Adam and Jesus

Rom. 5:12-21

This passage portrays a vivid contrast between Adam, a type of the One to come, and Jesus Christ. To begin with sin entered the world because of Adam's singular act of disobedience. With sin came death, a death that spread to all men. Death and sin reigned even over those whose sin differed from Adam's.

But the free gift is not like sin. Many died through 1 man's sin, but the free gift and the grace of God have abounded for many through the death of one man, Jesus Christ. Adam's sin [just one man's sin] brought death and  judgment to all, but even though many sinned one man's death [Jesus Christ] brought grace and life to all. Just as through Adam's sin death reigned over many so too those who receive grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life because of Jesus Christ.

Adam and Jesus are like the flip side of the same coin. On one side is condemnation and death for all through Adam's sin [disobedience]. The many to follow Adam had no choice because Adam's sin determined the course of life from that point on. But on the reverse of the coin are many sinners coming to Jesus. His death provided a way out of Adam's colossal failure. His obedience to God was the supreme example of love [death on a cross], a death that  brought righteousness to many. Where sin increased, grace abounded even more. Just like sin reigned in death so grace reigns in righteousness leading to eternal life in Christ Jesus.

What an amazing picture! Adam changed the course of life in a downward slope resulting in sin, death, and condemnation. As each new generation was born, the earth became even more evil. But the answer came with Jesus. With His one act of complete self-sacrifice, He gave all men the opportunity, the choice to transform their human nature. Even though this entire concept is hard to understand, I definitely understand grace, righteousness, and eternal life. Whereas man's choice was gone with Adam, Jesus offers a choice. I choose Jesus and all the provisions He has made for me.

Father,
What a glorious gift that You would send Your only Son to change the course of history and allow sinful man to have a transformed life. Grace, righteousness, and eternal life are my transformers. You have given me so much. Grant me to walk worthy of Your call.
In Jesus name,
Amen

Hope for the Future

Rom. 5:1

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Rom. 5:1-12

The central idea in this passage is that believers have hope for future glory and eternal life because they have been made righteous by the blood of Christ. It is amazing to me that Christ died for us while we were still steeped in sin. When He looked at us, there was no redeeming quality. But His blood changed all that. Through Him there could be redemption. 

But God shows his love for us in that while we were sinners Christ died for us. 

Through His Son, God was making the way possible for those whom He called to be saved, to be reconciled to Him. Once we are saved, then our lives become right with God. We have peace with Him. What is better than having peace with the God of the universe! But wait, there's more. Through Jesus we have access into the grace in which we stand. Without this grace, we would have no standing before God. 

But wait, there's more. Through Him and His great grace, we can rejoice in our sufferings. Now that is hard to believe! Humanly speaking, no one rejoices in suffering. In fact, they become depressed and hopeless. But we are not without hope. We have a  future that promises eternal life. What makes this rejoicing in suffering possible? We can rejoice in suffering because it produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 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 us.  God has changed it all. Our lives have now been transformed. Instead of thinking only of the flesh, we now see life through the eyes of Jesus. We want to be like Him, and the way to do that is through suffering. Did Jesus suffer when he died? Yes, it was an horrendous death full of suffering to the max, and we are called to follow in His footsteps. He does not call us to do this alone. He fully equips us to stand strong and to endure. The only possible for us to do this is through His grace and strength. Then step by step we grow in His image. But wait there's more. We rejoice in God through Jesus, through whom we have now received reconciliation. 

Returning to verse 1, it says we have been justified by faith. Where did this faith come from? The faith to be saved was a gift from God as well. It is all a gift of God so that no man can boast save in Jesus Christ. So to sum up, because of His blood, we have been saved, justified, and reconciled. We can rejoice in God and in our suffering. We have a new direction and purpose for our life. We now live constantly looking forward to our great hope that is eternal life and the glory of God. We have access into the grace in which we stand and peace with God. We have the grace that we need, and we have the Holy Spirit to lead and teach us.

Father,
My heart rejoices as I see all that You have given me. I am so thankful for Your grace that helps me live each day. Thank You, Father, for calling me to be Your child and giving me peace with You. Thank You, Spirit for pouring God's love into my heart. Thank You, Jesus for making all of this possible, for shedding Your blood and losing Your life for me.
In Jesus name,
Amen

Fully Convinced

Rom. 4:20-21

No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. That is why his faith was "counted to him as righteousness."

Abraham was not justified by works, but by his faith. Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness. This opportunity to believe God is there for all. It requires no works but a simple belief. So why is this hard for so many people? Why does man like to do works and be rewarded for those works? I think because he can take pride in what he has accomplished and then offer it to God apart from anything that God has done for him. God says believing is a gift so that no man may boast!

Abraham was circumcised as a seal of his righteousness. The circumcision was not the act that made him right with God. The same goes for us who are circumcised in heart. Our circumcision is a seal of our salvation based on the gift of grace and faith. Certainly, we have in obedience to God cut away the desires for the flesh and replaced them with the grace and faith God has given us. Nothing man does can count as a way to heaven. It is all of God lest any man should boast.

The promise was to Abraham and his offspring that he would be father of many nations. This did not come because of his works, but it came through the righteousness of faith. In hope Abraham believed that he would have an heir. Even as years flew by, his faith did not weaken  When his body was old and when Sarah was beyond child bearing years, he still believed. No distrust made him waver concerning the promises of God. What a lesson to me! Distrust sounds like a horrible thing. To distrust God is heinous! Yet often that is what we do when we can't wait for God to work. 

Not only did he trust God implicitly, he grew strong in his faith and gave glory to God. He wasn't waiting passively, sitting and enduring. He trusted God to work in His time, and in the meantime, he would continue to live his life as someone who loved God. Certainly this should be an example for us The phrase it was counted to him is there for us as well. If we believe in Him, who was raised from the dead, delivered up for our sin, and raised for our justification, then it will be counted to us as righteousness. Abraham fully believed in the promise of God and that God was able to fulfill the promise in His time. Do we fully believe in the promises of the word? While we wait for God to answer specifically, do we continue to grow and bring glory to God?  

Father,

Abraham's life makes me think about so many things. Increase my faith so that I will have no distrust of You. I know Your promises are precious and very great. I want my belief in them to control my life.  Thank You for covering me in the righteousness of Jesus. 

In His name,

Amen

The Wedding Feast

Mt. 22: 1-14

Jesus was using parables to teach the people some very important truths about the kingdom of heaven This kingdom could be compared to a wedding feast that the King is giving for His Son. He sent His servants out to call those invited to the wedding, but they would not come. He did this again telling his servants to say the the the oxen and fat calves had been slaughtered, but still they did not come. One went to his farm, and another to his business, while others mistreated his servants to the point of killing them. The king was angry and sent His troops to destroy those people and burn their city. Then He said to His servants, those who were invited were not worthy. Go to the main roads and invite as many as you can to the wedding feast. They did and the wedding feast was full, but when the king came in he saw a man with no wedding garment. The king said, Friend how did you get in here without a wedding garment? The man was speechless. Then the king said, Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called but few are chosen. 

Did the Pharisees understand any of this parable? Were their hearts pricked? Did they know they were the ones that were rejecting the Son? The very next verse says they plotted to entangle Him in His words. Sad, so sad when people are so steeped in their religion that they can't see the truth from error. The Father's invitation was rejected by the Jews. His servants, the prophets, John the Baptist, and Jesus Himself, were rejected. More than that, their rejection meant the killing the servant who came  not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." 

The invitation was then given to those on the main roads, that is the Gentiles who eagerly came to the feast. But when the King came into the feast, He immediately spotted the one without the proper garment. He was cast into outer darkness. There is only one way to get into the wedding feast, that is clothed in the righteousness of the Son with sins forgiven and covered by His blood. It reminds me of Mt. 7. Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Those rejected said, did we not prophesy in Your name,and cast out demons and do mighty works? And Jesus said to them, I never knew you.; depart from me you workers of lawlessness. There is no substitute for the blood of Jesus. Those who do great works in their flesh may look good on the outside, but on the inside there is all manner of sin. The counterfeit will not make it!  Those saved who are called by the Father and indwelled by the Spirit will hear the call and run for the wedding feast of the Lamb. They are the long-awaited bride dress in garments of pure white. What a glorious day! 

Father,

Prepare my heart for this great day. Teach me so that I may grow more nad more each day into the image of Your Son. Thank You for sending Jesus so that I might be made Yours. 

In the name of the Servant-Son,

Amen

Obedience

Rom. 2:28-29

For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.

The issue is obedience whether a person is a Jew under the OT laws and commandments or is a believer under grace. Both must be obedient! Circumcision must be present whether it is an OT physical circumcision or a NT cutting away of the flesh of our hearts., The flesh must be eliminated! As I read the OT codes, there is so much detail for every area of life, but for the the NT believer there is grace. Are we misusing the grace that we have? 

The NT is replete with many put on's and put off's. Yet what is our attitude about them? Do we struggle with the same issues because we are enjoying them, and are consequently neglecting to put them off. I know that God has said He will not be mocked. Are we mocking the very gift that cost so very much? Sure, I am not saying that perfection is required. What I am saying is that when we fall, confession should immediately follow. A sinful practice should never be allowed whether it is a flaw of the personality, or a sin that we feel justified in keeping. For instance if a believer or a family member has hurt us. What they did was wrong, but it doesn't give us the rite to give them an equally sinful response. Our relationship with God should mean so much to us that we refuse to let anything in our lives interrupt it. Confession and grief over our sin and communion with God should be our go-to, that is unless we are not sorry, unless we have excused this sin as something that will always be there, unless we have forsaken the battle and not claimed the promises of God in this area. Even in grace, I think there is a line in the sand that can not been blurred by the tide of evil.  God's word says to put off and put on.

Father,

Help me to be true to You all the time. Give me that grief and sorrow for my sin. Open my eyes to see how abhorrent it is to You. Lord, forgive me. Jesus, thank You for Your sacrifice and the gift of Your Spirit. Thank You for Your very costly grace.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Unashamed

Rom. 1:16

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

Paul was unashamed of the gospel. His life proved it on so many levels. He would share with anyone anywhere. He would limit his personal freedoms if it meant someone would come to know Jesus. In Rom. 1:1, Paul stated that he was set apart for the gospel of God, a gospel that had been promised beforehand through the prophets concerning His Son, a son who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by His resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of His name among all the nations, including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. Wow! There you have it, the full scope of the gospel. Paul had established his apostleship with these people. Rejoicing in the great bond he had because of Christ, he wanted to share his heart with them so that they could encourage each other. 

Like he does in other epistles, he began with a prayer thanking God for these believers whose faith is proclaimed world-wide. His prayers are the stuff of which we can pray for one another. The very things that he prayed so many years ago are the same things we need to pray today. His heart wanted to see them to impart a spiritual gift to strengthen them--that is to mutually encourage each other. How great is that! Whenever believers meet this should happen. What a bond we have in Christ! Paul was eager to preach in Rome, to share the gospel with the Greeks, the barbarians, the wise, and the foolish. Christ is all and in all.  

It is with this introduction that he stated the great verse that I memorized as a child. For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. Do I have those same feelings for the gospel? Is spreading the message foremost in my thoughts? Do I want to encourage other believers when I am with them? Like Paul, I am set apart for the gospel. Is this calling seen clearly in my life?

Father,

I am unashamed of the gospel, yet fear strikes a note in my heart. Take that out of me. Open the doors for me to share the gospel of Jesus. 

In Jesus name,

Amen

Presumption

Mt. 20:27-29

It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

As Jesus and His disciples were traveling to Jerusalem, He was telling them what was going to happen. He would be delivered to the Jews , condemned to death, mocked and flogged and crucified by the Gentiles, and raised on the third day. From the text it seemed as if the disciples understood all this. Perhaps in their heads, but they had no clue what the suffering would be like. 

With those walking with Jesus was the mother of the James and John. She had a question for Jesus that had to do with the future of her sons. So much like a mother, seeking to control the details of her sons' lives when only God controls the details of anyone's life.  She wanted her boys to sit on the left and right of Jesus in heaven. Whoa! That is presumption in its truest form, to come to the Son of God and ask for a heavenly promotion for her sons! What a lesson for a mom!  Jesus replied to her"You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?" They said to him, "We are able." He said to them, "You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father."  I wonder how she felt after Jesus said this. Was her heart pricked with the foolishness of what she had done? Did she make an apology to Jesus? Hopefully, she was not indignant. 

However, when the 10 heard this, they were indignant. I imagine they were thinking or even saying, 'Are you kidding?' But Jesus pulled the conversation back in and used this incident as a teaching moment.  Paradoxically, whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Now that is heavy! What Jesus taught was completely the opposite of the model they had seen in life. The priests and scribes wanted to advance to higher positions thus giving them more power, but a Christian seeks to serve, to put himself last. Phillipians 2 says, Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Jesus is the model. His words and His life were in sync. What He calls His followers to do is live as He did. 

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,

Father,

I know that this is true, yet still within my flesh is the desire to be noticed, to be praised, and to want prominence. I confess. Purge that desire from my body. Teach me to live as you lived. Give me Your grace and strength.

In His name,

Amen