Good morning. We are back in the book of Romans. Last time we saw that Abraham was fully assured that what God had promised He was able also to perform. And because of that: "it was reckon to him as righteousness". And it wasn't just for Abraham's sake. It was also for our sake to whom it will be reckoned, as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. It talks in another place about Abraham believing while he was still uncircumcised; which meant that salvation was also for the non-Jew. Jesus was "delivered up because of our sins, and was raised because we were justified through His blood". We could not walk in newness of life if Jesus had not been raised from the dead. Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Because He died for us, we have peace with God. But we still needed Him to be raised from the dead so that we could live the Christian life through the Holy Spirit indwelling us. And we exult in hope of the glory of God; and not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations (seriously? How can we exult in them?). Because tribulation brings about perseverance. (I think I'll pass on that one.) But that brings about proven character which brings about 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. We know we have hope because of that love in our hearts. For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. We wouldn't do that. We might die for our family, but for someone who hated us? Our love does not go that far. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. He didn't wait for us to first get our life straightened out – because we couldn't without Him. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. Father thank You that Your love has been poured out into the heart of the reader. He/she perseveres through tribulation and has obtained proven character. His/her hope is in You.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners

  Good morning. So, was the law a bad thing? We know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully (not to control people, as some were), realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane…, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching, according to the glorious gospel of the Blessed God, with which I have been entrusted. I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service, even though I was formerly a blasphemer etc. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus. Formerly Paul was good in the eyes of the law, but unrighteous in the eyes of God. Despite that, God was more than able to use him in a magnificent way to bring the gospel to the Gentiles. Father thank You that Your Grace is gre...
Read more

Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me

  Good morning. Paul then gives a list of a lot of things that he has gone through as an apostle. I do not write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For if you were to have countless tutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. There could be many people that you listen to either in church or through the Internet or other means; but there was only one person (as a general rule it was a person) that lead you to Christ. Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me. He was saying that just like a child imitates his or her father, they were to imitate him. He says that again seven chapters later. Since it is easy to forget some things about people we have not seen in a while, Paul says that he sent Timothy to them to remind them of his ways which are in Christ, just as he taught everywhere in every church. Some have become arrogant, as though I were not coming to you. I shall find ou...
Read more

Philip, who was one of the seven deacons, went down to the city of Samaria and began preaching Christ to them.

  Good morning. Therefore, those who had been scattered went about preaching the word. Philip, who was one of the seven deacons, went down to the city of Samaria and began preaching Christ to them. This is the area where Jesus had the discussion with the woman at the well. Remember from Acts 1:8 that after Jerusalem, Samaria was mentioned. Samaritans were looked down upon by the Jews and considered more or less half Jews. A lot of the Jews of the northern kingdom were taken away and replaced by others who were not Jews. They intermingled with the Jews that were living in the northern kingdom. Even though Samaria was not far away, the disciples had not come there to preach the word before this. The disciples may have even thought that it was impossible for them to get saved, just like the Gentiles. The crowds with one accord were giving attention to what was said by Philip, as they heard and saw the signs which he was performing. Even though he was “just a deacon”, God worked throug...
Read more