Who am I?

Romans 8:19, 24,25 “For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.  What a wretched man I am!  Who will rescue me from this body of death?  Thanks be to God–through Jesus Christ our Lord. These verses are the exact mentality of addicts who relapse.  Wouldn’t you then conclude we are all addicts who relapse?  We are all addicted to sin and we keep on repeating like a rapid fire machine gun.  Our gun, our addiction, would be totally out of control were it not for the sacrifice of our Savior.  Now we appear before God, no longer addicted, but free and guiltless before His loving throne.  Again, Thank You, Jesus!

Wages vs. Gift

Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” If any of us could escape the fate of our sinfulness we would.  The sad truth is we will all suffer death.  That would be a horrifying thought if we did not also live with the confident expectation of the ultimate joy of eternal life in Heaven, living forever with loved ones and our God.  All Christians when leaving this earth enter the most blessed existence possible.  That is worth dying for.

Slave-either one or the other

Romans 6:22 “But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.” Everyone is a slave to either sin or a slave to righteousness.  There is no in between and no alternative.  Paul is very clear.  In other words, we all have an addiction which dominates our lives.  We all live in one of two houses:  The Lighthouse or The Dark House.  The result of living in the second house is disastrous while the result of living in the first house is eternal life.  Isn’t which house to dedicate one’s life to very obvious?

What master are you under?

Romans 6:14 “For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.” There is a huge difference between knowing God and knowing of God.  The first demands a life of honor and respect while the second lacks a relationship.  The first brings comfort, security and eternal life in God’s presence while the second brings a life of discontent and lost fortune.  The narrow road of knowing God is definitely the way you and I choose to live thanks to the wonderful grace of God.

Paul doesn’t want us to miss the truth

Romans 5:19 “For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.” Are you absolutely perfect?  Amazingly, yes.  (tell that to your spouse or parent).  Are you a sinner in desperate need of an advocate?  Sadly, yes.  (maybe you don’t want to tell that to your spouse or parent).  The first is the result of the love of our God.  The second is the result of the disobedience of our ancestor, Adam.  God, through Paul, insists on helping you and me understand His great love for us desperate sinners.  He wants us to know that we are His and He has done everything in His power to have us live with Him on this earth and eternally.  There is no greater unfailing love !!! Have a great weekend.

Condemnation vs. justification

Romans 5:18 “Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men.” Two events in history have such huge consequences.  One, extremely negative while the other is extremely positive.  Adam sadly brings the worst catastrophe possible while our Savior joyfully brings the greatest relationship possible.  Both affect our lives like nothing else.  You and I will die because of one.  You and I will live because of the other.  God wants you and me to clearly understand both events and the results each has brought.

Really? Really!

Romans 5:17 “For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through this one man, Jesus Christ.” You and I are the recipients of: 1. God’s ABUNDANT grace and   2. The GIFT of righteousness.  Most unfortunately, Adam caused death to enter this world.  That is the saddest statement you will ever read or hear.  So much pain and suffering has resulted.  Most fortunately, Jesus Christ came and brought #1 and #2 above.  Sorrow has turned into joy!  You and I are so blessed there are not enough —Thank You Dear Jesus —in the world to express our elation.

A relationship restored

Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.” To have a relationship with our perfect God you and I must be perfect.  A major problem is: You and I are not perfect.  So we cannot help but ask—what do we do?  Are you and I lost?  On our own the answer is an obvious yes.  But, Jesus, our perfection entered the picture.  He is our advocate, our perfection.  Jesus is the reconciliation between God and man–you and me.  As Christians we somewhat treat this reconciliation as not that big a deal.  But, that reconciliation is actually the biggest deal known to man.  We are saved because of our Savior.  That is the greatest blessing you and I will ever receive!

God is love

Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this:  While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Real facts of history prove Jesus lived, died and rose.  Real facts from God give the reason.  His unfathomable love is the reason.  You and I, as Christians, can only marvel at God’s great love for each of us.  There has never been and will never be a sweeter message!

Guaranteed hope

Romans 5:5 “And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” God has poured His love into our hearts.  That truth is not only amazing, it is the most wonderful news you will hear today.  Our Almighty God pours His love into you and me!  God, love, heart–all great–but POURS–His love.  That makes not only our day—it makes our life!! Have a great weekend.

Hard but Good

Romans 5:3-4 “Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” Have you ever prayed that God allow you to suffer?  Probably not–yet Paul in Romans–and this is God speaking to each of us–tells us the end result of suffering is a faith filled with hope.  That is, a confidence which comes from a convinced hope and faith.  Therefore, suffering is good.  So, you and I have to conclude that whether we experience joy or suffering, we are blessed as only God can bless.  We conclude: Thank you God, for joy and for suffering.  As a Christian, life is always blessed!

Faith is key

Romans 3:28 “For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.” Faith is believing the unique message of salvation through our Savior.  With faith our life is heaven bound.  Is faith important?  Nothing could be more important.  Pray that all doubt be nonexistent and that our faith grow stronger and stronger.  We also pray that prayer for each other.