness…” (verses 28-29). In other words, anything goes. Please don’t misunderstand. This doesn’t mean you have to be a total reprobate in order to garner God’s displeasure. That’s not the point here. But once you delve into Satan’s realm, there’s no telling how far your life might spiral out of control.

And please let’s notice where this sinful chain reaction all began. Verse 21 tells us that “they did not honor Him as God or give thanks.” A major source of the problems in people’s lives, and in the world in general, is that the creature does not appreciate the Creator. An ungrateful heart is the wellspring of a bitter and miserable existence. If we are unthankful for the wonderful gifts that our merciful Father has blessed us with, we open the door for any and all types of failure and heartache.

Finally, please notice that this downward spiral didn’t begin from a place of ignorance. Verse 21 also says, “even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God…” Verse 19 says, “that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.” The people who have chosen to abandon God should know better. They actually do know better, but they have opted for a crooked and dark path in which to walk. There is ample evidence in the universe around us (and within us) that God exists…and that He is good (verse 20). Therefore the writer (the Holy Spirit) tells us that “they are without excuse.”

There is no good reason to find yourself in a far country of sin away from a righteous Father who loves you deeply. And there is no good excuse for that either. Has God given you over because you have let go of His loving hand? He’s just waiting for you to come to your senses and turn back around.

Repent of your sins and He will forgive you. If you’ve never been baptized for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38), please do that and He will make all things new for you spiritually (2 Corinthians 5:17). The only way to avoid the eternal consequences and punishment for your sins is to turn to Christ in humble and obedient faith (Romans 1:5). If we can help please let us know.

Please read Romans 2:1-16 for tomorrow.

Have a great day!

- Louie Taylor

“Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for His name’s sake, among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ; to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

“First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because your faith is being proclaimed throughout the whole world. For God, whom I serve in my spirit in the preaching of the gospel of His Son, is my witness as to how unceasingly I make mention of you, always in my prayers making request, if perhaps now at last by the will of God I may succeed in coming to you. For I long to see you so that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be established; that is, that I may be encouraged together with you while among you, each of us by the other’s faith, both yours and mine. I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that often I have planned to come to you (and have been prevented so far) so that I may obtain some fruit among you also, even as among the rest of the Gentiles. I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. So, for my part, I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘But the righteous man shall live by faith.’”

---End of Scripture Verses---

Let’s start our study of Paul’s letter to the Romans with a quote from Jack Cottrell’s introduction to his commentary on Romans by College Press Publishing Company:

“God’s word is a lamp to our feet and a light for our path (Ps 119:05), and no part of it shines more brilliantly than the book of Romans. The truth of God’s Word sets us free (John 8:32), and Romans teaches us the most liberating of all truths. God’s Word is sharp and piercing like a sword (Heb 4:12), and no blade penetrates more deeply into our hearts than Romans. Overall the book of Romans may be the most read and most influential book of the Bible, but sometimes it is the most neglected and misunderstood book.

“In 1 Cor 15:3-4 Paul sums up the gospel as these three truths: Christ died for our sins, was buried, and was raised up again on the third day. The reality of the historical facts of the Savior’s death and resurrection is stressed over and over in the book of Acts. Romans, however, is an exposition of the meaning of these facts. In the language of 1 Cor 15:3, Romans focuses not on ‘Christ died,’ but on the next three words: ‘for our sins.’ Acts explains what salvation consists of and how we may receive it. Romans does the same, but carries the explanation to heights and depths that thrill and satisfy the soul, providing it with an experience that is at the same time intellectual, spiritual, and aesthetic.”

The Apostle Paul wrote this letter to the congregation in Rome with the hopes that he would be able to come and visit them personally and preach the gospel to them (Romans 1:15; 15:23-28). But he had many important things to tell them in anticipation of his protracted travels prior to his arrival. Some of the more prevalent “topics” or “themes” he addressed are, justification by faith, salvation by God’s grace (not law), equality of Jews and Gentiles, and God’s righteousness in dealing with both groups.

Paul felt an obligation to all people to share with them what the Lord Jesus had so graciously shared with him. Paul was saved from his sins but by the grace of God, and he knew that all people, rich or poor, wise or foolish, Jew or Gentile, desperately need this life-giving, life-saving grace. He also knew that God’s saving grace is contained in and transmitted by the words of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul was not ashamed of the Gospel that he so frequently suffered for, because “it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.”

The subject and focus and thrust of the Gospel is Jesus Christ. Jesus, who “was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead” (verses 3-4). He had two natures simultaneously—He was both human and deity, man and God. The Old Testament prophets had prophesied of His human lineage through the direct descent of the great king David. His resurrection from the grave declared Him to be God’s Son with supreme power over life and death.

All hail the power of Jesus’ name! Praise Him for His power, majesty and goodness. Profess His indescribable love and gift to everyone!

Please read Romans 1:18-32 for tomorrow.

Have a super day!!!

- Louie Taylor