​Today we will continue reading Romans 15 with verses 8-33. I think that many people both inside and outside the church, consider God to be exclusionary. On the outside, you have people thinking that only the goody-goodies go to church, the bleeding hearts, those with a stick up their backs, or those narrow-minded haters. There are many more categories of exclusion by the world’s view, most of them represent the experience of the person holding the view either in his attempts to go to church, talk to a Christian, or seek God through some channel other than church. Within the church the exclusions may be denominational, the Baptists thinks the Methodists are not really saved, the Catholics think they are the only ones “getting it right” and the Charismatics believe all the rest of them are missing most of the experience. The enemy loves that our segregated mini-churches created a divided macro-church.
Believer, the church is one church, with one faith, one baptism, one Lord and one Spirit (Ephesians 4:3-6). He is not one thing to some and someone else to others. There is One God, He is Steadfast, and Faithful, and He has not changed (Isaiah 45:5, Malachi 3:6).
The divisiveness of the church was happening back in Paul’s day as well, even in the first century church with leaders who had known Jesus and learned first hand from Him or those who were learning from those who had learned first-hand, humanity crept in, lies crept in and brought elements in which caused quarrels and division.
Much of what upset Paul was about the Jewish followers of Christ, requiring the gentile followers to follow Jewish traditions and laws in order to be included in what they considered the one true church. Paul wrote time and again that those laws had no value for salvation and that choosing to follow the law meant being judged by the law (Romans 2:12). The church is one church, not many. On one church directory website, which I assume are churches who choose to pay to be a part of it, there were 425 churches under 43 different denominations listed in Orlando, FL, the city I live near and attend church in. It is no wonder that Joe who is a new Christian looking for a church, or Jane who is seeking someone to answer questions about God, think Christianity is some restricted and discriminative country club.
But this is where we are, this is the world we live in. We who are the church need to do our best to represent Christ, not as exclusive to our denomination and not as discriminatory of who may enter His gates, but as the God who desires all men to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4) who offers one simple way to come to Him with no strings attached. Yesterday we finished reading with Romans 15:5-7,
May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.
Harmony with one another and Christ and unity of one voice to glorify the Father is possible with Christ, His Spirit makes it possible. I have been there and seen it, when we drop our denominations and come together to worship the Lord. I have seen  who we can be together. I have heard us praising Him with one voice, one word Jesus Christ, one accord to glorify God. It is powerful and beautiful, and all around you there is worship, and joy, and love is over and through it as the Spirit permeates everyone.
I have also been at gatherings of multiple churches where some service is being performed and the work is being done by people from those multiple churches but the banner over the work, the seal on the box of goods, and the delivery stamp have the name of the one church who organized it and for some reason, it is this church who is taking credit and making themselves look good rather than giving God the credit where it belongs. It’s like a record being played and the crowd is singing along with happiness and purpose and, someone slaps the seal of the church on the box and the needle is pulled off the record, creating a deep scratch in the surface of the vinyl. All these people who thought they were glorifying God, now find they were glorifying the church and pastor on the corner, the joy and love are sucked out of that space as fast as the music was stopped. The churches segregate themselves to their corners, grumbling over why the church of Bob is getting credit for the church of Lee’s hard work.
Our best work is done when we work as one. When we use our individual gifts in harmony with the body. The fingers doing their part, the eyes, dong theirs, the legs, theirs and so on and Lee takes no credit, nor does Bob, because the hand knows it couldn’t do the job without the eye, and the foot knows it couldn’t do the job without the lung. The whole body knows without the head, who is Christ, there would be no body and it is His name and His banner which are flown.
The early Jewish Christians had an important role as they do now, and the gentile church had an important role as it does now. The part each plays is meant to further glorify (that is reflect, make famous, and bless) the Lord. Verses 8-9 read,
For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,
“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles,
    and sing to your name.”
What does that mean? It means Jesus served the Jewish people while He lived. He rarely spoke to a gentile during His ministry. One such exchange is recorded in Matthew 15:21-28.
And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” 23 But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.” 24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25 But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” 26 And he answered, “It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.” 27 She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table.” 28 Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.
Although she was not an Israelite, she had faith in Jesus and her daughter was healed.
Jesus came for the Jews to fulfill the prophesies and promises God made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Isaiah, Daniel, and Jeremiah. He fulfilled the law and the prophecy so that Israel would recognize their Messiah had been sent. But that is not all. He did that also so that the gentiles would also glorify God. Jesus spoke almost exclusively to the Jewish people, but His words and actions were for all of us. They were no longer Jews or gentiles, but now they were the Church, the Body of Christ, the Bride of Christ. Not Hebrew, Greek, Roman, and Asian but one people in Christ Colossians 3:9-11 reads,
Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self[a]with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. 11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.
And Galatians 3:26-28 says,
for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 
The Jews before Jesus considered God to be for them only and many Jewish Christians of Paul’s day considered following Jesus to be for Jews only. Yet, Paul reminded them of the Scriptures which said the gentiles would glorify God as well, which spoke of the peoples worshipping God, not the one people, but many. Verses 10-12 read,
10 And again it is said,
“Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.”
11 And again,
“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles,
    and let all the peoples extol him.”
12 And again Isaiah says,
“The root of Jesse will come,
    even he who arises to rule the Gentiles;
in him will the Gentiles hope.”
The hope of Israel is not about government and land, but about the Messiah, the King of kings, Jesus. He is the hope of all nations. He is our life, eternal and abundant and free. He is our savior, who purchased us for freedom and gives us all we need and does more than we can imagine, not to live a light fluffy life, but to live an eternal significant life in the Light. Our hope is eternal life, our hope is New Jerusalem, our hope is conforming to the image of Christ. Jesus is eternal life, He is the City of God, He is our new self.
Verse 13 is a blessing, a prayer that Paul asks for us on our behalf,
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
It is not merely a good wish for us, it is a promise that If we are filled with the God of hope by believing with joy and peace following that belief, then the Holy Spirit will abound in hope. The Holy Spirit is God and He does fill those who believe. I think some people erroneously think that we can be partially or half filled by the Spirit. No, He fills fully. Now whether we respond and let Him flow and work and be God in us is one thing, but there is no trickling, no fractional filling. He is God, He is bigger than we are. He fills. And if we choose to quench His fire, He will be quenched. If we choose to grieve Him, He will be grieved, but He doesn’t leave! He doesn’t shrink back. He remains. We can choose to live as if He does not fill us, but that doesn’t change the fact that we are filled.
He is God and His filling us is not meant to further leave out anyone from the church, dismiss some in the church, or reject anyone except who rejects Him. No, His filling of us allows us to work together for God’s glory and build the church, both expanding it and building it up, not the building, but the people of the Kingdom who are the church. Verses 14-21 read,
I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. 15 But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17 In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. 18 For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, 19 by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; 20 and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, 21 but as it is written,
“Those who have never been told of him will see,
    and those who have never heard will understand.”
Perhaps, like Paul rather than reject people because the Christian culture is new to them, because they don’t know what the Lord’s Supper is, or understand why it is unacceptable to make a living by stealing or any other of the things that are normative to so many of us, we ought to love them enough to teach them, model the image of Christ, and help them to follow Him correctly rather than follow the lies of hedonism, asceticism, or Gnosticism. Do you think that those practices are not prevalent today? I think they are and they all detract from following Christ.
Christianity is not exclusionary. Jesus Himself said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20).
He didn’t say “Go to the Western Hemisphere, make Baptists, and hope they figure it out. He didn’t say go everywhere except where they have polytheistic religions, drop some pamphlets, and hope they get the gist”. He said, “Make disciples of all nations…teaching them…I am with you always.” He didn’t leave out anyone, He wants us to make disciples, Christ followers, not people who say they follow but people who do follow. He said of all nations, not just the ones like us, but the ones who are not like us as well. He expects teaching and baptizing in the fullness of who is as His representatives in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. He didn’t add anyone else for us to represent, we don’t represent a list of demigods, saints, churches, or pastors, we represent God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
In unity as the worldwide church, we care about the worldwide church. We continue to make disciples and teach until they are able to make to disciples and teach, even then we don’t just push them from the nest and never consider them again. We are all a part of one another, we belong to Christ and we are part of one another (Romans 12:5). Paul gave us an example of this in verses 22-29,
This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you. 23 But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to come to you, 24 I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while.25 At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints. 26 For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. 27 For they were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings. 28 When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected, I will leave for Spain by way of you. 29 I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.
Paul was bringing aid to the church in Jerusalem, aid he had collected from churches all over. He requested it from some, had it gifted from others, and it was delivered by others so that the church spread all over could collectively help the Christians in Jerusalem (1 Corinthians 16:1-3).
2 Corinthians 8:1-7 is a beautiful example of the church being the church without division.
We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, 2 for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. 3 For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, 4 begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints— 5 and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us.6 Accordingly, we urged Titus that as he had started, so he should complete among you this act of grace. 7 But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you—see that you excel in this act of grace also.
Paul was going to bring Rome blessings, not only materials but fullness of blessings, that would have included teaching, greetings, praying, laying on hands, encouragement, and exhortation as seen in his letters and the epistles of the other writers of the New Testament. He did not think of the church as the various building where people met. He didn’t consider the churches of the different cities to be different churches. He knew that the church is made up of the believers walking in Christ together, be they 1 foot, 1 mile, or 100 miles apart, they were the church. In verses 30-32 he asked them to pray for him.
I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, 31 that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 32 so that by God's will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company.33 May the God of peace be with you all. Amen.
Although he had not yet been able to come to them and hoped to come to them soon, they were still His brothers and sisters, members of the same church as he was, followers of Christ, members of Christ, and united by the Holy Spirit.
Let us unite, wave the banner of Christ. God is our Banner, His name is Jehovah Nissi and that means He reveals Himself as God, Jehovah (Exodus 17:15). So, we glorify God, not ourselves. It is His banner which calls the lost to Him (Isaiah 5:26). It isn’t who we are who saves, but who God is. His banner over us is love (Song of Solomon 2:4), that love brings together, provides, cares, and cherishes. We lift His Banner, not our own.
I think it will be a difficult matter to drop our church banners and lift the banner of Christ, yet I also think it is ultimately important that we do that. Whether you believe Jesus is returning today at 3:33 PM or in this generation, or in 752 years, the truth is this, His coming is closer than it was, and people are lost. People need to know who Jesus is and how deeply He loves them. There are many peoples out there who need to be welcomed into the body of Christ. As long as we’re fighting over titles and doctrines which have nothing to do with the Gospel, as long as we wave church signs instead of the banner of Christ, we will be short-changing the lost by our own in-fighting.

​Today, we are reading Romans 15:1-7. When we studied Romans 14 together, we learned that some of our fellow Christ followers are weaker than we are, and some are stronger. Some have come to deeper understanding of God’s Word than others. We are all at different places of the same path. While we should make sure we are all on the right path, all that judgement we may have for each other is worthless and can be harmful. Romans 15 begins with this exhortation in verses 1-3 read,
We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.”
Remember who it is you aim to please, to make happy, and build up. Too many of us are too puffed up with self-righteousness to consider building someone else up with the love of Christ. Yet, not only do we seek to please God by using our faith and the therefore the gifts He gave us, we are also supposed to please our neighbor! We can all repeat the commandment to “Love your neighbor as yourself,” but do we appreciate the wholeness of that great command? That command is written in Leviticus 19:18 and reads,
You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.
Part of loving our neighbor is building him up, not puffing him up with false knowledge or even our knowledge, but edifying him, strengthening him to be more Christ-like, stronger in the Lord, and able to withstand the attacks of the enemy. What is good for my neighbor is good for me and good for all the brethren. 1 Corinthians 10:23-24 and 31-33 read,
“All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up. 24 Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor.
31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 32 Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God,33 just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved. (1 Corinthians 10:23-33).
Are you self-seeking? No one can hear you answer, examine your heart and answer to yourself. Why do you do all the service you do? Does it make you feel good and look good? Are you hoping to catch the eye of the pastor, get a nod from your mentor, and maybe have all your Facebook friends comment on what a wonderful person you are? It is part of who we are in the flesh to gratify the flesh, but we are in the Spirit and while we are seeking to please ourselves, maybe we should stop and consider the people around us. Does all of Facebook or Twitter or church need to know that you served meals to the homeless instead of ate Thanksgiving dinner? Does everyone need to know you gave money to a charity or ran a race, or whatever? If you can do all those things regardless if any person on earth ever knows you are doing them, then you are likely seeking to please God and not yourself. The Spirit knows what you’re doing and the motivation for doing it. (Matthew 6:1-6) He can glorify God through what you do in secret. He does not require your assistance! Telling the world about how good you are and the good you do, is not for God’s glorification but your own, it is not for your brother’s edification but your own.
When you judge your brother for his weaker faith, you are dismissing what God is doing and has done for Him. Do you know that not only did Christ take all your sins and give you His righteousness, He took on all the derision, the judgement for you as well? When verse 3 says, “For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me” it means that he took the judgement, the disdain, the disrespect, and the condemnation onto himself. Is there room in loving your neighbor to give him back what Jesus took away? Is there room in love to hurt, shame, or disparage? How does any of that build up? The brother or sister you scoff at was already broken before he or she came to Christ, He binds up the broken hearted (Isaiah 61:1), should we too be binding them up? It is love for the house of God, the temple, the church, both the individual and the whole which spurned Jesus to lay down His life and take on our sin, shame, and disdain. Psalm 69:9 is the verse Paul is quoting in Romans 15:3, it reads,
For zeal for your house has consumed me,
    and the reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me.
David wasn’t talking about a building, He was talking about people. The building had not yet been built. He was prophesying about Christ as he lamented the hate focused on him while Saul chased him down and sought to kill him and he looked toward the day when he would finally take the throne as Israel’s rightful king. David loved Israel, God’s people. Jesus loves us, God’s people. Do we love God’s people so much that we can sacrifice our pride and self-righteousness for them?
It is the glory of God we should be seeking. In pleasing our neighbor, we glorify God because we love them as He has loved us. We put them, their needs, and their happiness before our own as Jesus did for us when He laid down His life for us when we in no way deserved that sacrifice. Can’t we lay down our pride and self-satisfaction to please someone else? Doing that is us choosing to walk in the Spirit, being the image of Christ, and making known what eternal life will be like. We will be united with Christ and one another! His will is our unity! Ephesians 4:1-7 reads,
I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7 But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift.
What is the measure of Christ’s gift? What is the measure of grace and faith and Spirit given to each of us? Is grace limited? When humans gift gifts we give based on our limits. Humanity nor flesh limit Jesus, is God! He gives the Spirit who is also God without measure (John 3:34). He gives to us fully, so that we may grow to the fullness, the completeness of who Jesus is. He brings us to that completeness through unity. Ephesians 4:11-16 reads,
And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
Unity is important to God. Unity is not achieved by each of us seeking her own glory, or the glory of this pastor or that teacher but the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 1:10-13 and 17 reads,
I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. 12 What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” 13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?  17 For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
The Gospel is not well written blogs, passionately spoken sermons, or beautifully articulated poetry. The Gospel does not require our talent for words, our gifts, knowledge, or power. Jesus is the Christ, our Lord who died and resurrected to give us eternal life. FULL STOP! Nothing less and no twinkly lights or interesting fonts required. Jesus died and lived for you and for that dude in church who hasn’t memorized any Bible verses, the chick who dresses like she is going to gym or the club, and the lady who thinks prayer requests means sharing her life’s problems and fixing yours. Yep, Christ is overjoyed to have them in His family. He opened His arms to them, the same as He did for you, Cherished.
Let’s continue in Romans 15, verses 4-7 read,
For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.
Our unity is important to the Lord, not unity in Pastor Bob, or unity in Donna, or unity in [insert your own name]. It is unity in Christ, unity in the Spirt, unity in the Father. We have one Gospel, one faith and when we speak that one truth together we glorify God. Forget the minutia! Did Jesus say, “I would welcome you, but you’re a sinner”? Did He say, “I’ll welcome you into my family after you quit smoking”? No! He forgave you while you were a sinner, weak, and ungodly.” Welcome one another the same way! Forget the unimportant arguments and instead love one another, do whatever we must to live in peace with one another, speak the Gospel, live the Gospel and glorify the LORD. God gave to you with the measure of His riches and wealth. He gave it all to you not merely a portion so you could become sorta kinda like Him, but so you could attain the fullness of Christ. He loved you to the point of laying down His life for you. He adores you, cherishes you, and build you up to His fullness. Let’s be who we can be so all of us can be who God made us to be.

I was recently convicted about my critical spirit. I tend to judge others’ depth of relationship with Christ based on the level of their legalism and other aspects like dress and appearance, something I have to my shame, called Stepford Christians. I have also judged on how much service a person does and even what version of the Bible they read. My derisive thoughts can cause division and worse they may cause another believer to stumble and even lose faith. I have repented. I wonder do you do that? Do you invisibly shake your head at a person with weaker faith? Do you silently cluck your tongue at another’s less mature statements or actions? Do you shake your head and speak these judgmental thoughts you’re having in an effort to “love in truth”?
Do you know someone who insists on eating kosher or perhaps eats anything they want from blood sausage to decadent chocolate fudge cake? Do you know someone who is adamant that she must not celebrate Christmas or maybe you know someone who considers Christmas a holy day? Do you know someone who enjoys books or movies about wizards or possibly someone who considers those movies to be evil? Are you judging the person whose faith is not on the same level as your own? You are not alone, it’s only natural. But that doesn’t make it right or helpful, we are not natural, we are supernatural, we are not of the flesh, we are of the spirit. Let’s read Romans 14 and see what Paul had to say on the matter. Verses 1-4 reads,
As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. 2 One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 3 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. 4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
So, he hasn’t reached your level of faith yet, he is a child of God, beloved, cherished, and filled with the same Spirit as you, obeying the same Lord as you, and walking in the same faith as you. Maybe your faith in this area is greater than his, maybe his faith is greater than yours. It is to God that he must answer, not you. Perhaps abstaining from certain films is how he honors God. Maybe observing some holy days gives him a unique way of worshipping the Lord. It is possible that abstaining from certain foods is his way of exercising self-control and so glorifying the Lord. Who are you or me to block him from his obedience? We are not walking with Christ alone, we are part of the church, we walk together with our brothers and sisters. Verses 5-9 read,
One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's.9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.
As followers of Christ, we belong to one another and are members of one another (Romans 12:5). But more than that, what supersedes the unity of believers is our unity with Christ. We are not living for our own glory, but His. We are not living for our own purposes, but His. Whatever we do as followers of Christ should be for Him, not so we look good or are lifted up and blessed, but so God’s goodness is revealed and He is lifted up and blessed.
Your brothers and sisters in Christ, those God has welcomed into His church have, like you, been redeemed. Do you know what redemption actually means? It means to gain or regain possession of something in exchange for payment. It is a purchase. Our biblical redemption means we were bought with the price of Jesus’ blood, His life. 1 Corinthians 7:23 says,
You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says,
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
We no longer live for ourselves, we live for Christ and that means living in tangible love and active humility to one another as well. We care about each other and protect one another. We have to discern the active threats against the Body rather than nitpick the things that do not matter. Does it matter that your sister in Christ is getting a tattoo or is it more important that a member of the church is pursuing visions of angels? The more mature Christians know that the tattoo will not pull the girl from her pursuit of the kingdom of God but seeking visions of angels will allow the enemy, idolatry, and danger into the church. (Colossians 2:18-19).
Acts 20:27-30 in The Living Bible reads,
for I didn’t shrink from declaring all God’s message to you.
28 “And now beware! Be sure that you feed and shepherd God’s flock—his church, purchased with his blood—for the Holy Spirit is holding you responsible as overseers. 29 I know full well that after I leave you, false teachers, like vicious wolves, will appear among you, not sparing the flock. 30 Some of you yourselves will distort the truth in order to draw a following.
We belong to Christ and to one another, these petty arguments do not promote maturation in anyone, they keep us from living for Christ.
Do you know that the measuring stick you hold up for everyone else, is the measuring stick you will be held up to? For instance, the woman who claims certain laws must be kept in order to be saved, will be judged by whether she kept the whole law. If you say your brother is wrong for begin vegan or you judge that your sister is wrong for eating meat than you will be judged by the law. The law cannot justify you! (Romans 3:20, Galatians 2:16).
Jesus said it like this in Matthew 7:1-5,
“Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.”
Stop worrying about the speck in your brother’s eye and be concerned about the log in your own eye. Maybe you are so concerned with what Joe or Jane are doing because you don’t want to examine yourself. Verses 10-12 read,
Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11 for it is written,
“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
    and every tongue shall confess to God.”
12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.
Listen, just because you know something is okay for you and will not deter your from your relationship with God doesn’t mean it won’t hurt someone else. Maybe, I can see certain films and they will not affect my faith, but if my seeing that film will shake my brother’s faith, make him question his faith or cause him to see a film that will hurt his faith then in love, I can refrain. Paul talked about this to the Church at Corinth using the example of meat which had been sacrificed to idols. The mature know that there are no other God, but the One True God and no Lord but the Lord Jesus Christ, so the meat is merely meat, but not everyone has gained that understanding. The knowledge of the mature can in pride and judgement hurt the God’s beloved child who hasn’t understood that yet, 1 Corinthians 8:7-13 reads,
However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, through former association with idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. 8 Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. 9 But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. 10 For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating  in an idol's temple, will he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols? 11 And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. 12 Thus, sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.
I like the way The Message puts verses 11-13 of that passage,
Christ gave up his life for that person. Wouldn’t you at least be willing to give up going to dinner for him—because, as you say, it doesn’t really make any difference? But it does make a difference if you hurt your friend terribly, risking his eternal ruin! When you hurt your friend, you hurt Christ. A free meal here and there isn’t worth it at the cost of even one of these “weak ones.” So, never go to these idol-tainted meals if there’s any chance it will trip up one of your brothers or sisters.
In unity and love, I care about my fellow believers as much as I care about my own. Loving my neighbor means I will not cause him harm. Verses 13-19 read,
Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. 14 I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. 15 For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died.16 So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. 17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. 19 So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.
Is all the hairsplitting and faultfinding encouraging your brothers and sisters? Is it edifying the church and glorifying God? Why is it so important for us to lift ourselves up? Why do we lift ourselves up when we should be waving the banner of Christ? Jesus died for that girl who believes she must be vegan to honor God. The Father chose that man who believes that taking even a sip of alcohol is a dire sin. The Holy Spirit indwells that woman who thinks that listening to any music not labeled Christian will hurt her. He also died, chose, and indwells the ones who eat meat, drink, and listen to hard rock. If He is God, who are we to say He is wrong to cherish them?
God works through the church. He has given us gifts for building the church, the common good, and His glory. Our quibbling, our hypercritical spirits, and our self-righteousness works against Him. Trust God to work in others as He works in you. Trust God to work in you as He works in others. Let God judge you, work in you, and give you His righteousness instead of thinking of yourself too highly. If you assign yourself righteousness, Jesus won’t need to save you, will He? Verses 20-23 read,
Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. 21 It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. 22 The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. 23 But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin. 
I was putting myself in God’s place when I judged others regarding their maturity or depth of relationship with God. I was wrong to accuse people (even in my head) of pursuing the image of Christianity over the image of Christ. I must stop, remove the obstacles I have put in place, and workout my own salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12). 
​

​Romans 13 was not an easy chapter for me. I have a rebellious heart. For me, it is natural to spurn authority, whoever it is. I must always choose to look at a person through God’s eyes, so I will love them. I must always remember that my God is my Sovereign Lord and therefore, I need to show authorities respect regardless of whether I agree with their politics, morals, or opinions. If I am living my life in a manner worthy of my call to follow Jesus, then I have nothing to fear from the authorities or government. In verses 1-7 Paul wrote,
Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4 for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer.5 Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing.7 Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.
Paul lived in a time when Rome ruled Jerusalem with an iron fist. This was not the government the Jewish people wanted, it is the one they had. When Jesus had His ministry, many of the people who believed He was the Messiah thought He would overthrow Rome and free them from the emperor’s tyranny. But He didn’t. When Caesar questioned Jesus about this, He answered,
 “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” (John 18:36).
Jesus could very well have involved Himself in the politics of the day, but that was not His mission. He is the King of kings, and His Kingdom is the Kingdom of Heaven, the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of Heaven is a more supreme kingdom since God rules us. In Isaiah 55: 8-9, God said,
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.
In one of the most famous of Messianic Prophecies (a prophecy about Jesus) Isaiah wrote, that the government would be on His shoulders (Isaiah 9:6). Jesus upholds the government, He bears the burden of it as King of kings; He is the ultimate authority. That is why even if we are under an oppressive ruler, we are able to continue to respect and even submit to that leader.
We are citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven (Philippians 3:20) but we live in this world. We, like Jesus are in the world and different from the world (John 17:16). We know who the ultimate authority is and submission to God, makes it possible to submit to authority. Submitting in humility to others, glorifies God! Verse 3 says that our submission to the government and its instruments is good and gains God’s approval. 1 Peter 2:13-17 reiterates Paul’s words,
 Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, 14 or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.
It is for the Lord’s sake, His glory and reputation that we honor the government, it is His will. Our obedience and submission silences the fools whose empty protestations attempt to make themselves look good. Even in the most unfair dictatorship, citizens of Heaven are free.
Does all this mean we do not care about justice? No! God is a just God. We can care for the victims of oppression and love them without hating the perpetrator. We love, we obey, and we trust. We trust God to be God and keep His promises. Trust God enough to remember you are not the Avenger, He is. Deuteronomy 32:34-36 reminds us,
“Is not this laid up in store with me,
    sealed up in my treasuries?
35 Vengeance is mine, and recompense,
    for the time when their foot shall slip;
for the day of their calamity is at hand,
    and their doom comes swiftly.”
36 For the Lord will vindicate his people
    and have compassion on his servants,
when he sees that their power is gone
    and there is none remaining, bond or free.
The Message puts those same verses this way,
Don’t you realize that I have my shelves
        well stocked, locked behind iron doors?
    I’m in charge of vengeance and payback,
        just waiting for them to slip up;
    And the day of their doom is just around the corner,
        sudden and swift and sure.
 Yes, God will judge his people,
        but oh how compassionately he’ll do it.
    When he sees their weakened plight
        and there is no one left, slave or free
Trusting God allows us to love people no matter what horrible things they’ve done or are doing. Aren’t we all short of who God would have us be? Haven’t we all sinned and aren’t we all in need of Jesus for our justification? Romans 3:21-24 says,
But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
So, we honor authorities by obedience to the laws, paying taxes, and paying all the other fees we as subjects owe. If we as God’s people are in debt to our government or anyone else, what does that say about God? How does that make the Kingdom of Heaven look to people? Verses 8-10 read,
Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
Glorifying God is about active and concrete love. If we want the word to see Him, if we want to be the image of Christ, then we will dynamically and tangibly love people. God is love, therefore, we too must be love. In fact, 1 John 4:8 tells us, “Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” If we say we love God, but refuse to pay taxes (or attempt to pay less taxes), we are hurting our neighbors, the poor, the widows, the orphans, and the hungry. Are we loving God? We are certainly not loving our neighbor. I may disagree with a person collecting welfare when it seems he is perfectly capable of working, but it isn’t my job to judge him. The lost are lost and as a believer, I have no place judging the lost. 1 Corinthians 5:12-13 reads,
For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? 13 God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.”
James 4:11-12 reminds us that Jesus is the only Judge of the world, the government, and the law.
Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. 12 There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?
God loves Kim Jong Un, the despotic and likely insane dictator of North Korea. I cannot imagine how difficult it must be for the few Christians there to love him and live in submission to his oppression. Would he come to know Christ because they screamed in His face and refused to obey his laws? Wouldn’t it be more likely that he would come to Christ by reciprocal dialogue, acts of love regardless of his deserving it, and imitating Jesus by unmerited humility? We trust God when He says He is the God of Justice. Do you believe Him when He says, “For I the Lord love justice; I hate robbery and wrong; I will faithfully give them their recompense”? (Isaiah 61:8).
I am not a fan of our government in the USA, but I understand God’s sovereignty and I trust Him, so I love the president, the congress, senate, judges, and all the rest of the people who make up the government. I respect them because God put them in office. They might just be part of His great plan.
Yes, the world is “going to hell in a handbasket” that is a reason for us to love them more, not less! The Day of the Lord is coming. On that Day, the work Jesus finished on the cross will be completed for good. We look forward to that day, it is an ending the oppression, suffering, and difficulties of this life. It is the manifestation of the end of sin and death. For followers of Christ it is a glorious day, for the lost it is the Day of God’s Wrath. We can’t be okay with letting things be. We must be about our Father’s business, His will. He doesn’t want anyone to perish but that all should reach repentance (2 Peter 3:9). Will Kim Jong Un be more apt to turn to Jesus because we didn’t care and lived like the world or because we love enough to live as the image of Christ? We can’t just be apathetic to the lost and live as they do. What good will that do anyone? Verses 11-14 read,
Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. 12 The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
Peter said it this way in 2 Peter 3:11-13.
Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, 12 waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! 13 But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
Time is short, why waste it by a objecting to authority? Make the best use of time by being who God has created you to be. Ephesians 5:15-21 says it like this,
Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart,20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Regardless of party affiliation or religious denomination, irrespective of being pro or anti present government or political issues, believers are called to love, we are called to submit, and we are called to live in humility in order to glorify God and let them know that Jesus is Lord and He wants to save them and reconcile them to the Father.

​When you give someone a gift, it is theirs to do with what they want, but if you are like me, you hope the recipient will be happy to have the gift, appreciate it, and use it. I love to give people gifts. I love to see the joy as someone experiences the gift as I hoped they would. When someone gives me a gift, I go out of my way to let them know how much I value it, I thank the giver, and I use the gift to enhance my life.
What is my response to the gift of eternal life, which is so much more than going to heaven one day? The gift of salvation, sanctification, and life is not something I could ever have attained on my own; it is a gift from God which cannot be repaid, I live my life as a response of gratitude and joy for the gift. We are reading Romans 12 today, but we will begin with the last verses of Romans 11 so that we can understand Paul’s “therefore.” Romans 11:32-36 reads,
For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.
33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord,
    or who has been his counselor?”
35 “Or who has given a gift to him
    that he might be repaid?”
36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
There is not a single person who could earn salvation by his own works. This is good news for us, because it means that Jesus could live, die, and resurrect for us; God can show His awesome mercy to every person and give us what we can’t reach ourselves. Everything is from Him, through Him, and to Him. He is awesome! There are no words good enough, great enough, or encompassing enough to describe the wonder of God.
The Message puts verses 33-36 this way,
Have you ever come on anything quite like this extravagant generosity of God, this deep, deep wisdom? It’s way over our heads. We’ll never figure it out.
Is there anyone around who can explain God?
Anyone smart enough to tell him what to do?
Anyone who has done him such a huge favor
    that God has to ask his advice?
Everything comes from him;
Everything happens through him;
Everything ends up in him.
Always glory! Always praise!
    Yes. Yes. Yes.
Now, let’s begin Romans 12. Verses 1-2 read,
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect
Since God cannot be repaid, and everything is His, it makes sense that our response is to offer our entire lives, physical, spiritual, and mental back to Him; it is His. That is, to live for Him. Colossians 3:12-17 says it like this,
 Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
We as humans can tend to forget that salvation and sanctification are God’s doing and think of ourselves as the ones doing the ministry, the writing, the singing, the job, the helping, the pew-sitting, or whatever it is we are doing that we profess is for God. But it is all from Him, through Him, and to Him. In other words, He gave us the gifts, abilities, and power, and He will work it so that it is for His will and the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Isaiah 55:11, Romans 8:28). Offering our lives as a living sacrifice means we cannot live life as an island. Loving God with our entirety, Loving Jesus as He loved us, means we must be part of the church, a member of the body of Jesus. Paul used the metaphor of the body several times in His writing. It suggests a unity of the local and worldwide church working together, using our gifts, and doing the work of Jesus. It is one of the reasons that Jesus said we would do His works and even greater works (John 14:12). We are not our own, we belong to Christ and to one another. Verses 3-8 describe a life of thanking God by appreciating our gifts by using them as God intended.
For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 4 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7 if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8 the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.
The more faith one has, the more humble she will be because she knows her life is due to God and she trusts Him with it. Through faith given by God we can submit to one another (Ephesians 5:21) and work together with our various gifts. Offering my life as a sacrifice acceptable to God requires offering my life to the worldwide church, local church, local lost, and world. I will probably not be asked to die but as The Day draws nearer it is a possibility. Laying down my life is more likely to look like cheerfully using my gifts for the edification or building of the Kingdom, the church, and the people. I have to tell you that I personally love using the spiritual gifts God gave me. I don’t know about you, but when I am serving or using my gifts, I feel perfectly content, exactly in the right place, and filled with purpose and joy. If I have been self-focused, self-pitying, depressed, angry etc., serving others bring me back into the joy of God.
Using our gifts, being a functioning part of the body of Christ is meant to be an expression of faith, love, cheerfulness, generosity, and zeal. Offering our lives to God is a joyful endeavor. There is joy in the sacrifice because of the awesome results. God have us this life, we give it back, and He is glorified, made known, and people are encouraged and turn to Him. Do you know that as horrific as Jesus knew His crucifixion would be, He faced it with joy? Hebrews 12:1-4 tells us,
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
3 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. 4 In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.
 
How much more joy can we have as we serve when we are only doing something which doesn’t require us to die or spill our blood like visiting a sick friend, sharing the love of Jesus with someone, mowing the widow’s lawn, or feeding the hungry? What does it look like to offer yourself as a living sacrifice? Verses 9-18 read,
Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
We are saved by faith, not works. Yet, God says we were created for good works (Ephesians 2:10). James wrote that our faith was revealed by our good works (James 2:18) and Jesus said, we would be revealed as His followers by our love for one another (John 13:35). Our Christian walk is one of following Jesus and imitating Him (1 Corinthians 11:1). My mind was blown at church last week when the Pastor, Robert Gordon read Jesus’ description of His ministry, His purpose on earth from Isaiah 61 and then related the description with our own lives? Does my life resemble these verses in Isaiah 61:1-3?
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
    because the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;
    he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
    and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor,
    and the day of vengeance of our God;
    to comfort all who mourn;
3 to grant to those who mourn in Zion--
    to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
    the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
    the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.
Can Jesus say to me,
 “Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.  For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me… Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.”? (Matthew 25:34-36 and 40).
Do we love only those who love us? Do we do good only for those who we think deserve it? Thank God that is not His attitude or there would be no gift of salvation. All of us are disobedient and that is a reason He can lavish us with His mercy. In imitating Him, we too ought to be merciful. Verses 19-21 read,
Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
It is a sacrifice to be merciful and that sacrifice can be painful. Humility is not easy, it takes strength, faith, and Holy Spirit power. But if we trust God, we know He will fight for us, we only have to be silent (Exodus 14:14).
Is your life a living sacrifice, is your body the Temple of God or the Church of [insert your name]? All the works listed here will not save you and cannot make God love you more. That is such great news! God loves you so much, He did all the work so that we could be in a relationship with Him. He doesn’t want your service as a ritual or duty. Those good works are a natural expression of our joy and gratitude for the awesome gift of eternal life. They are how we live this eternal and abundant life He has gifted us.

​In Romans 11, Paul answers some questions regarding Israel’s status in the Lord. Are they still His chosen people? What does their rejection, disobedience, and obstinance mean for their salvation and for us? Ever since God called Jacob and He became Israel, Israel has been an example for us, mostly an example of what not to do and how not to respond to the LORD. But there have been some who have been models, paradigms of who we should be and can be as well. Let’s delve into this chapter and see what Paul had to say and what God has to teach us with His Word through His Spirit.
Remember what God said to Israel. Exodus 6:6-8 reads,
Say therefore to the people of Israel, ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. 7 I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. 8 I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I will give it to you for a possession. I am the Lord.’
He also said, “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6).
And in Deuteronomy 14:2, God said, “For you are a people holy to the Lord your God, and the Lord has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.”
But the Jews rejected Jesus as the Messiah, they tried to find salvation in the Law, and they refused to recognize Jesus as the one prophesied about, even though He fulfilled every prophecy. So, are they still God’s chosen? Does God’s promises to them still stand? Verses 1-10 of Romans 11 read,
I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel? 3 “Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life.” 4 But what is God's reply to him? “I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” 5 So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. 6 But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.
7 What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened, 8 as it is written,
“God gave them a spirit of stupor,
    eyes that would not see
    and ears that would not hear,
down to this very day.”
9 And David says,
“Let their table become a snare and a trap,
    a stumbling block and a retribution for them;
10 let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see,
    and bend their backs forever.”
Of course, the LORD did not reject His people! Through every terrible thing that they did and every horrific event that happened to them, they were never destroyed, there was always a remnant that was saved. The ones who were saved, were the ones who had faith and believed God. They were saved, not because they did anything to deserve mercy, but because God is graceful, He chose them. Remember in Romans 9, we spoke about God hardening hearts. He never stops calling, He just allows those who adamantly refuse to listen to stop hearing His call. That is what He did for most of Israel. They became ardent pursuers of their own righteousness through the Law instead of passionate pursuers of God. God spoke to them through His prophet Hosea and told them they were missing the mark by seeking to know the law and not Him, Hosea 6:1-6 reads,
“Come, let us return to the Lord;
    for he has torn us, that he may heal us;
    he has struck us down, and he will bind us up.
2 After two days he will revive us;
    on the third day he will raise us up,
    that we may live before him.
3 Let us know; let us press on to know the Lord;
    his going out is sure as the dawn;
he will come to us as the showers,
    as the spring rains that water the earth.”
4 What shall I do with you, O Ephraim?
    What shall I do with you, O Judah?
Your love is like a morning cloud,
    like the dew that goes early away.
5 Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets;
    I have slain them by the words of my mouth,
    and my judgment goes forth as the light.
6 For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice,
    the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.
Knowing this about Israel, Christians can tend to get a bit prideful. We forget that they are examples for us. 1 Corinthians 10:11-12 says,
Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. 12 Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.
If you feel, you are better than them than take a look at yourself. We are no different and definitely no better than Israel. They had the law, the prophets, God spoke to them, adopted them, and Christ came through them (Romans 9:4-5). Yet, they sought the mitzvot, the commandments, the words of God rather than the Word of God. Don’t we do that? How many people measure themselves as good Christians because they take the Lord’s Supper once a week, go to church twice a week, were baptized, give God more than 10%, and wear a gold cross? God would prefer you know Him and love Him rather than your burnt offerings and sacrifices. Israel followed Judaism instead of seeking God, we seek Christianity instead of Christ. Who are we to judge anyone who has not come to Jesus, much less God’s very own chosen and treasured people? Yes, they messed up, so did we. But even their missteps brought blessings for the world. Verses 10-16 read,
So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather, through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. 12 Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean!
13 Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry 14 in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them. 15 For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead? 16 If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches.
Some people have anger and bitterness toward the lost and some people have a remarkable acrimony for the Jewish people. They even feel justified about their anti-Semitism. God is not an anti-Semite, He adores Israel as much as He adores you. One of the reasons, you as a gentile were given the opportunity to know Jesus was so that Israel would become jealous. God has always been THEIR God and they His people. God is jealous for them as He is for you (Exodus 34:14). It is the gentiles who were grafted in to Jesus, the Vine. How awesome, how wonderful would it be, if they who rejected God were to be grafted back in? It would be better for all of us! Just as Israel’s election by God and their rejection of God worked on behalf of your salvation, your salvation is working for Israel’s redemption. Salvation is from God, the Father calls, the Son did all the work, and the Spirit seals it. You were grafted in to God, not the other way around. He blesses you, nurtures you, and sustains you, not the other way around. God doesn’t need you! Acts 17:24-27 reminds us who God is.
The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. 26 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, 
It is up to God who He will save, it is not up to us. Exodus 33:19 reads,
And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.
So, let’s put the hostility toward the lost away, let’s stop considering ourselves better than the Jews. Verses 17-24 continue,
But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root[c] of the olive tree, 18 do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. 19 Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20 That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. 22 Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off.23 And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree.
God has not forgotten them, He is still holding His hand out to them (Romans 10:21). His stretched out hand provokes an image of His parting of the Red Sea to rescue Israel from Egypt’s slavery. It is a call to redemption, an invitation to salvation, and a reminder that it is His power and will which save. Keep in mind His promises were for Israel before they were for you. Salvation is not an exclusive club, though to the world it can sure look that way. Verses 25-31 read,
Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written,
“The Deliverer will come from Zion,
    he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”;
27 “and this will be my covenant with them
    when I take away their sins.”
28 As regards the gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. 29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. 30 For just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, 31 so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy.32 For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.
Israel wasn’t the only people to be disobedient. You were a sinner once too. You were ungodly and weak, an enemy of God, yet Christ died for you! He died for the whole world not just a few good people. Remember, there is no such thing as a good person without Jesus. Romans 5:6-11 reads,
For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
Praise God for His marvelous and astonishing grace! We have nothing to brag about except Jesus. God saved us, we couldn’t save us. He will save more too. We can’t decide who He will save by grace and who will experience His wrath. When every gentile who will come to Jesus has come Israel will be saved. I cannot grasp the meaning of this beautiful secret, this magnificent enigma. I only know that God is awesome. He made promises to Israel and He has not withdrawn them. He called Israel and He has not withdrawn the call. He chose Israel and this awesome blessing is irrevocable. What does that mean? Irrevocable means “not able to be changed, reversed or recovered; final.” In verses 33-36 Paul praised God this way,
Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord,
    or who has been his counselor?”
35 “Or who has given a gift to him
    that he might be repaid?”
36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
Believer, His call on your life is just as immutable! His promises, blessings, and gifts are irreversible and permanent. Everything you are is because of God! Everything is His and in His richness, He has poured abundantly into you! We are not recognized as His by our elitist attitude, but by our love (John 13:35). We are not saved by some act such as cutting our bodies, but by His wounds (Isaiah 53:5). Believer, consider God’s grace today and extend that grace to others. Imitate Christ and remember His hand is still stretched out to the lost.
 

​Let’s read Romans 10 today. Verses 1-4 read,
Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. 2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
Paul referred to the Jewish people, his beloved kinsmen, but he was also talking to the gentiles and Christians of the day, and us today. The more you try to be righteous, the farther from God’s righteousness you will become. You can become quite passionate about doing good, a ministry, or certain aspects of Christianity. But zeal for Christianity is not the same as zeal for Christ. You cannot save yourself, salvation does not come from being good, going to church or obeying the Ten Commandments. You will not be saved by going to church, tithing, doing the Lord’s Supper, or being baptized. Just like Israel was not saved because they kept the Mosaic Law. Moses was not saved by leading Israel to the Promised Land. Solomon was not saved because He built the Temple. Mother Teresa was not saved because she gave her life to care for India’s poor. No matter how righteous we may behave, no matter what great things we may do, we are not saved by works or working; we are saved by God’s work and our faith in His work.
In fact, enthusiasm for trying to be righteous is us taking God from His throne, sitting in His place, and trying to create our own salvation rather than submit to Jesus as our Lord. The righteousness of men is not the same as the righteousness of God. If we are striving towards the righteousness of men, instead of God’s righteousness we are headed away from God and not towards Him. The righteousness of the law is a self-righteousness, we decide we can good and in doing so compare ourselves to everyone else. We think, “He’s good, she’s not,” “That man is definitely not saved”, and “that girl is most-certainly saved.” Seeking this law-based or earthly righteousness, we have to compare ourselves to others because others are our measuring stick. We put someone, usually Jesus on one end and someone like Hitler on the other and we figure that the mark of salvation or goodness fits somewhere in between. Everyone to the right of the mark is saved and all to the left are headed to Hell. Paul said it this way in verses 6-7,
For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them. 6 But the righteousness based on faith says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 “or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).
If we look around and judge the righteousness of ourselves and others we are saying Jesus is not who He says He is, we are taking away His divinity and counting His work on the Cross as null and void. We are seeking to save ourselves rather than declare, proclaim, and affirm that Jesus is Lord.
We understand then that earthly righteousness, doing the right thing, being good, and following the rules will not and cannot save us. So, then where does God’s righteousness come from? How do we attain His righteousness if we can’t earn it? Verses 8-13 reads,
But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Faith is demonstrated two ways, without this demonstration, faith means nothing. It is in our mouths and in our hearts. So, we must confess or agree, make it known that Jesus is our Lord. And believe or commit our trust with our hearts that God raised Jesus from the dead. The word here kardia means the base of one’s physical life, the cardiac muscle. Believing with the heart, then is more than a feeling of belief, like believing a candidate can do a job or Santa Claus will bring good boys and girls toys, it is a trust so deep that it is lived. I want to take a moment to define the word Lord. The word kurioj means “supreme in authority, controller; Master a title for God, Lord, master Sir.” Accordingly, to agree that Jesus is Lord means that we submit to Him as supreme in authority, Master, and God. It is more than lip-service, this confession is proven by our obedience and surrender to Jesus as our master. That double edged faith (of mouth and heart), that new righteousness will not disappoint us or put us to shame. Trusting in God, changes us and we become conformed to Jesus’ righteousness.
It does not matter if we are Jewish and have followed every single one of the 613 mitzvot (commandments) or if we are gentiles and disobeyed every single solitary one of them, God is still God. He will save whoever calls on His name, granting them His righteousness, His mercy, grace and wealth of blessings regardless of what works they have or have not done.
Isn’t that awesome! Isn’t God awesome! Salvation is really that simple. But so many do not know, so many have not heard the Gospel. Even those who have can’t believe it because they don’t see it lived out. They hear us tell them the Gospel, but they also see us adding the “buts,” “ands,” and “therefores.” We say one thing with our mouths, but our lives proclaim our disbelief. The result of salvation is sanctification or being made into the image of Christ; part of that is that our will becomes whatever it is that God wills. He wills for all people to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4). Paul wanted this, he wanted it so badly he was willing to give up his freedom, his life and even his salvation for all people to know Jesus. He went to prison so that Caesar might hear the Gospel, he was stoned and beaten for preaching the truth, and as we read in Romans 9 that if it were possible for his fellow Jews to be saved by his damnation, he was willing. Verses 14-17 read,
How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
Salvation is not a momentary result of a magical prayer where the person repeats phrases. Salvation is an active confession of the mouth and faith of the heart. This is how people will hear the word of Christ! We preach the good news with the perpetual proclamation that Jesus is Lord and the constant proof of the faith that Jesus is raised from the dead and so are we, alive, new creations who are justified (declared righteous). Romans 6:4-7 says,
We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free from sin.
Because Jesus died and resurrected, we are righteous. Because God has declared us righteous, we are righteous. We believe that with our hearts and confess it with our mouths and we become the ambassadors, that is the emissaries, messengers, and representatives of Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 in The Message reads,
16-20 Because of this decision we don’t evaluate people by what they have or how they look. We looked at the Messiah that way once and got it all wrong, as you know. We certainly don’t look at him that way anymore. Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it! All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other. God put the world square with himself through the Messiah, giving the world a fresh start by offering forgiveness of sins. God has given us the task of telling everyone what he is doing. We’re Christ’s representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God’s work of making things right between them. We’re speaking for Christ himself now: Become friends with God; he’s already a friend with you.
21 How? you ask. In Christ. God put the wrong on him who never did anything wrong, so we could be put right with God.
That last verse, verse 21 in the ESV says,
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God
He did all the work! He sacrificed everything for our sake, all so we could be united with Him and achieve true righteousness, His righteousness. Let that thought just soak over you for a few minutes.
Will everyone hear you as you speak out God’s message, the Gospel? Will everyone who hears confess and believe? No, but that doesn’t stop God from offering salvation to everyone, so that every one of His creation might become His own Treasured Possession, Cherished Child, and Bride. He has not withdrawn the invitation, neither do we. Verses 18-21 read,
But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have, for
“Their voice has gone out to all the earth,
    and their words to the ends of the world.”
19 But I ask, did Israel not understand? First Moses says,
“I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation;
    with a foolish nation I will make you angry.”
20 Then Isaiah is so bold as to say,
“I have been found by those who did not seek me;
    I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me.”
21 But of Israel he says, “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.”
Confess with your mouth, believe with your heart, Righteous Child of God. God’s word is never empty, it is never futile to speak and live the Gospel; God’s word will accomplish what He means for it accomplish (Isaiah 55:11).  When the majority of Israel didn’t believe, many gentiles did. When many gentiles did, many of the Jews became jealous, some believed, and some got angry, resulting in persecution which dispersed the Christians and made the way for the Gospel to be preached all over the world. The one you preach to may not believe, but someone will. 

​Today, we read Romans Chapter 9. This is a tough chapter to understand and it has some truths which are challenging to digest. This is one of those chapters that have denominations arguing over ideas such as predestination. I can only offer my thoughts, what I believe to be true, as evidenced by Scripture and understood through my relationship with the LORD and what I know of Him.
So, join me and we will begin. Verses 1-3 reads,
I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit— 2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. 
Have you ever felt that deeply about someone’s salvation? Is there a loved one for whom you would be willing to giving up your salvation as Paul was, just so they could know Jesus? I think on the surface, I have thought it, “I would do anything, if so-and-so would come to Christ.” But, I have to question how deep my own conviction goes. How deep is yours? Many of us are not even willing to give up a bit of comfort or pride in order to share the Gospel with someone. If we are not willing to endure a minute of awkwardness for someone I seriously doubt we would be willing to endure an eternity of torment for them. Paul loved the Jewish people very much as did Jesus. But both were often stern and even angry toward them. I can understand Paul’s stance. I love the Jewish people, I am Jewish. I wish with my entire being that they could grasp the simple truth they lost and stop trying to be righteous by following the law and rather attain that righteousness by faith in God.
Israel was given everything she needed to become righteous, yet most of Israel missed the mark. God chose Israel as His own people even before Jacob (who would become Israel) or his father Isaac was born. He made His covenant with Israel. He gave them the Law through Moses. He was with them in miraculous ways and fed them with bread from Heaven and water from the Rock. The Messiah, the Savior came from Judah in Israel and God even told them all about who the Christ would be.  Paul wrote it like this in verses 4-5,
They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. 5 To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen
 
If God did all that and still the Jews did not come to salvation, then did the Word of God fail? I mean, did God choose the wrong people? Did He not make Himself clear enough with them? Paul answers the question in verses 6-13.
But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, 7 and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” 8 This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring. 9 For this is what the promise said: “About this time next year I will return, and Sarah shall have a son.” 10 And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, 11 though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls— 12 she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” 13 As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”
You see, some Jewish people did come to salvation. Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Joshua, David, Paul, every one of the Apostles, me, and many more. There has always been a remnant, a few of the many who answered the call of God and became who God had ordained them to be. God chooses, God calls, salvation is from Him and not from us. It is not the law, not our works or effort which saves, but God.
He could have saved everyone, but where is the love in taking our choice away? That is not a relationship, it is slavery. Esau had every advantage, just like Israel’s descendants would one day have every advantage. Esau had the same parents, the same choices, even more so than Jacob. Isaac favored Esau. But it was Jacob who was chosen by God to become Israel. It was Jacob who answered God’s call. Does it seem unfair? Does it seem like God just threw Esau away before he was even born? It was Esau who sold his birthright to Jacob for the price of a bowl of stew (Genesis 25:29-34). He chose to give his calling away for the satisfaction of his stomach. God gave him freewill and he exercised it. Did the Lord know he would? Yes. Did the Lord want him to do it? Of course not! God doesn’t want a single one of us to choose death (Ezekiel 33:11, 1 Timothy 2:4). If Esau had chosen not to sell his birthright, Jacob still would have become Israel. God always sees to it, that those who follow Him in faith become the people we were created to become.
God knit you together in the womb (Psalm 139:9). He chose your lineage, He added gifts, talents, and aspirations. He made you and chose you for a reason. God didn’t reject Esau, Esau rejected God by caring about food more than his birthright. God didn’t reject Cain, Cain provided an offering that was less than the best, it was not a sacrifice, but easy for him to gather a few of his crops together; Cain rejected the awesomeness of God for his own convenience. God did not reject Judas, Judas chose money over truth and had the opportunity like Peter and all the other disciples to be forgiven; He rejected God and chose death over life. God’s work would still have been done without Judas’ betrayal; it was his choice and he had many chances to change his mind.
In the minuteness of our human brains we don’t see the choice, we see God predetermining who will be saved and who will not. Some use this as a reason to reject God, truth, and love. Verses 14-21 speak on our protestations.
What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part? By no means! 15 For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 16 So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” 18 So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.
19 You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?” 20 But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?”21 Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use?
God is God, He is your creator. He created you for His glory. Ephesians 2:8-10 reads,
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Ephesians 1:3-6 says this,
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.
God’s will is that all are saved and none will perish 2 Peter 3:9 reads,
The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
He calls us all and gives us all the chance to answer but not everyone does. Revelation 3:20-21 reads,
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. 21 The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.
Anyone who opens the door, not wishing any should perish. God chose each of us, He calls each of us. And yes, sadly He does harden some hearts, but not before giving them every chance. Isaiah 55:6 warns us to “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near” If a person chooses to reject God repeatedly, He will make them deaf to the call, blind to the truth, and stubborn to the case for Christ. He gives them what they want, though He doesn’t ever withdraw the offer of Salvation, He makes it so they stop hearing the knock on the door of their hearts. After Jesus had raised Lazarus form the dead and done some amazing teachings some Jews believed in Him, but many did not. John 12:36-43 reads,
When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them. 37 Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, 38 so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
“Lord, who has believed what he heard from us,
    and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”
39 Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said,
40 “He has blinded their eyes
    and hardened their heart,
lest they see with their eyes,
    and understand with their heart, and turn,
    and I would heal them.”
41 Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him.42 Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.
 
I previously wrote, “We all have the freedom to choose Jesus Christ. So many don’t. God knew from before our birth, before our grandparents’ birth, and at the creation of the world who we would be and if we would choose Him. He knows if Jenny from the block will bow down and proclaim Jesus as Lord. We do not. If He chooses to harden her heart it is not because He is rejecting her, it is for a good purpose for those who have loved him and answered the call to follow Him.  He knows who will choose Him. He can harden hearts, soften hearts, make breakthroughs, and build barriers. He can remove stumbling blocks and place them. He is God.
It seems unfair. It seems like He’s playing favorites. It is not He who is playing favorites, it is us! He pursues, opens, and gives. It is up to us to seek, knock, and ask.” God has the whole picture, we only have a tiny fragment of it. We are human, and God is The LORD. His thoughts are not our thoughts. His ways are not our ways. He is God, His thoughts and ways are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9).
Hearts are hardened for God’s glory; it gives Him a chance to reveal Himself more completely, His wrath and His mercy, His justice, and His love. Consider that the Jewish people who rejected Jesus as Messiah, made it so that the Gospel of Christ would be preached to rest of the world. God knew from the beginning that most of the world would not receive Him, He made the way from the beginning for us to be His people, His children, and His beloved bride. God did not condemn the ones who rejected Him to death, they condemned themselves by refusing to answer the call. He, being All-knowing Loving God, used their stubbornness for our good. We are not better than them. We are chosen by God. Our salvation is not from any effort of our own. It is God. God can and will save whomever He chooses. Verses 22-29 say,
What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction,23 in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory— 24 even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles? 25 As indeed he says in Hosea,
“Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,’
    and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved.’”
26 “And in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’
    there they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’”
27 And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved, 28 for the Lord will carry out his sentence upon the earth fully and without delay.” 29 And as Isaiah predicted,
“If the Lord of hosts had not left us offspring,
    we would have been like Sodom
    and become like Gomorrah.”
God is merciful and wonderful. The Gospel is beautifully straightforward, but most cannot grasp it because of its simplicity. The kingdom of Heaven is backward and upside-down from everything we understand in the world. The Pharisees pursued the law so passionately that they created more rules and rituals to assure that they would not break it. They memorized the Torah, they used all their own power to try and be righteous. Paul said this about it in Philippians 3:2-6.
Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. 3 For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh— 4 though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.
In other words, if anyone’s own efforts or credentials could save them, it would be Paul. But, none of that can save. But, what does Paul say about all his righteousness under the law? Philippians 3:7-9 tells us.
But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith
We cannot reach salvation by our own efforts. Why do we have such a hard time accepting this? It is God, not us. It is a gift, not a salary. We are saved by faith, not works. Verses 30-33 say,
What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith;31 but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law. 32 Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone, 33 as it is written,
“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense;
    and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
Treasured Possession, God chose you and made you before the foundation of the world for His glory. You answered the call, now abide in Salvation, rejoice in victory, and be who God created you to be. God chose you and called you. If you have not answered the call, do so now before it is too late.

​We are taking a break from Romans today, to explore something the Lord gave me yesterday. Have you ever wanted something desperately from God? And you prayed and fasted and found extra service opportunities, maybe gave extra in the offering in order to please God so that He would give you what you’re asking for? I have caught myself in this and I have seen it on others. Why is it we cannot understand the simplicity of grace? You cannot earn God’s favor. You cannot manipulate the Lord. And He is not a vending machine.
When we were kids, we did extra chores to please our parents and manipulate them into giving us extra allowance or permission to go to a party. At Christmas time, our behavior was as perfect as possible to influence them into giving us more gifts. God is not like that; our efforts will not gain more favor. In Matthew 7:7-11 Jesus said,
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!”
What I want us to ask ourselves is what is the motivation behind our service, our rituals, and even our prayers. You see if we have faith, then we know God is great, He is with us, in us, for us, works all things for our good, and wants good for us (Psalm 95:3, Joshua 1:9, Romans 8:31, Romans 8:28, Jeremiah 29:11). It is our fear which makes us stop seeking God’s face and start seeking His rewards, gifts, blessings, and miracles. When we seek God, draw close to Him, desire a relationship with Him rather than seek the rewards, He gives rewards. Hebrews 11:1-3 and 6 read,
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 For by it the people of old received their commendation. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
I believe in serving God but not in order to earn rewards, that is called a wage, not a gift. I serve God because I love Him so much and I am grateful to Him, but mostly I serve Him because He is making me into His image and the result, the fruit of that change means I follow Him, obey Him, behave like Him, and think like Him. It is a natural progression of my supernatural transformation. If I follow Jesus, I imitate Him. Paul said it this way in 1 Corinthians 10:30-11:1
If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that for which I give thanks?
31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 32 Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God,33 just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved.
1Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.
 
God does give rewards, gifts, and blessings. But not because we earn them, or deserve them. And we do not serve Him to earn rewards, it is because Jesus is our Lord and Master, He served, and we are not greater than He is. After Jesus had washed the feet of the twelve disciples including Judas Iscariot, He said,
You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them (John 13:13-17).
We are servants because Jesus was a servant. We are servants of Jesus because we must live out our confession that He is Lord and so follow and obey Him. We serve, not for rewards, but out of love and duty. Jesus said it like this in Luke 17:5-10
The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” 6 And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.
7 “Will any one of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and recline at table’? 8 Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink’? 9 Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? 10 So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’”
Jesus used the idea of us as servants many times in His teaching. Serving does not make us worthy, it is part of who we are as followers of Christ. In another parable, often called The Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25:14-30 Jesus told the story of three servants charged with the stewardship of money from their master. We see the money as gifts, talents, and blessings God has given us while we live on earth and wait for Jesus to return. Two of the servants took the money given to them and used it and doubled it; one buried the money given to him because he was afraid to lose it. When the master returned He told the two how pleased He was with them, He said, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.” The one who buried the money had that money taken from him and he was called wicked, slothful, and unworthy.
We call ourselves unworthy because we know we don’t deserve rewards just for following Christ, yet, Jesus calls us good and faithful servants and promises rewards! How awesome is that? Why do you want rewards? Do you want to hold on to them, bury them, or use them for your own joy? That is not what God has in mind for our gifts and rewards. The servants in the parable, used the money He gave them and returned them to Him. God has a purpose for gifting you. It is to edify (that is build up and encourage) the church and to fulfil his great commission to us and be Jesus to the world.
Ephesians 4:11-13 reads,
And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,
And 1 Peter 4:10 says,
As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace
 
We are supposed to store up our treasures in Heaven, not squirrel them away here will they will do no good to anyone (Matthew 6:19-20). What are some of those treasures? First, there are the people, God’s treasured possession. Exodus 19:4-6
“‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; 6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”
1 Thessalonians 2:19-20 describes the people we disciple as a crown, a reward.
 For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? 20 For you are our glory and joy.
And there is more! Here are just a few,
The Crown of Life described in James 1:12
Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.
And in Revelation 2:10
Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.
The Crown of Righteousness described in 2 Timothy 4:8
Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.
The Crown of Glory explained in 1 Peter 5:1-5
So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: 2 shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you;[b] not for shameful gain, but eagerly; 3 not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.5 Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
These crowns are imperishable, they come from faith, humility, and perseverance. They are promised by God for the way we run the race, they are not earned. 1 Corinthians 9:24-25 reads,
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.
 
And what do we do with these treasures? What do these beautiful, rare, and priceless treasures mean to us compared to being in the presence of God? Revelation 4:8-11 describes The Elders in Heaven and what they do with their crowns.
And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say,
“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,
    who was and is and is to come!”
9 And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
11 “Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
    to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
    and by your will they existed and were created.”
We will give them right back to Jesus! We will fall down and throw our crowns at His feet. What more could we give, we can only give Him what He has given us. Our reward is not a crown or a banner, a gold ribbon, or a boatload of material things; our reward is eternity in His presence, joy forever more. On this present earth, we seek to become the perfect image of Christ. In Heaven, in New Jerusalem, we will be completed, perfected, and united with Him. That is our reward.
Treasured, are you seeking God’s Kingdom and Righteousness or are you seeking the many blessings, gifts, and rewards that come with walking with Christ? Are you seeking God’s face or are you seeking wealth, spiritual power, and a happy comfortable life? The desire for the gifts leads to sin, the desire for God leads to righteousness and His rewards and gifts are yours already because He has already declared you righteous (Romans 5:1) and perfected (Hebrews 4:10). 1 Timothy 6:9-12 warns us against seeking the rewards.
But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
11 But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
 
None of those gifts is greater than the love of God. 1 Corinthians 13 says it beautifully,
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned] but have not love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
 
 

​Let’s read Romans 8 together.
When I consider how wonderful and good God is, how much He loves me and all He did in order to allow me a relationship with Him, I am overcome with gratitude, love, and joy. But I also must realize that I have sinned and I am undeserving of this peace with God. There are times when this line of thoughts can lead me to ruminate the horrible things I have done, said, and thought. The guilt and regret can cripple me. Does that ever happen to you? Are you ever wracked with guilt over your past and even your present? Does the accuser get inside your head and tell you all the horrible things you have done and the detestable person you are? The accuser of the brethren is out to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10) and wants you paralyzed by guilt and shame. That is not the same things as conviction or remorse. Conviction and remorse have an active response, confession and repentance. Guilt and shame lead to self-pity, anger, and bitterness.
Believer, if you are stuck in guilt over your past, remember the devil is a LIAR! You are not the person you used to be! You died with Christ, you were raised to new life in Him and you live in Him now! God has declared you are righteous! He lived and died and resurrected for you, that means even though you didn’t deserve it, He thought you were worthy of it.
That is why Romans 8:1 is such a powerful and popular verse. That is why so many people commit it to memory. We have to tell the devil he is a liar and to shut his mouth. The verse reads,
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Do you remember what we read yesterday in Romans 7? Believer, you died to the law and therefore to sin. The law has no sway over you, so how can you be condemned by it? The word for condemnation is katakrima and it means just what condemnation in English means, damnation, a punitive sentence, a verdict of guilt. As we have read Romans, we’ve learned we are justified by faith in Jesus. Justified, the Greek word is dikaiósis is the very opposite, it is a declaration of innocence, acquittal, and absolution. There is NO condemnation in Christ! You are dead to that sin, stop bringing it back into your life again! When Jesus was crucified and resurrected, He didn’t conquer all your sins up to your salvation, He forgave all your sin, full stop. He conquered sin and death, period!
You are freed from all those sins; the accuser cannot chain them to you without your permission. You are freed from the power of sin, you have the Spirit in you. God is with you and in Him, you do not have to give in to sin. The power of the law, which as we read yesterday makes us aware of our sin and breeds more sin in us, is broken. The power of the law’s requirements has been fulfilled. You live not by your flesh, the physical desires and needs, and earthly mindset which leads to sin, but by the Spirit, who leads you to be the image of Christ.  Verses 1-7 read,
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
 
Living under condemnation means we are giving the law and the flesh the authority over us. We can follow our flesh, try to be good enough, try to fulfill the law ourselves, and think that we somehow can do it by our own strength and morality. But if we do that, our minds are set on the flesh. Think for a moment about your needs. For instance, what is for supper tonight? Now your mind is on that, you must think about what you will eat, how you will pay for it, if there is enough, how you will cook it, or how you will procure it. Your mind is on supper. If you set your mind on trying to keep the law, then your mind is on sins you cannot commit if you want to be good, the punishment for those sins, and ways you will make for yourself in order not to break the laws. Jesus told us not to put our minds on all that, He said to seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness first above all else and everything else would fall into place (Matthew 6:33). Paul told us to keep our minds on whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, or worthy of praise. He said that if we practice what we’ve learned from the scriptures and our spiritual leaders that the God of peace would be with us (Philippians 4:8-9). The mind of Christ is not focused on sin, but on love, goodness, kindness, and perseverance. The mind of Christ is set on the hope of future glory and our present sanctification. It is the flesh that worries about earthly matters, trying to be good, and looking good take over and bring sin. In verses 9-11 Paul reminds us,
You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
We are dead to sin but now truly alive! Remember what I mentioned earlier, the accuser, also called the enemy or the thief came to steal, kill, and destroy. There is more to that verse! Jesus came so we could have life and have it abundantly! (John 10:10). Cherished, don’t you know that the Spirit lives in you, you are the temple of the Living God and God will not let anyone destroy you! 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 says,
Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.
18 Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,” 20 and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” 21 So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, 23 and you are Christ's, and Christ is God's.
Romans 8:12-17 read,
So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
Are you living the defeated life, of who you once were, condemned to eternal death, guilty of countless sins, concerned with yourself, and eaten up by surviving instead of enjoying life? We don’t have to live trying to meet our physical needs, striving to satisfy our yearnings, or worrying about earthly matters. Pursuing the kingdom of God means we will strive for Godly matters. He loves you; He loves your neighbor. He cares about justice. His Word will accomplish what it set out to accomplish (Isaiah 55:11). Believer, you have the mind of Christ and the Spirit of God in you, delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart (Proverbs 37:4). The Spirit is in us! He is God and He is powerful. Our old selves are dead and we now live in Christ, new and free, and truly alive.
I know life isn’t all roses and sunshine. God never promised that life on this earth would be free of trouble. In fact Jesus said, “In the world you will have tribulation.” He said WILL not if, or might, or could, but will. But He followed that sentence up with this one, “But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Yes, we will and do suffer, but remember, Jesus overcame the world. You are not condemned to be the victim of the thief who steals, kills, and destroys, you have life and you have it abundantly! Paul encouraged us by reminding us that our life is eternal and that we will one day be transformed in an instant and perfectly united with Christ forever. Verses 18-25 read,
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
 
We will be free from all of the minutia, all the sin, corruption, decay, and death. I know that I often refer us to this passage from Revelation, but I think it is important to know what our future glory will be like. Let us know what it is we hope for. Let’s read it again; Revelation 21:1-7 says,
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. 7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.
As we long for New Jerusalem, we groan in the temporary pain and suffering of this present life, the way a woman in labor groans with the temporary pain of childbirth knowing that when the pain ends, there will be great joy and new life. Sometimes, the pain is great. Sometimes, our flesh rears its head and we want to give in to the despair, guilt, or anguish. But, holding on to the hope of future glory, remembering we are heirs with Christ and not prisoners of the prince of the world allows us to lean on Him, especially when there is nothing in ourselves to lean on. Sometimes, we do not even have the words to put our hopelessness into a prayer. Verses 26-28 give us hope.
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
The Spirit, God Almighty indwelling you, He intercedes for us, praying when we can’t! He prays perfectly, because He searches His own mind for His will for us and asks for that. And no matter how difficult the circumstances, how dark the situation, or how deep the hole, God will work all things together, He will weave all the details, conditions, and situations together for our good, our benefit. Do you ask then, why or how bad stuff happens to us? Why do some of us become disabled, lose loved ones, have depilating illness, or terrible struggles? What is the benefit of any of that? Verses 29-30 answer that question this way,
 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
Okay, what does that mean, you might ask. Glorification is our transformation or change to become like Jesus, to exhibit His image, behave and look like Him wherever we go and whatever we go through. Remember what we read in Chapter 5 of Romans? Romans 5:3-6 says,
Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. 6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
 
The thief may try to steal, kill, and destroy, but Jesus came to give you eternal life and nothing and no one can snatch you from His hand (John 10:10, 28-29). You are no longer condemned, you are free, alive, and justified. You have a glory and a hope. God will not stop loving you, nothing you do can cause Him to love you more or love you less. The enemy, death, and sin have no power over you and cannot divorce you from God’s complete love. The accuser will try to harm you and take you away from God, but he can’t. He may use your pride to fill you with shame, guilt, or obstinance. He may sling his arrows at you all day long but none of that can hurt you, at all. Verses 31-39 read,
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written,
“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
    we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
I think this is important enough to reiterate and underline. Our hearts must understand this. The accuser has nothing to accuse us of! There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1). Those verses (31-39) in The Message read this way,
So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn’t hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn’t gladly and freely do for us? And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God’s chosen? Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ’s love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture:
They kill us in cold blood because they hate you.
We’re sitting ducks; they pick us off one by one.
None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I’m absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.
Cherished, Believer, Follow of Christ, you are alive in Christ, so live for Him! Your pains are temporary and bring new life and joy, so rejoice! Nothing, No one, is more powerful than God almighty and so nothing and no one can separate you from His love, snatch you from His hand, or sentence you to death.