New Testament - Tyndale's One Year Bible Companion has a very interesting Q & A today on Romans 8 verses 24-25: "Now that we are saved, we eagerly look forward to this freedom. For if you already have something, you don't need to hope for it. But if we look forward to something we don't have yet, we must wait patiently and confidently." Tyndale's commentary says: "In Romans, Paul presents the idea that salvation is past, present, and future. It is past because we were saved the moment we believed in Jesus Christ as Savior; our new life (eternal life) begins at that moment. And it is present because we are being saved. But at the same time, we have not yet fully received all the benefits and blessings of salvation that will be ours when Christ's new kingdom is completely established. That's our future salvation." This is pretty amazing to consider that our salvation is past, present and future! Do you appreciate being saved from your past? Are you living fully for God in the present? Are you waiting patiently and confidently for the future?
Today in Romans chapter 8 verses 27 through 29 we read these famous words of Paul's: "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Do you believe that we are more than conquerors through our relationship with Jesus? Does it encourage you to know this? Are you living your life in such a way that truly reflects that you know that you are more than a conqueror? Do you believe that there is absolutely nothing in this world that can separate you from the love of God because of your relationship with Jesus as your Lord and Savior?
Proverbs - I love Proverbs 19 verse 27 today: "If you stop listening to instruction, my child, you have turned your back on knowledge." I am afraid that listening seems to be a lost skill in our world oftentimes today. We have a hard time slowing down enough to actually listen to someone else. To stop thinking about our own self and to listen to someone else. And, if this is the case, then how much harder do you suppose it is for us to actually quiet the distractions around us to listen to God? Have we stopped listening to instruction? Are we turning our back on knowledge? Now - I do think the discipline of reading, studying, and meditating on God's Word, the Bible, is something that helps us get our listening skills back in fine-tuned shape. I do applaud you for going through the One Year Bible, so that you can listen to God on a daily basis. But let us be ever vigilant to keep listening to instruction. Let us not turn our backs on knowledge!
Worship God: I'm going to be very topical with the YouTube video today, as this song is currently #1 on Billboard's Christian Songs list this week. I think this video and song ties in very well with the transformation we're reading about - and hopefully experiencing - in the book of Romans. The great thing about this video is that the artist, Brandon Heath, opens and closes the song with some great comments. Be forewarned - this video just might make you cry... Beautiful stuff. Enjoy Brandon Heath's "I'm Not Who I Was." And as you watch this video and listen to the song, take some time to reflect on how God has changed you over time... Does this song tell the story of who you are today too?
Are you who you were? Click here to become who you were meant to be!
The chapter started with "no condemnation" and ends with "no separation", and in between "all things God works for the good". Pretty good stuff!
Paul transitions from other's (perhaps creation) high expectations of God's work, to our expectations of redemption as we groan inwardly, to the Holy Spirit who also groans - but it seems for a different reason.
We have a weakness. As a beginning Christian and even a mature Christian, we do not and will not ever know on this earth how to pray perfectly in the "Will of God". Whether you forget someone, or you are asking for something that is not in God's purposes, etc - we don't pray perfectly.
(Forgetting "tongues" - as that is a peripheral issue.) To me the important thing here is two fold: Holy Spirit is our intercessor in us, the Holy Spirit DOES PRAY in the Perfect Will of God. And why not, The Holy Spirit is God, and is part of the Trinity, and they have been in perfect communication and perfect accord from before time.
It is kind of neat to have God representing us and petitioning for us to God. You know his prayers are answered!
Verse 28) A statement where Paul "knows" and assumes the Roman readers know which is explained in the next verse.
I think we have covered in the past - "in all things God works for the good". It is done for the good of those who love him. "those who love him" is a wonderful way to describe "believers".
Those who love Him, who have been called - that is either invited or divinely appointed. Which is it? From vs. 29 it seems to be "divinely appointed" like Paul was to be an apostle.
predestined - Gk. "proorizo" 1) to predetermine, decide beforehand 2) in the NT of God decreeing from eternity 3) to foreordain, appoint beforehand.
I had some problems with these words in the past. To my knowledge, there is no variations in any Greek transcripts. The words mean what they mean, and those who oppose "election" usually use other verses to defend their position. If I am incorrect in this - please post or email.
As it is - like Ramona, while I may not understand - I accept. God is sovereign, and He can do what He wants.
Some want to call it foresight not "foreknew" but that doesn't wash if you read Ephesians.
Back to God's purpose for the believer: It is to take the "believers" and make them into the same form as Christ - inside and out. Outwardly with a glorified body, inwardly as holy and blameless. The completion of this process will be in heaven. So that Christ may be the pre-eminent among many brothers. Why?
This is just my thoughts: God from before creation is making a love gift to His Son. And in return the Son will use the gift to "glorify" the Father.
Paul then presents a type of math equation of vs. 28-29.
None will be lost. Personally, I liken it to a father taking a young child to a big-time football game. 100,000+ people. When the game is over, Father takes son's hand and they head to exit. The crowd swarms and the father/son are jostled. There is no way the Father is going to let go of his son's hand.
How much more so with God? When we are in the Father's hands we will not be separated from Him!
When God looks at us after "justification" He sees Christ. That is His Word. As co-heirs what would God not do for us?
God protects us, God loves us, will give us all things - if not here than in heaven.
If God justifies, who dares to say He is wrong?
Christ is at his right hand and in God's eyes we already are there with Him.
In addition to all this Holy Spirit and Christ are both interceding for us.
It seems to me that if all the above is true - to think one could lose salvation would not just denigrate God, but the Trinity.
In fact Paul closes saying, 'No act, No entity, will be able to separate us from God's love that is in Christ Jesus' - and if it is in Christ Jesus it is in us.
I LOVE THIS WORD OF ENCOURAGEMENT IN TODAY'S READING. WHAT EVER YOU FACE IN LIFE IF YOU KEEP THESE WORDS IN MIND, YOU CAN DEAL WITH ANYTHING.
From a glorious state to apostasy, Israel is broken in two, ruled by men who either totally abandoned God after achieving power by God's hand, or continued their free fall into total sin after being handed a godly legacy. Two nations fathered by One God, how low could you go.
What is so sad about this state is how churches follow this same model today. We have not learned to have unity in diversity. We have failed to take hold of the whole counsel of God, we choose which sacraments, which law, which commands we will keep, calling the things we reject old and obsolete. Church's with great legacies, churches broken off from organizations, denominations because of practices seem as going against the Word of God have themselves been accused of abandoning God's flock to pursue personal gain, leaving the Sheep to fend off the wolves on their own.
We see in chapter twelve Rehoboam rehearsing the goodness of God, His statutes, His laws and commands in the ear of his adversary, Jeroboam. Handed victory by God's grace and His grace alone, Rehbobam quickly abandons God and His commands after his kingdom is secured. The nation is then punished by way of the Egyptians, they repent but like father, like son. The on again off again relationship with God continues with Abijah who we are told only rules for three years (2 Chron 13:1). Ah, but Abijah was a very busy man. He managed to have fourteen wives and twenty-two sons, does not mentioned daughters, which more than likely were not counted. Think this was passed down from his grandfather, Solomon?
Reworked and with modern days church's as the model in the microcosm how out of place would this story sound, think church split.
It's amazing how the Holy Spirit has been designed and sent to us to strengthen us, to pray in our stead when we cannot, to empower us to move out into our calling, yet we say, I say, I can't do because … Are we just lazy, fearful, lacking knowledge of the Word? What is it? There are probably multitudes of reasons and empty excuses we use to keep from moving out in our calling our purpose. Yet, we are without excuse and despite all our pretext and justifications God still works His purpose in the universe He created.
31 What can we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 32 Since God did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won't God, who gave us Christ, also give us everything else?
Even in this Psalm written by David years before Paul's letter to the Romans, the equipping for battle, the coming along side to help in time of trouble is known about and written by David as documentation for our learning. God never changes. His works of old are not old but are ever in the continuous NOW of life until the end of days.
41 They called for help, but no one came to rescue them.
They cried to the LORD, but he refused to answer them.
42 I ground them as fine as dust carried by the wind.
people I don't even know now serve me.
27 If you stop listening to instruction, my child, you have turned your back on knowledge.
We can, and we must, set prepare our hearts to seek the Lord.
We can, and we must—especially in today's age of constant interruption, distraction, and heightened temptations—prepare to FIX our hearts on the Lord.
Rehoboam initially did this—and he listened to and obeyed the Lord. God opened up the blessings He had prepared for Rehoboam because of this.
Then, he did evil because he did not keep on preparing his heart to be fixed on the Lord.
This is an excellent lesson for us.
And if we are [His] children, then we are [His] heirs also: heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ [sharing His inheritance with Him]; only we must share His suffering if we are to share His glory.
Verse 17 is one of my favorite verses in Scripture. Do we truly know for certain—through surrender, prayer, and meditation, and spending time in the Presence of the Father—that Christ has invested in us His very own inheritance and authority?
Thus, our prayers—led by the Spirit borne out of intimacy with the Lord Jesus—can literally change the world. Even if the changes are "behind the scenes" where people cannot see them, yet God answers our prayers!
THANK GOD FOR THE CERTAIN, GUARANTEED HOPE of the Gospel. The hope of the Gospel is nothing at all—not one bit—like the "hope" of the world. People in the world people say with a sense of having no hope: "I don't know—but I hope so".
No... God always chooses to remember His covenant. God Himself—in theophany—cut blood covenant with Abraham to show that if His promise to Abraham failed, then God would have to be killed just like the animals in Genesis 15:9-17.
And the men who have transgressed My covenant, who have not kept the terms of the covenant or solemn pledge which they had made before Me, I WILL MAKE THEM [LIKE] THE [SACRIFICIAL] CALF WHICH THEY CUT IN TWO AND THEN PASSED BETWEEN ITS SEPARATED PARTS [SOLEMNIZING THEIR PLEDGE TO ME]--I WILL MAKE THOSE MEN THE CALF!
Then, Jesus—the supreme Lord of heaven—cut blood covenant guaranteeing the New Covenant.
We really need to depend on the personal relationship we have with the Holy Spirit. We have access to the Father in Jesus' Name through the Spirit.
Our intimacy with the Lord is key. When we spend time with Him, we can ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to us what He is praying for us, and He will show us.
In our weakness, we do not know what to pray, but the Holy Spirit can teach us what He is praying if we ask Him.
Then we can pray what He is praying. And, of course, we can be assured that what the Holy Spirit is praying is always in line with the perfect will of the Father and the Son.
The Holy Spirit has a mind, just like we do—for He is a Person.
"If two or three agree, then it will be done." If we listen, then we can pray in agreement with the mind of the Holy Spirit who always prays in agreement with the Father and the Son.
Cease listening to instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge.
May we always listen to the Lord in our personal relationship with Jesus through the Spirit and the Word.
As we learn to pray in agreement with what God is doing, then we know that all things will work together for good for us.
In everything--no matter what comes at us in life, whether good or bad--we can know God's goodness as we wait and listen to the Holy Spirit.