Romans 2:4,5

Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed. Romans 2:4,5 ESV


"Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience"

presume: to think against, to despise

As we have seen in the last few verses, Paul has been attacking the self-righteous attitude of many of the Jews of his day. Many of us, as Christians, battle this same attitude today. Here, Paul is describing the natural tendency of a self-righteous attitude to despise the fact that God freely pours out His riches of kindness, forbearance, and patience. First, what does self-righteous actually mean?

righteous: morally right, justifiable, acting in a moral or upright way.  So, self-righteous means be confident in ones own ability to act in a moral, justifiable, or upright way.

Those who think they are accepted by God based on their own moral or justifiable acts look down on or despise the fact that God pours out His riches on those who don't "measure up."

The fact is, according to Romans 2:11, God shows no partiality. This is the last thing that a person who spends all their time attempting to better their standing with God through action wants to hear. Jealousy and bitterness begin to take over...sound like anyone that Jesus described?

The Prodigal Son - Luke 15:11-32

Jesus' parable of the prodigal son describes perfectly the effects of a self-righteous mindset. The father was overjoyed when his son came back from a life of sin and waste, but who wasn't so happy to see his father's reaction...who "despised the riches of his fathers kindness, forbearance, and patience"?  The older brother was absolutely angry at how his father accepted the younger brother back into the family, to the point that he wouldn't even attend the celebration. The older brother was caught up in the self-righteous mindset that he deserved more based on his choices.

What does the father say to the older son at the end of the parable:

It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.'

This is the awesome fact about God's love...we cannot earn it! He loves us not because of what we do or have done, but in spite of all that we have done and continue to do...we need to wrap our minds around this. 



"not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance"

This is a very important part of the puzzle that self-righteous people miss. The reason that God pours out His riches of kindness, forbearance, and patience is to lead us sinners - including those with a judgmental attitude - to repent for these sins. As we cry out to God, He will reveal our sinfulness to us, and give us the strength to overcome...He loves us and wants us to be as close to Him as possible.


But...how do most stubborn people react?

"But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed."

When someone believes that their standing with God is based on how good they can live their life, and then spends years attempting to live this "good" life, convincing themselves that everything they do right gives them a better chance of getting into heaven - the hardest thing to do is let go of all of that and realize the sinfulness of not trusting in God's finished work alone.

Repenting for the sin of self-righteousness is one of the hardest and most humbling processes.

I believe that is why Paul warns us by revealing that most people who freely judge others will refuse to repent because of their hard hearts. This should cause us as God's children to examine ourselves, to make sure that we are not guilty of a judgmental spirit that can lead to a hardening of the heart. 

While it is possible for any one of us to act in a self-righteous or judgmental way, it is a different and more serious issue to maintain this way of thinking - this attitude - as a lifestyle that becomes who a person is. This is exactly the same as refusing to turn away from any other sin - and we are warned over and over in God's word what a life of sin without remorse indicates. 

You will recognize them by their fruits Ma4 7:16

Those that refuse repent of their sinful fruit are as a result storing up wrath for themselves on the day of judgement.

As God's children, lets  "Bear fruit in keeping with repentance." Mat 3:8. Ask God to reveal to each one of us if and when we are guilty of a judgemental spirit, so that we can deal with it and become more effective at the task we are called to do - sharing the gospel!

Please share any insight you may have on these verses! 

Next post: 1.2.13 - Everyone have a happy and safe New Years!

NOTE: For an amazing and in depth study on the parable of the prodigal son, I highly recommend Tim Kellers "The Prodigal God.

Romans 2:3

Do you suppose, O man--you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself--that you will escape the judgment of God? Romans 2:3 ESV

After spending a substantial amount of time describing mankind in his natural lost state at the end of Chapter 1, Paul in Chapter 2 is again and again warning those who in their self-righteous state think it ok to judge others.

Do you suppose, O man--you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself...

In Paul's day, the people being addressed here were the self-righteous Jews, who thought they were saved based on their traditions and the fact that they were Jews. While this doesn't apply perfectly to all of us today, I think we are very susceptible to falling into the same trap of self righteousness if we are not careful.

The danger here is that the only way to justify judging others for their sin is to downplay or ignore the sin in our lives, which is most likely based in the same root sin of pride and self love. Downplaying or ignoring sin in our lives is a very serious issue, doing so automatically downplays the need for a Savior, and the need to cling to Him and Him alone.



Judgement vs. Discernment

Judgement...
While we are warned not to judge others, we must be able to discern true believers from false imitators within the Church of Christ, without being guilty of a judgmental spirit. In 1 Cor 4:3,4 Paul explains that he is not held accountable to the judgement of any human.

But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself.  For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. 

This is true of all of us, we are not to judge or condemn anyone - nor are we judged by any but God.
 

Discernment...
Then, in 1 Cor 5:12,13 Paul explains the importance of keeping the church pure of false teachers and those who only "profess" to be Christains.

For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. "Purge the evil person from among you."

It's very clear that we are not to judge those outside the church, yet we are not to allow those who live in opposition to the bible while claiming the name of Christ to go on this way within the Church.


What does this mean?

We know that Scripture does not contradict itself, so how do we combine these two passages, and how do they relate to Romans 2:3?

This is my thought:
It is our responsibility, as stewards, to keep the Church of Christ as pure as possible - by trusting in God's Word, the Holy Bible as our guide.  We cannot judge our fellow brothers based on our personal convictions, and we cannot judge our brother for waging war against any particular sin. However, we must address any situation where sin is openly and freely committed, without any remorse - this lifestyle either indicates an usaved soul which must be exposed (for their good as well as the church), or this is a poor saved soul who is in deep need of loving support and prayer. Either way, this situation must be dealt with.


 ...that you will escape the judgment of God...

Paul finishes the sentence in verse 3 by asking if those guilty are under the impression that they will escape the judgement of God. It's important to have a healthy, respectful fear of God -  knowing that His judgement is perfectly just...and none will escape it. Only by the blood of Christ, and His righteousness, will we be found not guilty. If we look at ourselves with this mindset, we can deal a mighty blow to the sin of self-righteousness. It's hard to be self righteous when we spend time meditating on the fact that we are just as guilty as the next guy...apart from God's amazing grace!


Instead of focusing on others shortcomings, or how other Christians act, talk, or dress...let's spend every bit of energy we have showing God's awesome love, mercy, and grace to all that we come into contact with. Let God's light cut through the darkness...and as the darkness flees and true hearts are revealed...maybe, just maybe, others will see their need for Jesus Christ as their Savior!


I would love to hear others thoughts on this verse, as well as how all of this fits together in the big picture!

Next post: 12.29.12 - if you have any suggestions on how this study could be more helpful or better in any way please let me know by messaging me, emailing me, or leaving a comment below. Thanks!

Romans 2:1,2

Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things.  We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. Romans 2:1,2 ESV


Therefore...
The first thing we should notice is the word "therefore." This is important because it indicates that Paul is referring to something previous. If we look back to the verses before this, we see that Paul just spent a considerable amount of time driving home the point that lost man is absolutely corrupt in every sense...the heart, the mind, and all actions that come from them are corrupt. 

-who we are-

It is crucial that we have a healthy understanding of who we are and were. In our lost state we are everything that Paul described in Romans 1:18-32. When God saves us, He completely changes our heart and what it desires, and our mind follows. The thing that doesn't change is our sin nature, nature that we have as man that is fractured and broken. Once God performs this heart change, a battle begins - the battle between our new heart that loves and wants God, and our sin nature that is corrupt. 

Once we begin to grasp our background, how completely sinful and corrupt we are without Christ, and the battle that we now wage with the flesh, we can begin to see where Paul is going here in Chapter 2.  


 "you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges."

This sounds like a warning to somebody, so I think it's important that we make sure we understand what Paul is saying here, and who he is saying it to. The first thing we need to know is what does the word "judge" mean, because whoever Paul is talking to seems to be guilty of "judging."

judge: the Gr word translated judge means to distinguish or decide, but in a negative way - to avenge, condemn, or damn.


Paul's primary audience here is Jews, but this applies to any who lift themselves up to look down on others. I think there are two specific reasons that we must keep ourselves from being overtaken by a judgmental spirit.

1. We don't have the ability to see the true state of a person's heart. Someone's visible struggles with a particular sin may not reveal that they are condemned, but rather that they are in a fierce battle with the evil one, and instead of judgement they need lifting up, prayer, and encouragement.

2. We don't know just how deep sin runs in our own life. God has revealed so many times to me areas of my life where sin was hindering my relationship with Him and those around me. God is constantly revealing areas in all of His children's lives where sin needs to be dealt with. This is the process of sanctification, becoming more Christlike, and this will continue until the day we are freed from this sin nature.


For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things.

In light of the two points above, and our understanding of who we all were without Christ, I think it's safe to say that the only way that we could possibly judge, condemn, look down on others because of their sin would be to ignore our own sin and lift ourselves up, filled with pride and selfishness. This was the problem with the Jews that Paul was talking to, and remains the problem with any self-righteous person today who fails to see his/her own sin while condemning others for theirs! 

Not only is this wrong, to attempt to pass judgement on others, but it digs a much "deeper grave" for those who knowingly do it. All sin is rooted in selfishness or pride - so when we condemn anyone for a sin committed, we are automatically failing to address our own pride and selfishness and as a result condemn ourselves.


If this seems like it doesn't apply to us, that should be an immediate red flag!

Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. 1Co 10:12

No one has arrived, nor will we arrive, at perfection until we are with our Savior in Heaven. Every one of us is vulnerable to any sin, including judging others, if we are not continually asking God to reveal our sinfulness to us, and praying for strength to continually purge these sins from our lives. This is an awesome and powerful process...it draws us closer and closer to God while revealing the amazing power He has given us over sin! 

 

We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things.

Here, Paul encourages us to leave the judging to God. Those who deserve condemnation will be justly condemned. God is the only One who can judge according to the pure Truth. While this is encouraging to those who are saved, it is absolutely devastating to those who are not.


What are your thoughts on these verses? I would love grow with you through shared wisdom and experiences!

 Meanwhile, as God's children, let's all pray that God would shape us, mold us, and form us to be more like His perfect Son by continually revealing to us the areas in our life where sin is causing issues in our relationship with Him and with others. He has given us the power to purge this sin from our lives, we need to step up and address it!

 

Romans 1:32

Though they know God's decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them. Romans 1:32 ESV

Paul's final statement in this chapter about how far removed from God man has chosen to be in his lost state is blunt, a dagger that destroys any hope that man will change his mind and come back to God.

Man knows that the just penalty for the sinfulness that Paul has described in previous verses is eternal death, yet this does not change the desire to pursue these things. We, in our lost state, bury what we know to be true about God to the point that we are able to justify in our minds our decision dishonor Him in search of something else to fill the empty void in our life. If you are saved you know that there is nothing other than God that will fill that void.


But man goes farther than this in his effort to justify his actions...we have all heard the phrase misery loves company...and this is so true here. Not only does man choose to run away from the light, he approves, or finds pleasure, in others who do the same thing. There is strength in numbers, and as long as we can look around and see others fleeing into the darkness we can feel better about our decision to do the same.

As a Christian, it's heartbreaking to think that we would ever approve of our fellow man running headlong into hell. Yet, in our lost state, our sinful nature consumes us, controls us, and destroys us - to the point that we will do anything to feel better about ourselves.

The only thing that can change this is the Grace of God, opening our eyes, bringing back to the surface the the things we know to be true about Him that we have buried, and allowing us to see who He really is. God does this by restoring that heart that He surrendered over to lusts of impurity, by restoring the mind that He gave over to unrighteousness. When God has caused this restoration process to take place, man can finally see clearly this awesome God, and ultimately gravitates towards the light that has pierced the darkness!

Praise be to God who in His grace, love, and mercy still pulls man from the murky darkness that is the domain of Satan, in spite of our kicking and screaming, so that we can enjoy this relationship with Him that we could never deserve!

In closing, I would like to pull some lines from the chapter that we have just completed that touch on some of the points that Paul went over.

...set apart for the gospel of God...

...that without ceasing I mention you always in my prayers...

For I am not ashamed of the gospel...

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men...

...God gave them up...

I truly appreciate the comments that were shared as we worked our way through this chapter. I have grown a lot, and pray that you have as well. It's also my prayer that God will continue to lay the things that we have read and studied on all of our hearts in the days, months, and years to come - so that we may all continue to grow closer to Him, to learn more who He is, and how much He loves us. I look forward to digging into chapter 2 with you. 

Romans 1:28-31

And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless.  Romans 1:28-31 ESV

Once again we see man rejecting God in favor of sinful pursuits, and God allowing man to do so.

And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done

A debased, also interpreted reprobate, mind is one that is unacceptable, evil, lower in quality ... God created man in His own image, yet (as we have seen in vs 24, 26, and 28) He surrendered us over to the lusts of the flesh because it was what we wanted ... darkness and separation from God is what we chose.

Paul uses a very strong word to describe just how bad our situation really is...filled. This literally means to cram (a net), completely, fully - simply as full as something can get. In our lost state we are filled with all manner of unrighteousness.

1 John 5:17 reveals to us God's thoughts on unrighteousness - "all unrighteousness (wrongdoing) is sin." - and Paul has laid out in this chapter that this unrighteousness has affected our heart and our mind...what we desire and how we think. We are utterly and completely lost, without any reliable compass.

Once he has very thoroughly laid out the fact that we chose this path, how completely lost we are, and how at enmity with God we are, Paul describes what all flows out of this sinful heart and mind.

evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless.

While we may say to ourselves "I might not be perfect, but I'm not evil, I've never murdered someone," - we must realize that any and all of these are unrighteous, sinful in the eyes of God. We also must realize that doing these things is not what make us sinners, these are actions that flow out of the sinful hearts and minds that God has surrendered us to. 

Fixing or eliminating any these in our life will never restore our hearts and minds...God has to do that...and it requires blood to be shed, a perfect sacrifice to be made. Thank You Jesus!

If you feel led to share any thoughts or wisdom on these verses please do so! I look forward to growing through any thoughts you might share! 

Romans 1:26,27

For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. Romans 1:26,27 ESV

Once again, we see that God is giving man what he wants, allowing man to pursue something other than what God created him for. In these two verses, Paul addresses the relationship between man and woman. 
  

God gave them up to dishonorable passions

Paul makes it clear that what man chose to purse was not honorable to God, dishonorable is also translated vile, both of which relay the idea of something ugly, wrong, and in opposition to God - yet this is clearly what man wanted, what man chose. 


For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men

Paul had to be disgusted as he described just how far man would go in his pursuit of darkness, there is no limit to how evil man can get when God decides remove His restraint. A few key words I would like to pull out of this section:

exchanged/gave up: replacing something with something else, to give up something for something else...in this case taking something natural and replacing it with something unnatural.

natural relations: refers to the physical aspect; growth and production.

I think defining these words is important because we need to know what was designed by God as natural, and what is dishonoring to God about the unnatural. While not all of us have ever, or will ever struggle with the obvious issue of homosexuality, there may be some underlying issues here that are dishonoring to God that we may need to deal with at some point in our life.

So...what was God's design for a relationship? We see this in Gen 1:27:  So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. and also in Gen 5:2:  Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and named them Man when they were created. It's very clear from these two verses that God's design was for a relationship to be between a male and female...and this is true of the animal kingdom as well, as we see in Gen 6:19:  And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every sort into the ark to keep them alive with you. They shall be male and female. Going even further, we see the purpose of a relationship consisting of a male and a female in Gen 7:3:  and seven pairs of the birds of the heavens also, male and female, to keep their offspring alive on the face of all the earth. There should be no question as to how God designed a relationship and what the purpose was for this design.

Since man is created in the image of God, however, there is more to the relationship than simply reproduction. There is the idea of marriage, and it's purpose in God's creation. While there's not enough time to go into great detail on this amazing and very interesting topic, I would like to bring in a few verses from Ephesians (I've added emphasis in an attempt to clarify the main point). I think these verses detail what God honoring marriage is all about:

Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 

 For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. 

Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,

that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,

so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.

 In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.

For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church,

because we are members of his body.

"Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh."

 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.

However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

Ephesians : 5:22-33

A Godly marriage is to reflect Christ and the Church, His bride. We need to understand that our marriage - the way we act, the way we respect each other, and the way we love each other - is to be in direct relation to how Christ loves His bride. Anything other than this is to miss the point, and to rob God of the glory that comes from a true Godly marriage. I highly recommend a book by John Piper called "This Momentary Marriage." Piper goes into amazing detail in this book about the purpose of marriage. 

In closing, my point here is that there is more to God's design for a relationship, and marriage, than the simple command that it be between a male and a female. All that we do is honor and glorify God, and it is our duty to pray to God daily to reveal to us where in our life, in our relationship, in our marriage, where are we robbing Him of the glory He so deserves. 

If we choose not to glorify God in our lives, if we choose to pursue the dishonorable passions brought on by our sinful nature, if we never submit to Jesus Christ as our Lord and Master, and put our faith of salvation wholly and completely in His shed blood, then we will be included with those described in these verses - who will be "receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error" - or as described in Rev 20:15  And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

I encourage anyone reading this to reach out to God the Father, make sure of your salvation - He has promised us peace and confidence are to be ours. Pray for Him to reveal any areas of your life that may be robbing Him of His deserved glory. If you have not given your life to Christ, reach out to Him, He is faithful to forgive you of any sin, none is so great that it cannot be forgiven by the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

God is the only One that can free us from the bondage of our sinful and dishonorable passions!

 

 

Romans 1:24,25

Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.  Romans 1:24,25 ESV

The first thing that I think is important to note is that this verse begins with therefore, which automatically directs us back to what was written in the previous verses. The previous verses laid out what man's desires truly are in his lost state - man knows God, yet refuses to glorify Him or give thanks to Him - man wants to exchange the glory of God for mortal things. This sets the stage for what God does in verse 24.

God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity

gave them up indicates surrender - God surrendered man to impurity by allowing him to pursue the lusts of an sinful heart.

My kids are still young, so I can only imagine the heartbreak that a parent goes through when a child decides to pursue a lifestyle that as parents we know is wrong, and going to result in harm to our child.

This example is described perfectly in Luke 15:11-32 - the familiar parable of the prodigal son. While there are so many lessons to be learned from this parable, we ultimately see the father allow the prodigal son to take his inheritance and leave, knowing full well that the lifestyle his son has chosen is going to be harmful and result in no good whatsoever, yet the father allows his son to leave.

God does the same with us, He does not hold us against our will - even though we were created for His glory, to have a relationship with Him - He allows us to do what we willfully choose - which results in us running farther and farther from Him in pursuit of the desires of our broken and sinful heart.


to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves

This must be especially heart breaking to God - here is man - God's workmanship, created in His image - choosing to dishonor this very body that God created for His glory!

Genesis 1:27  So God created man in his own image
Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship 


because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

After explaining that God gave us over to the lusts of our heart, according to our will, Paul reiterates why God did this - because we exchanged what we know to be true about God for a lie - and instead choose to worship things that are created rather than the Creator. Paul gives a subtle but stern warning at the end however -  who is blessed forever - ultimately, God will be worshiped forever. God giving us over to the lusts of our sinful heart, us choosing to worship things other than God in no way changes this fact:

Rom 14:11  for it is written, "As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God."

Php 2:10  so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth

God will be worshiped and praised forever!

I think it's easy sometimes to fall into the trap of thinking that we aren't as bad as the people described in these verses, especially the verses coming up. We need to realize however, that even on our best days as lost souls, we are unclean to God. In our fallen and sinful state, our desires are always in opposition to the glory of God. We may not be as evil as the next person, but in Gods eyes we are all in need of a perfect sacrifice - His Son!

I look forward to any shared wisdom on these verses!

Romans 1:22,23

Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

 Claiming to be wise, they became fools

It's our fallen, sinful nature to be self reliant. In our lost state, the last thing that we want to do is recognize the fact that we are reliant on an all powerful God. So, we claim to be able to make the correct decisions on our own, claiming to be wise on our terms. This is the heart of the issue for fallen man, the attempt to be self reliant in order to refuse submission to a sovereign God.

Paul has explained to us here what happens when man attempts to proclaim himself wise on his own terms - he becomes a fool.

Fool: fool here is different than foolish hearts in the previous verse - that meant wicked, this means to become insipid (bland, without stimulating or distinctive qualities), to become a simpleton (ignorant).

This describes man without God - no distinctive qualities that are useful to the glory of God, ignorant and unaware of his lost state - all a result of choosing to be self reliant. 

We may think that, as Christians, we are less susceptible to falling into this trap of self reliance, but it may not be as clear as we think. I believe that ignoring the convictions of the Holy Spirit, refusing or pushing off following God's clear leading, failing to step out in faith when called by God to do so - all of these are examples of relying on our human wisdom rather than submitting to an immortal, incorruptible God.

If we continue on this path for any period of time, we can become unaware of our circumstance and fail to address the situation as it gets progressively worse. Thankfully, as Christians, we know that God will eventually bring us back, but the road of God's discipline is not always fun while taking place. It is much better for us, and more glorifying to God, if we continually pray for awareness of our self reliance so that we can purge it from our lives, and submit completely to our awesome God!

and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

When man attempts to rely on human wisdom and desires in place of submitting to God, he automatically exchanges the glory of God for something else. Described here are "images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things." - This might paint a picture in our head of the typical idols set up so that people can come and bow down - that was and is true in certain places. However, it can be much more subtle than that - anything that takes priority over God becomes an idol and a transgression of the first commandment - "Have no other gods before me."

Some may be obvious - sports, hobbies, collections, possessions, etc - however things that may seem perfectly good can also become idols if they take priority over God - volunteering, ministries, church functions, church itself can even become an idol.

Due to the fact that it is the nature of our flesh, which we battle every day, it is crucial that we cry out to God without ceasing, that He would reveal to us where our lives are hindering our witness for Him, that He would give us the strength to purge these idols from our life and give us a pure love for Him alone, that He would take priority over every single thing in our life - so that we might not become fools, ignorant and unable to recognize our sin, bland and ineffective for the glory of God.

If you feel moved to comment on these verses, I pray that you would. We can all grow so much from sharing words of wisdom and encouragement with each other!

Romans 1:21

For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 

As Paul described in the previous verses, God made Himself perfectly and clearly visible through His creation (including man), and all of which was created for the sole purpose of glorifying God.

Now, in verse 21, Paul begins to indicate how serious man in his lost state really is.

 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him

God, through Paul, is saying - my creation knows who I am, I have made it perfectly clear. Yet, man has freely chosen not to acknowledge me as Lord, or give thanks to Me for all that I have provided - The responsibility lies squarely on our shoulders, and eternal condemnation as sinners refusing to honor and glorify God is just judgement for our actions. Do we really understand how serious it is that we have purposely rejected God?

 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. John 3:20

but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 

This describes the result of refusing to honor God. When man turned from God in favor of darkness, everything about him was affected, the base of which is the mind and the heart. 

Futile (also translated vain) - useless, ineffective, not capable of producing results

     The gr translation also indicates wicked, idolatrous 

Man - in attempt to justify his actions - has become ineffective, useless, not capable of glorifying God, which is a purely wicked and idolatrous result. This, in turn, affects the heart - which has become a heart of stone, foolish and dark. Foolish indicating wicked, without understanding.

We have to realize the utter sinfulness of man (if that is even possible) to properly appreciate what was accomplished and given to us through Christ on the cross (I know that's not possible)!

While it may seem that this turning from God is being played out more and more in our society, we need to realize that this has been going on since the fall of man in the garden. Man, in his sinful fallen state, has always chosen (and will always choose) darkness over glorifying God. Man, in his sinful and fallen state, has always chosen (and will always choose) to ignore the evidence of God. 

I have quoted Psalm 14, I think it does the best job at describing the absolute sinful nature, the total depravity of fallen man.

The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds, there is none who does good. The LORD looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one. Have they no knowledge, all the evildoers who eat up my people as they eat bread and do not call upon the LORD? There they are in great terror, for God is with the generation of the righteous. You would shame the plans of the poor, but the LORD is his refuge. Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When the LORD restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad. 

Psalm 14

Let's spend some time meditating on how truly and justly condemned we really were in our lost state, and how amazing God's gift of salvation is to pull us from what we thought we really wanted and give us what we really need! 

I look forward to any shared wisdom on this topic!

Romans 1:19,20

For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

This is the sin that man, in his lost state, continues to pursue...the sin of suppressing the truth that was explained in verse 18. It's important to recognize that it is the nature of fallen man to suppress the truth that brings to light his utter sinfulness - in any way possible.

Here, Paul explains just how visible God actually is in the world around us:

For what can be known about God is plain to them

For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived

From these two lines, we can draw the conclusion that God is not hiding who He is from mankind. He has made it very evident...His eternal power and divine nature are plain, and clearly perceived... "ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made" - the attributes of God have been visible from the beginning in His creation.

While this is condemning for lost man, it should be very encouraging for us as Christians. How comforting to know that as God gives us the gift of faith, and gives us the ability to see clearly without the desire to suppress the truth, we will begin to see Him throughout His creation!

Even science, while used in part by lost souls in a futile attempt to explain God through theory, is a testimony to who God is. The proven laws of science (ex. gravity) are simply God revealing His eternal power and divine nature to us through His creation.

Could there be a more obvious suppressing of the truth than that of men using what God has revealed through science to try to prove this very God does not exist?

Since God has made His attributes plain to man, and they are able to be clearly perceived through His creation, man is justly condemned for his purposeful suppression of the truth in pursuit of darkness, "So they are without excuse."

As Christians, let's look for God everywhere! In every nook and cranny of His creation, especially in the areas where man has attempted to hide Him the most. He is everywhere, and He is not hiding! The more we look for His attributes, the more we will see Him, and I believe our faith will be strengthened. Also, pray for those who continually suppress the truth in an effort to justify their behavior. 

Where have you seen God's attributes made clearly visible? How has God used His creation to make plain who He is and what He is about? Has this strengthened your faith? I look forward to learning and growing from your comments and wisdom.

Romans 1:18

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.

unrighteousness/ungodliness: wicked; sinful; evil...not in accordance with right or justice; unfair or unjust...not accepting God.

This describes the nature of man. Left to our own human desires, we are ungodly and unrighteous - to the point that we actually attempt to hide or suppress any hint of truth or light in pursuit of darkness. It seems that we pile sinfulness on top of sinfulness in order to obtain and justify our desires. 

In an attempt to justify our actions as lost souls, we like to think that we aren't actually evil, we definitely aren't as bad as the murderer on the news. In God's eyes, however, anything short of perfect righteousness is by default unrighteous, ungodly - and all ungodliness and unrighteousness is deserving of the wrath of God.

We tend to think of the wrath of God as a disaster that causes human suffering or loss of life. These things affect us in a negative way, and it is easy to "blame" God for them. There is another type of wrath, however, that is much worse and much more subtle to man. This wrath is the result of God pulling back from His creation, allowing man to pursue his sinful desires into utter darkness, where Satan reigns. 

          This wrath is hard to recognize, because it is God giving sinful man what he wants.

We will see in more detail the way that man suppresses the truth and the lusts cause man to suppress the truth in pursuit of darkness in the verses to come. 

From this verse alone, however, we can see that man, in his unrighteousness, chooses to suppress the truth of God - and all ungodliness and unrighteousness is subject to the wrath of God. Thankfully, Jesus, in His perfect righteousness, accepted this horrible wrath of God on our behalf. He took the punishment so that we could be reconciled to God, so that we would not be slaves to the sinful nature and its lusts that attempt to drive us away from God, into the realm of Satan. 

Of all the things to be thankful for this season, the gospel message should be first on our list! Without it, we would all be stuck in the mire of sinful pursuits, without any hope of being rescued!

  Take a minute and thank God today for His amazing plan of salvation for His rebellious creation

Romans 1:16,17

 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 for faith, as it is written, "The righteous shall live by faith."

Have you ever been in a situation involving an unbeliever - a coworker, a friend, a family member, or someone you just met - and you knew they needed to hear the gospel, yet you held back? What was the reason you held back...were you unwilling or restrained due to fear of shame, ridicule, or disapproval from this person? I have been in this situation, and sadly, this is what it means to be "ashamed of the gospel."

                                         "For I am not ashamed of the gospel"

Previously, Paul said he was eager to fulfill his responsibility to preach the gospel in Rome. Now he clearly states that he is not ashamed of this gospel, and he explains why - he knew what it did and what it contained. It brings eternal life to all who believe, and it reveals the righteousness of God - the Father who adopted us - the Dad that we love with all of our heart mind and soul!

This gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ, contains the righteousness and power of God, and is available to everyone who believes it. Do we really get this? Do we really understand the power that is within the gospel message? Its so much more than stories about Jesus, so much bigger than church, so much deeper than we can fathom. It carries the power to transfer a soul from eternal darkness to eternal life!
 
While we do need to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit when sharing the gospel, His timing is perfect, we must never withhold the good news of this amazing and powerful gospel based on how we think it will be received. The fear of shame and ridicule due to the gospel are selfish emotions, rooted in pride. The last thing we should ever do is prevent the spread of the gospel due to our prideful nature.

from faith for faith
The power of the gospel is made manifest through the gift of faith. Putting trust and confidence in God, who He is and what has been accomplished through His Son, this is the foundation of eternal life. Through faith, we are able to clearly see the gospel message, and this now determines how we live... as it is written, "The righteous shall live by faith."

                                   How Great is our God!

 

Romans 1:14,15

I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish.  So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.

obligation (as translated in the King James "debtor"): means to be an ower, a person indebted, a transgressor.

Paul saw himself as "in debt" to his fellow man, he owed them the opportunity to hear this saving gospel, that had been freely shared with him by God. This paints the picture that we are not to ever see ourselves as better than any other soul on this earth for having been given the gospel. We are to see ourselves as having been given the responsibility to share a free and amazing gospel.

There are two categories of people described in this passage:
Greeks/wise: this category would have included the higher up, well educated, prestigious class.
barbarians/foolish: this category would have included the uneducated, the "outcasts" of society

The point of including these two categories is that we can't set limitations on who should have the gospel made available to them. (Romans 2:11 explains that God does not respect the status of a person) Paul saw himself as under obligation to all people, we need to see ourselves the same way. We must not be limited to our family, our close friends, or our church. While these are important, they cannot be where our outreach stops.

We need step out of our comfort zone and reach deep into the dark, cold, unstable world that is under the influence of the devil, in order to establish relationships with these hopelessly lost souls. Relationships that will make visible the power of God in our life, relationships that will bring
1 Peter 3:15 to light "...always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you..."

We are often encouraged in church to "love the lost to Christ." The only way to do this is to build solid relationships with the lost and allow the power of God's love to be revealed.

"So I am eager to preach the gospel" This command to spread the gospel should not be perceived as burdensome, but instead an undeserved privilege that we should be eager to take on. We have been given the free and amazing gift of salvation, and our desire should be to spread this great news, this gospel of God, to as many as who will hear it. This is our purpose, this is when God is most glorified in us.

This is urgent, and I pray that we all will take this to heart. We MUST build these relationships outside our "comfort zone." Please make this a priority, I will as well: look for someone in your life - beyond your family, close friends, or church, (think workplace, old acquaintances, maybe even family that you don't know very well) and begin to look for opportunities to build a relationship with them. Have them over for dinner, go shopping together, go grab lunch somewhere, go catch a flick. Then pray that God will work in this relationship!

Romans 1:11-13

For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you -- that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine.   I want you to know, brothers, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles. 

Paul shares two reasons he was intent on visiting the church in Rome:

Reason #1:
"that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you." Paul wanted to visit Rome and help them grow spiritually, especially in their faith "that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine." and he fully expects to be encouraged by their faith, which he has already heard great things about.

Hebrews 10:24,25 commands us "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near."  We must take advantage of the opportunity to meet together as the Body of Christ, whether it be church, a bible study, a small group or potluck, or any time spent among fellow believers. This is not solely for our benefit, but just as importantly that we could be used by God to lift up and encourage our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Satan is most effective when he is able to separate a child of God from the body of believers, and attack that child while they are alone. It is crucial that we build relationships with other believers, that we build a network that reaches beyond our local church, that is not limited by denominations or personal preferences, so that we can all be mutually encouraged by each other's faith.

Reason #2:
"in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles." I believe that here Paul is speaking of spreading the gospel in Rome, and watching God bring new converts to Himself. This is our calling, and should be our objective no matter where we go. The only reason God leaves us on this earth once we have been saved is so that we can be used by Him to  further His kingdom, which is ultimately for His glory.

If we could ever truly wrap our minds around this, we could begin to see our every day life from a different perspective. The world around us becomes our mission field, and are able to focus more on being used by God rather than living for ourselves. -

Jesus tells us in Luke 10:2 "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest." - this is our mission, and we are to pray earnestly about it, we are called to be used of God to reap a harvest of new converts that will bring glory to our God Almighty!

Romans 1:9,10

For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God's will I may now at last succeed in coming to you. 

How often do we get up on Sunday morning and go to church because it's just what we do on Sunday mornings?  How often do we read the bible at any given time because that's what Christians do? How often do we pray before meals or before we go to bed because that's what Christians do?

I think Paul has laid out a challenge for us here - he serves God with his spirit in the gospel of His Son...this means with all of his heart. Paul didn't play church. He didn't spend time doing the "right" things because gave him a warm fuzzy feeling or because he wanted to look "Christian." Paul started churches, did the "right" things, and looked "Christian" because that is what happens when we serve God with our spirit, with all of our heart! Our focus must be on God alone, not our performance. Godly performance always follows a strong relationship with God through Christ!

This second part has been very convicting for me lately and I need it. Paul writes to those in Rome that he mentions them always in his prayers...last post I mentioned Paul's thankfulness for those in Rome and this ties into that thought. Paul mentions his fellow brothers and sisters in Christ always in his prayers. For good measure I thought I would include some other places Paul has this same passion for God's church:

1 Co 1:4  I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus

Php 1:3,4 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy
 
Col 1:3  We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you

1Th 1:2  We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers 

2Th 1:3  We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly...

Paul was passionate about praying for those who were serving God along side him. We need to pray that God will fill us with the same passion for each other. We should be in prayer throughout each day for our brothers and sisters in Christ...lifting up those who are in the midst of trials and thanking God for ALL of His children that we will get to spend eternity with. This MUST transcend denominations, cultures, and countries.

In light of the recent election, and the fist that America shook at God, we need now more than ever in our lifetime to pull together as the Body of Christ, praying for each other without ceasing! Please take some time today and pray for your brothers and sisters in Christ, thank God for them and pray that we would continue to build relationships that will be to the glory of our Almighty God!

Romans 1:8

First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world. 

Thankfulness:
30 days of thankfulness, the "theme of the month" - this is a good thing. It's always good to take a step back and count our blessings, appreciating what God has done in our lives. Paul has given us something to be thankful for and we need to take note. Paul is thankful for the Christians in Rome. How often to we thank God for the brothers and sisters in Christ that He has placed in our lives?

It is very easy to underestimate or forget how much of an influence those around us have on how we approach this life. We need to be so thankful for fellow Christians that encourage us in our walk, and it's our responsibility to encourage those around us as well. Hebrews 10:24 says "let us consider how to stir one another up to love and good works"  - a command that we cannot ignore. This requires dying to self daily and focusing on others, an act that is vital to glorifying God.

The Thanksgiving holiday is a good yearly reminder to step back and be thankful, I pray that all of us would take some time and thank God for the Christian influences in our life, and pray for strength and wisdom to lift up and encourage those around us, for His glory!

Prayer:
Paul includes the phrase "through Jesus Christ" in this verse, indicating that Jesus Christ has something to do with his interaction with God. This is an important reminder that the only way we are able to approach the throne room of God in prayer is due to the fact that He sees us as sinless and righteous in His presence, attributes that we have been freely given by Jesus Christ through His sacrifice. It is through Jesus Christ that we approach God.

Faith: 
 "your faith is proclaimed in all the world" - Wow! What a high bar that has been set! These Christians, living in a very corrupt Rome, did not sway according to what was going on around them. They didn't attempt to fit in by allowing worldly influences to erode their faithfulness to God, and as a result they lived in stark contrast to the world around them. Because of this contrast, the faith they lived out was recognized by people around the world, Christians and non-Christians alike. This was an awesome encouragement to fellow Christians, but must have made them an easy target for persecution by the Pagans they interacted with on a daily basis.

God is glorified most when Christians live out a life of faith in the midst of trials and persecution. This allows the power of God to be made manifest. We are, and have been, entering a time in the United States of America where God being pushed aside in an attempt to satisfy a sinful craving for self. Greed and materialism are tools Satan is using to fill this craving, and it as affecting everything around us - schools, jobs, churches. We have an opportunity to live in stark contrast to the world. Pray that God will reveal the schemes of the devil to us so that we will not be swayed, and that our lives, lived in faith, will be a witness of the power of God- to the praise of His glory!

Romans 1:7

To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 

While Paul specifically addressed the letter to those in Rome, we can see in a broader sense that the letter is directed to all who are called by God to be saints. I think it's important to spend some time looking at what this means.


This letter is addressed to any person who has been born again, and is indwelt with the Holy Spirit. There are many things in this letter, and throughout the Bible as a whole, that will not and can not make sense to anyone void of the Holy Spirit. (1 Co 2:14, 1 John 4:6)

There are difficult truths in this letter, for as the righteousness of God is revealed, our unrighteousness becomes more and more visible. It's our nature to want to hide or justify our unrighteousness as it is revealed. It is because of this that we need to approach these God-breathed Scriptures with total submission to the wisdom and discernment of the Holy Spirit (Pro 3:5), casting aside the need to "make sense" of things according to our human mind.

We can be confident that if we do seek God fully He will not let us down (James 4:8) and we will find a peace that the world cannot know and a discernment only available to those who know Christ as Lord and Savior (Php 4:7)

While it is probably safe to assume that Paul knew this letter would also be read by or to those who do not know Christ, he specifically addressed it to those of us who have been called to be saints, by God. It is our responsibility to take everything that has been written very seriously, and pay close attention as God molds and sanctifies us through the convictions of the Holy Spirit (as painful as it may be)!

I look forward to any other thoughts on this verse. I look forward to digging into this book with you, and pray that we all, myself included, will grow closer to God as we look at each verse. Please take a minute today and pray that God will give all of us the strength to set aside all human opinions and ideas, and guide us with the pure spiritual wisdom and discernment of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 1:5-6

through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of His name among all the nations, including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. 

A quick recap of the gospel of God as explained by Paul in the verses previous to these two:
-the gospel of God was promised throughout the Old Testament
-the gospel is all about Jesus Christ, the Son of God
-Jesus was fully man, a descendent of King David, and dealt with all of the feelings and temptations that we do as humans.
-Jesus was fully God, He was not born with a sin nature, and unlike us lived a perfect life-free from sin and full of righteousness
-Jesus was declared as the Son of God with power, by His resurrection from the dead which declared victory over sin, death, and Satan.

Note: Nothing that Paul wrote when laying out these foundational truths about the gospel has anything to do with us. It has everything to do with Jesus Christ!

In the next two verses, we will see how this gospel affects us.

through whom we have received grace: Through Jesus Christ, who is the center of the gospel of God, we have received grace! What is grace exactly? Grace is unmerited favor, or a free gift - a gift that cannot be earned. Through Jesus Christ, we have received a free gift from God that cannot be earned!

and apostleship: Along with grace, we have also received the responsibility of apostleship through Jesus Christ. We are all commissioned by God to go out and spread the truth about the gospel of God, the truth about Jesus Christ and what He has done, the truth about this free gift that no man can earn! Romans 10:14 tells us of the importance of sharing the gospel.

 to bring about the obedience of faith: This is the purpose of our commission. We are called to spread the gospel, because when a soul believes and trusts these truths about Jesus Christ, obedience in the form of saving faith occurs. Saving faith is what salvation hinges on...salvation is the free gift!

for the sake of His name among all the nations: This is the culmination of all that Paul was writing in the previous verses. All that has been accomplished, all that has been displayed, all that has been conquered, all that we have been called to do - it is ALL for the sake of HIS name! As Ephesians 1:14 states "...to the praise of His glory."
His name is to be lifted up by God's children among all the nations, including those in Rome in Paul's day, and including you and me today. His glory is to be the purpose of all that we do.

 I am convicted...I make the gospel about me way to often. After reading these verses, the Holy Spirit is once again reminding me that everything points to Jesus. Nothing I do has any bearing on what He has done. I am called to live my life in appreciation for the free gift, given to me through Him and because of what He did. This is simply what the gospel is all about!

I look forward to any thoughts on any of these past six verses. I grow so much from hearing how God has used His words in the lives of His children. Once again, I pray that anyone who reads this will take a minute to meditate on these verses. Spend some time with God, allow Him to speak to your heart!

Romans 1:2-4

...which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord...

A question that begs to be answered: what exactly is the "gospel of God" that Paul was set apart for?

I was asked once to write down what the gospel was in my own words. I realized very quickly that I didn't have an exact, precise answer to this question. The gospel can be described in many different ways. A person's culture, upbringing, life experiences, mentors...a lot of things can affect the way a person views and describes the gospel.

I liken it to fingerprints or snowflakes...no two are alike but a fingerprint is always a fingerprint and a snowflake is always a snowflake, no matter how you describe it. The point is this: if God's purpose for Paul, and for us, is to live out and spread the gospel, we need to know it's foundation...the truths in scripture about the gospel that never change, no matter how we describe it.


The verses today shed a lot of light on the truth about the gospel:

"promised before hand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures": The gospel is a big deal. God planned it long before it came to pass, and He points to it throughout the Old Testament.

"concerning his Son": the gospel is all about God's Son

"who was descended from David according to the flesh": God's Son was fully man, a descendent of King David (prophesied in the Old Testament, which the readers of this letter would have recognized)

"declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead": God's Son was fully God, as proven by His victory over death.

"Jesus Christ our Lord": When we proclaim Jesus as Christ, we proclaim Him as our Liberator, our Savior, freeing us from bondage to sin. When we proclaim Jesus as Lord, we proclaim Him as our Supreme Authority, our Master.

I encourage all of us today to take some time and talk to God about His gospel. How would you describe it? Is it all about God's Son, as our Liberator and Supreme Authority. Has our view of the gospel become cluttered with an earthly perspective? Now is the time for all of us to take a deep look at the foundational truths of the gospel, and form our beliefs accordingly!

I look forward to any other thoughts on these verses, as well as any ways these verses have played a role in your life. Most of all, I pray that anyone who reads this will take a moment to meditate on these verses and allow God to work in your heart!

Romans 1:1

Paul, a servant (bondservant) of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,

A few words that I think are important to define in this first verse: servant (bondservant), called and set apart, and apostle.

servant (bondservant): an entire post could be dedicated to the Hebrew meaning of this word, its history, and what the readers of this day would have thought when they heard it. To keep it simple, a bondservant was a slave or servant who was willingly serving his or her master.

called and set apart: these two words both point to the idea of being appointed.

apostle: this indicates a person who was seen as a delegate, or one who was sent

Paul explains that he was specifically appointed to be an apostle, specifically appointed to spread the gospel of God. By who? His master Jesus Christ, to whom he was a willing servant.

Keep in mind many of these people may have never met Paul, and many of them may know him as the extreme persecutor of the Christians in Jerusalem. With this first verse, Paul is validating his authority to write this letter to them. It was his responsibility, a task he was willing to accept as a bondservant of Jesus Christ.

This way of thinking should play the central role in how we see ourselves as God's children. Paul was not the only one specifically appointed to share the gospel. We are all called, as children of God, to live out the gospel in our own lives.

This brings to mind something I heard in our current sermon series "Intimacy with God" at church. The most important thing we are to do is, like Paul, recognize what God's purpose is for our life, and then do it with all of our heart and soul.
As we can see here, and elsewhere in Paul's letters (namely Philippians 3:9), Paul's identity was securely in Christ. This defined who he was and was evident in how he lived.

We are not all called to start churches, but we are all specifically placed in a designated place, not by chance but by appointment, for God's purpose - spreading the gospel through us. Think about all the people you come into contact with on any given day...are they seeing the Good News lived out in front of them on a daily basis?

Like Paul, let's all lift each other up and encourage each other to perform the tasks that we have been called to, as willing servants of our Holy Master, Jesus Christ!

I look forward to any other thoughts on this verse, as well as any ways this verse has played a role in your life. Most of all, I pray that anyone who reads this will take a moment to meditate on this verse and allow God to work in your heart!

Setting the Stage

I am by no means a scholar on Rome, so I pray that my feeble attempt to "set the stage" will at least give us an idea of Rome was like in Paul's time.

The year the book of Romans was written was approximately AD 56.
Most likely the book was written from Corinth, by Paul.
Paul had never visited this group of believers in Rome, though he had wanted to for quite a
while (Romans 1:13)

The city of Rome:
A population of over 1 million, with up to a third of these being slaves.
Magnificent buildings along with massive areas of extreme poverty, slums.
     There was a two tier population: the rich and the very poor, there was no middle class.
This was not a place that was kind to criminals, slaves, etc.
     Definitely not a place you would want to get arrested or end up in jail.
There were about 420 temples to Roman gods and gods of conquered people.
     These pagan gods did not exactly encourage a "moral" lifestyle.
     Living a life of Christian values would have been a tough battle, with many obstacles.

The Christians in Rome:
They were established as a result of the Dispersion
     This was basically a spreading of Christians due to persecution in Jerusalem.
     Ironically, Saul (now Paul) was a key player in that persecution before his conversion!
This was a strong group of believers (Romans 1:8)
     Consisted of Jews (Romans 2:17, 4:12) and Gentiles (Romans 11, 15:15,16)

Purpose?
What is the book of Romans all about? People much smarter than me have described this beautiful book in many ways. It's a book of doctrine, it's the righteousness of God revealed, it's the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I think it's all of this, and I look forward to digging in with anyone who would like to.

If anyone has any other information that would help us get a better idea of what times were like in and around Rome in the days of Paul, please share!

The format of this bible study is very fluid. I will post on the blog and leave it open to discussion through the comments section. The pace of the study will be determined by the amount of interaction on any given post. 

Overview

MISSION: Bring God's children together by eliminating the barriers of distance, denomination, and tight schedules!

I feel moved to start an online bible study. I pray that God will move throughout this study and bring anyone who reads it, as well as myself, to a deeper understanding of who He is. I plan for the study to be a deep verse by verse study of Romans, but I am open to wherever God leads. I look forward to input from anyone who takes part in this study, so that we can all grow together to the praise of His glory!

The format of this bible study is very fluid. I will post on the blog and leave it open to discussion through the comments section. The pace of the study will be determined by the amount of interaction on any given post.