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. 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.

Romans 12:1-2

I heard in a promo for the local Christian radio station a statement like this: “I love [radio station] because I can worship on days other than Sunday.” My immediate thought was that they don’t understand what worship is and these verses from Romans 12 back that up. We are to offer ourselves each day in sacrifice to Him. It’s the daily living of our lives that show our worship, but emotional music and waving our hands in the air.
If we allow ourselves to meditate on these two verses, it will convict our hearts. I know it does mine. If I think back on my day, my week and this month and year, I find that mostly I do what I want. I act as I decide best, within the framework of biblical morality. That sounds well and good, but Jesus demanded our complete surrender and submission to His will over ours, not that we would simply restrict our will to the boundaries of the law.
I’ve come to realize that means that I will act in ways that frequently make me uncomfortable, that are outside what I want to do and that it takes vigilance and a constant view of the savior and his sacrifice to motivate me to act as a living sacrifice every day. I haven’t done well at this at all in recent years, frankly.
Romans 12:3-8 – So, take what you’ve been given and offer it to God. If you can teach, teach, if you can serve serve. God did not give these gifts that you would spend them on bettering yourselves, rather that they would better the church and in turn the world.
Romans 12:10 – “Outdo one another in showing honor.” – Oh that this characterized every group that calls itself a church.
Romans 12:14-21 – Paul tells us here how we should act towards each other and the world. It does not come naturally. Refer to verses1-2.

Romans 11:1-6 – More evidence, direct statements frankly, that God chooses at least some, setting them aside for his purpose. What does that look like, I wonder? it’s tempting to say that God has somewhat randomly and arbitrarily picked some to be his and that means that they do not have to wrestle with sin or dedicate themselves to Him. But that’s reading into the text. God, through Paul, simply says that he has a remnant set aside. We don’t know how they were chosen as a remnant nor what that means for them and their faith.
The mystery of God’s choosing is profound, deep and complex and I think we do Him, and us, a disservice when we try to simplify it.
Romans 11:11-16 – The preceding verses talk about some in Israel who were hardened, but this passage indicates that the ministry outside of Israel holds hope even for them that out of jealousy they might be moved to seek God and be saved. So hardened does not equal rejected or dismissed or discarded.
Romans 11:20 – “They were broken off because of their unbelief.” An arbitrary hardening of some of Israel? No.
Romans 11:17-20 – This passage puts the preceding chapters and verses describing God’s choosing in the light of how he chooses. Some are hardened and cut off, some are grafted in. Yet, even those who were ct off can be re-grafted if they come to faith. So, God looks to our faith in His choosing, at least in part
Romans 11:25-32 – This seems to muddy the waters a bit again, indicating that God is up to something, a grand plan that involves hardening some to drawing in others which in turn will draw back those who he hardened. In fact, he has given us all over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on all. (v. 32)
I think that this verse sums it up for me:

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

Romans 11:33

He’s up to something alright and I can only understand it in part, but I’m grateful that I can take part in it.

I’m nearing that ‘Place Where I Can Stand’ mentioned in my last (non-FfF) post. More on that later, first, on with my study of Romans.
Romans 9:30-33 – See here, the Gentiles attained something they did not pursue. How? One answer is simply that God gave it to them, and that is true. They didn’t earn it. But, that’s not what this passage says. It says that they attained it by faith, and Israel didn’t because they didn’t pursue with faith. So, yes, it is God that grants righteousness, but our faith plays a role.
Romans 10:1-4 – This passage nicely merges the two seemingly divergent topics. It is God who offers up righteousness, on His terms and His terms alone. We can then choose to submit to it,in faith, or try to achieve our own. Israel chose the latter, a path that is doomed to fail as it has from the day Adam and Eve left the garden (actually, from the bite of the apple).
Romans 10:9 – In my experience, one of the most ill-used verses in the Bible. Many use it to justify a faith that is empty believe. Belief = salvation. This of course, ignores the rest of the new testament that expounds on the implications of this faith in the radical man, Jesus. True faith is transformative, true faith moves us off our course, true faith radically changes us, true faith has on going, life altering, dope-slap-like implications on what we do on a regular, never ending basis. Any faith that allows us to live just as we had been is faith in something other than Jesus.
The other side (and where I’ve been in recent years) tries to pretend that it doesn’t say what it says – faith in Jesus saves us. They point out that the context is a discussion on the differences between Jew and Gentile, which is true but beside the point. They want to say “Yes, but …” and add in all kinds of things. Faith and .. baptism, obedience, purity, holiness, zeal, conviction, righteousness, etc. All of those things are important, but they all – ALL – rise from the root of faith.

Romans 9:6 – “… not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel” For the largely Gentile audience at Rome, this was not likely controversial, but to the Jews who were reading, I imagine it was a radical, and offensive, statement. Some in Israel aren’t true Israelites?!? But what this points to is the larger context of the Kingdom of God. It’s a kingdom that has no regard for human borders or even familial or genetic ties. it is instead a Kingdom built on the hearts of men and defined by them. Men continue to this day to define it by lines drawn in human ways – church membership, doctrinal positions and human behaviors – but that is not the nature of the Kingdom. It defies human descriptions and boundaries.
Romans 9:10-13 – Here we are, back at election. Paul says that before the twins (Jacob and Esau) were born, she was told what would happen to them (see Genesis 25). This was, Paul says, to continue God’s purposes in election. I always took that as a prediction or prophesy of what was to happen, not as a determination or a decision on God’s behalf as to what they would do. In other words, God, seeing all of time, saw in advance what would become of these boys and what they would do, but he did not decide that that is what they would do. But Paul here, seems to imply that this was God’s doing, that he set it up this way to fulfill His purposes.
I have to admit, one of the reasons that election or pre-destination, as I understand it, rubs me the wrong way is that I don’t like the idea that God picks and chooses, aside from anything on my part, those who are His and those who are not. Frankly, there’s part of me that wants to give up on a God who would be so arbitrary. It flies in the face of all the teachings in the scriptures telling people that there is reward in following God. Election says to me that there’s reward in God’s choosing, that my actions or faith or obedience means nothing. Certainly, none of us are capable of enough good deeds to make a difference, bur God repeatedly calls us to obey and tells us that it is part of the faith that we proclaim. But I want to know that I’m understanding the theology behind it before I reject it. And frankly, if that’s the way God works, who am I to question it? My hunch is that I’m missing something that would turn this from a notion of arbitrary approval.
Romans 9:14-18 – OK, this passage isn’t helping my cause. 😀 Verse 15 says: “For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”“. Still, does that mean that God is picking and choosing, or that He chooses to have mercy on those who put their faith in Jesus? Still, verse 18 is troubling to me: “So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.”
Romans 9:19-21 – Ouch:

You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?” 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?” 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?

Romans 9:22-29 – This last passage just muddies the waters for me. The earlier verses seem pretty plain that it is God who chooses. Some he chooses for salvation, others not. But this part talks of how he has called those who were not His to be His, but only a remnant of Isreal will be saved. It’s confusing to me and, frankly, depressing. I’m just not sure what to do with the idea that some that I meet may have been prepared by God as “vessels of wrath”. What value, then, is there is preaching the Gospel? Why bother if God has decided? What does it matter what I do or do not do?
This has been the most discouraging study I’ve had in a long time. I think this is something I need to dig into and figure out. I’d love any thought you have on election and how, if you do not believe in pre-destination, you explain these passages.
One thing is for certain, there is truth to be found and God is good. I may not get it, but that does not negate His goodness. Perhaps the next chapters of Romans will help me …

Wow, has it been over three weeks since my last Quiet Time Journal entry? Yep. I’m not a fan of the ‘Quiet Time is your relationship with God’ model, but over three weeks without sitting with your face in God’s word isn’t good either. Thanks to our minister, Doug Geyer, for his message on Sunday (unfortunately not recorded) that challenged me to get back on track.
Romans 8:1 – Three weeks later and this verse still is an amazing comfort to a weary soul. No condemnation.
Romans 8:2-8 – I always looked at this as those in the flesh are non-Christinas or perhaps Christians not living right and those in the spirit as those doing the right things. But now I see that Paul isn’t contrasting the ‘ins’ verses the ‘outs’ here, but contrasting, as he has throughout Romans, two different mindsets.
The mindset of the flesh is to use law or rules of man to get close to God, the mindset of the spirit trusts in and relies on Jesus completely. The flesh says God expects me to do X, Y and Z to be with Him, the spirit says God longs to be with me and through Jesus I can be with him, so I’m going to do X, Y and Z because I know it pleases Him.
It’s a radically different way of thinking. One works, the other simply can’t.
Romans 8:15 confirms this: “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!”” The way of the flesh is one of fear. If I don’t live up to the demands of God, I will be punished, so I’ll work to earn his favor. The spirit of sonship says I already have his favor, so I’ll act like it.
Romans 8:28 – The ESV words this a little differently than the NIV that I’ve read for so long. The difference is small, but the change in meaning is profound:

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

(ESV)

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

(NIV)

The NIV seems to imply that God is behind the scenes, pulling the strings, working things out for out good. The ESV doesn’t say that God is working, but that the things work for our good. When I read the ESV version, I think that perhaps it isn’t that God is stacking the deck on our pehalf (which is how the standard NIV interpretation feels), but rather that because we love God, our mindset allows us to see things in a new light, a light that allows them to ‘work together for good’.
Then again, maybe it’s the closet deist in me coming out again. What do you make of this passage and the differences in translations?
Romans 8:31-39 – I love this passage, as many do. The contrast between the call to suffer earlier (Romans 8:17-18) and the certainties of Romans 8:38-39 is profound. He does not promise, as too many modern preachers will, that our lives will be free from pain. No, rather he tells us plainly that we will suffer more from following Christ, but the love that God has lavished on us through Jesus is incomparable to anything that we suffer here.

I had planned on reading much of Romans 8 today, but I stopped on Romans 8:1 and found that I needed to park there for a while. Maybe a long while.
Paul jsut spent the last two chapters explaining that because of Jesus’ death and our participation in it through our baptism, we are free from the law and sin. We are subject to neither anymore, because of Jesus. After establishing those comes the therefore:

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Note that he does not say no guilt, oh we are guilty as all get out, but – because of Jesus – there is no condemnation. I’m convinced that I don’t get this. I don’t fully comprehend all that Jesus has accomplished in me. I suspect most of us don’t. No condemnation. Not some, not just a little, none.
I spend far too much of my life wondering what people think of me. It’s somehow ingrained in my being. I wonder if I’ve let you down, if I’ve offended you, in fact, I pretty much assume that, absence of you actually saying that I’ve done good, that I screwed up and you’re mad at or disappointed with me. Silence = condemnation as far as my messed up psyche is concerned. Any negative feeling about anything (the weather, your job, traffic, etc.) – it’s somehow my responsibility.
That’s a whole ‘nother topic, but here, Paul says there is no condemnation for me. God isn’t disappointed, he isn’t checking off the many ways I’ve fallen short, he isn’t considering what punishment might be suitable. He isn’t, as I certainly might, looking for an opportunity to teach me a lesson.

Wow.
So, why then the long face or furrowed brow? Why, rather, aren’t we dancing in the streets? Giggling with joy, foolish with this understanding? Because we forget who He is and the work He has done. We forget just how marvelous, improbable – no, impossible – and complete this transformation He has made in us is.
We should be doing pirouettes on our desks, dancing in the rain and singing at the top of our lungs.
Stop for a minute and contemplate the weight and the buoyancy of this one little verse, a single sentence, 13 little words:

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Let it bring the kind of smile to your face that will make folks wonder what’s gotten into you.
And then tell them.

Romans 7:1 – “Or do you not know, brothers … that the law is binding on a person only as long as he lives?” Review Romans 6 (and Romans 7:4), through Christ we died and rose again. Since we are dead, the law no longer applies to us. Whoa.
Romans 7:4-6 – We were not set free from the law so that we could do whatever we want, we were set free to bear fruit for God. We are designed to bear fruit, without Christ, we bear fruit for death through sin, because of Jesus we can, and should, bear fruit for God.
Romans 7:10-11 – We like to believe that a set of rules will teach us to live and guide us along the way. This is true, to a point. The full reality, however, is that we are ill equipped to follow any set of rules completely. We fail, even at following our own pet peeves, let along the complete law of God. We frequently are offenders at that which we hate in others. So, what the law does ultimately is prove our inadequacies, showing us to be completely and utterly hopeless apart from Christ.
Romans 7:18-19 – “I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.” Anyone else live here? So, if this was Paul’s experience, and we can relate as well, how then should we treat those who fall short as they follow Christ? I’m not talking about the blatant sins of adultery, rape, murder, etc, certainly Paul wasn’t saying that every now and then he falls back into hunting down those who disagree with him, as he had done with Christians. I imagine that he’s talking about character sins – harshness, pride, judgmentalism, anger. Do you know any disciples like that (you’re talking to one)? Do you dismiss them as ungodly, or treat them with love by mixing grace with frank honesty?

Romans 6:1-14 – The beginning of Romans 6 has always been a favorite passage of mine ebcasue of the way it illustrates what happens during baptism. Baptism has been an overlooked sacrament in much of the Evangelical world, and frankly over emphasized in Church of Christ circles.
The baptism that Paul describes is a powerful, transforming event:

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.

Romans 6:4

In baptism, we participate with Christ in His death and resurection. Just as He laid His life down to take up another, more glorious one, we too lay down our own lives in baptism and take up a new, more glorious one made possible through Jesus.
But Paul’s point was not instruction on baptism. Rather, he wanted to remind them of what it meant to be baptised into Jesus in regards to sin. As far as sin is concerned, we are dead. If we are dead, how can we participate in it?
Paul was convinced that they simply didn’t understand what they had become a part of. they had died, voluntarily offering themselves in baptism just as Jesus had offered himself on the cross. And since he’s already died, death has no more power of Him. Since, through Jesus and through baptism we have died as well, we are dead to sin.
Simply put, we are dead men with Christ through baptism and dead men can’t sin.

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. For one who has died has been set free from sin.

Romans 6:6-7

But we don’t really get it, we find sin’s power impossible to resist. We still live as though we are a part of this world and its rules. Paul says, when sin calls you can ignore it. It has no power over you, so don’t grant it any. As dead men, we live under different rules.

Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

Romans6:12-14

Amazing, heady stuff. Oh that I could grasp the reality of this resurrection in full! What if I could clear my head of the earthly fog and see me and my life’s reality as God does? What would that life look like? How would live? What would I do?
Romans 6:15-18 – So, if we’re under grace, then obedience isn’t a big deal, right? What?! Did you hear what he just said? Don’t you get what has happened to you?
Here’s the thing – we cannot be simply free. We either involuntarily serve sin or, through the freeing sacrifice of Jesus, we are allowed to serve righteousness. Once Jesus has freed you, why would you choose sin?

Romans 5:1 – “… we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Now there’s good news!
Romans 5:2-5 – Paul says more than rejoicing in the “hope of the glory of God”, we rejoice in our sufferings. Rejoice in suffering more than in hope? What? But look at what he says though: Suffering produces endurance, endurance produces character, character produces what – hope. the suffering is important because it leads to a deeper realization of the hope that is already a reality.
Romans 5:8 – “While we were still sinners.” We still run around trying to please God by our goodness when he was pleased to rescue us while we weren’t worth rescuing. He declared through Christ that we were valuable to Him, whether we saw it or not, how are we going to somehow make ourselves more valuable after that?
Romans 5:17 – Much is made in this passage (Romans 5:12-21) in regards to sin entering the world. I think (not sure, actually) that this is one of the passages used to support original sin. Adam sinned, bringing sin to everyone. Yet verse 12 says that death spread because all sinned, not because Adam did. I guess one could say that Adam started it, not making all of us guilty but exposing us to something we could not master – sin.
In that regard, verse 17 says that death reigned because of what Adam did, and everyone who would come after him are subject to it. However, Jesus came and offered anew way of life and all who would follow him would no longer live under death’s reign. Because of Jesus, we can escape the inescapable – death. Sin reigned through death, now grace reigns through righteousness (verse 18).