my brothers keeper

James 5:19-20

There are no repeated words or lists in this passage. The key words are wander, save and cover over. The main point is that we, as the family of God, need to be looking out for one another. I wonder if James had the words of Cain in mind when he wrote this passage: "Am I my brother's keeper?" The answer through the rest of Scripture, especially under the New Covenant, is yes!
I've seen, over the past few years, that followers of Jesus are becoming increasingly aware of the role of community. I do not travel this path alone - of course, Jesus, through his Spirit, travels with me but that's not all. I am part of a band of travellers, a fellowship and I don't just succeed in my quest by getting to heaven but we succeed when we all get there together. Formerly, following Jesus was individually based - it was my personal relationship with Christ that mattered ("though none go with me, still I will follow").
James' words remind me of the team development activities I did at camp. There was a goal that had to be accomplished but if team members were run over, hurt or ignored in the process, the task was not successful. James is reminding me that I have a huge responsibility to my brother and sister. If none are going with me, my mandate is to turn back and help them find the path again, not to just forge on without them.

in the words of MC hammer

James 5:13-18

The key word in this passage is "pray". It's repeated many times throughout the passage. In almost a repetitive list, James says that the solution to being in trouble, happy or sick is to pray. As an illustration of the power of prayer, James points to Elijah who prayed to make the rain stop and then prayed again to re-start the rain. James' main point is that the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
This is an extremely timely passage in light of the events at LCI. The response to this is to pray. Yes, the school and police need to take actions but ultimately God's plan is more powerful than the threateners plan and God's ability to keep our students safe is way greater than the school's ability.
Even beyond that, my first response needs to be prayer. I am wired to start putting strategy in place but I need to pause before that kicks in and just pray: to ask God for help, to praise him for his goodness, etc. So, let's pray.

Just be patient...

James 5:7-12

I remember when I was younger and all those speakers would pull out their charts and talk about how soon Jesus was going to come back. They wouldn't specifically state a time but they were pretty sure it was going to be right away. I don't hear that kind of talk anymore. It's been a long time since I've been filled with wonder at the idea that Jesus could come back today. I wonder what happened to all those guys and their charts?
Maybe people got tired of waiting. Maybe the reason that I haven't been stopped short is because all those times I was, Jesus didn't come back. James tells his readers to be patient. He uses a very vivid word picture of a farmer waiting for the harvest. I think this word picture is very appropriate: the farmer doesn't just wait idly for the harvest - he works the soil, maybe even irrigates, fertilizes and weeds but all his efforts don't hurry the harvest. The harvest will arrive in the proper time. As we wait for Jesus and the coming kingdom, we don't sit idly by. We work hard but all our work will not hasten Jesus' return. Jesus will come in the proper time.
James compares our waiting for Jesus with the prophets' waiting for the fulfillment of prophecy. I wonder what they were thinking after they made their bold predictions and faithfully spoke the words that God had given them. I wonder if they were ridiculed when their words didn't prove true right away. I wonder if they argued with God and questioned him. I wonder if they felt like fools. James says that we regard those prophets with honour because they persevered i the face of delayed fulfillment and in the face of persecution. James calls us to be as patient as the prophets.
He also uses Job as an example which is kind of weird to me. Job isn't someone that I would immediately describe as patient. He complained bitterly. He questioned God and demanded that he come and defend himself. He did not exhibit the characteristics of a patient person and yet James calls him patient because he did not abandon his faith in the midst of severe pain. James is calling me to do the same. Don't give up. Don't let the circumstances of life dictate what I will believe. Don't let Jesus' "delay" cause me to stumble. Yes, I should be longing for and looking for the return of my King but in the mean time I must continue to patiently work. The harvest will come in its proper time.

the best laid plans...

James 4:13-17

The key words or ideas are: boasting, planning, uncertainty of the future. James is admonishing people for the sheer arrogance of making brash plans. Since God is in control and since God is their king, their plans are subject (or should be, anyways) to the will of God. James compares making such plans to boasting: the underlying message is that I control my own destiny and that I run my life. James reminds the reader that God runs his life and controls her destiny. He makes a strong statement that to live or think otherwise is evil and sinful.
I am not sure how the last line connects to the rest of the paragraph. There is a connecting phrase: "so then" but I don't see how it logically follows. As a stand alone proverb, it is very powerful: when we don't do what we know to be good, we sin.
I stand condemned under James' indictment. Rather than clearing everything through my King, I make my own plans and then ask him for his blessing. Rather than saying, "What would like me to do?" or "Is this what you'd like me to do?" I demand that he bless the plans that I have made. This is sheer arrogance because it places me in the position of King or Master rather than acknowledging that God is my King and submitting to him. I serve at the pleasure of the King. May I never forget that.

above the law?

James 4:11-12

The key words are: judge/judgment (if you stare at those words long enough, they look really strange!) and slander/speak against. James says that if you slander your brother or sister, it indicates that the law "Love your neighbour as yourself" does not apply to you and that you are somehow above the law or are indicating that the law is invalid. James reminds the reader that there is only One who has that kind of authority.
God is not subject to the laws he gives us. While the law is a reflection of his character and personality, God is only "subject" to himself. He only answers to himself. I am subject to the laws that God gives me. I am a judgmental person. When I judge others, I am not only looking down on them (as if I have a position higher than they), I am looking down on the law (as if the law answers to me rather than me answering to the law).
Some people are quick to quote the verse "Judge not, lest ye be judged" (I love how that verse is always quoted in the KJV) but this does not mean that we, as followers of Jesus, should not point out sin in other people's lives. It does mean that we should do it out of love, recognizing that we are no better than they are and not above them in any way.

either/or not both/and

James 4:4-10

The key words are: friend, enemy, proud, humble. James says that friendship with the world means that you are God's enemy. He also contrasts God's treatment of the proud with his treatment of the humble. He then calls the reader to submit to God, even though the word picture is more of sorrowful repentance (which makes sense, since repenting from pride means that you will humble yourself).
The key for me is this: I can't have a foot on both paths, I can't be friends with both the world and with God. The paths are headed in opposite directions and the world is directly opposed to God. The world is all about raising yourself up, getting ahead, looking out for yourself (and seeing yourself as #1). God is all about raising himself up, making him famous and looking out for the real #1. The world is all about living for the moment, carpe diem. God is all about living for eternity, seizing the future. The world is all about play now, pay later. God is more about pay now, play later. As Joshua said, "Choose you this day whom you will serve..." I can't have it both ways.

"it's all about me..."

James 4:1-3

The key words are fight, quarrel and battle. The language in this section leaves the feeling of turmoil and unsettledness. James lays out a logical progression: you don't have because you don't ask. When you do ask, you don't receive because your motives are wrong.
So much of what drives me is envy and coveting. Just last night, watching tv, a commercial for the ipod touch came on. Wow! The first words out of my mouth were, "I want!" And who wouldn't? That is a sleek little piece of machinery. The truth is a) I don't need it - I actually hate the whole ipod craze. Take those ear buds out and enjoy your surroundings! Learn to endure a little silence. It's good for the soul! But I'm conflicted because some how the ipod has become the standard of cool - the cooler your ipod, the cooler you are and woe to those who don't have an ipod - and I desperately want to be cool! I am envious of those who have. There is another truth: b) I can't afford a touch. It would be the epitome of materialism, of gluttony, of irresponsibility for me to get one. I would have to take money out of something much more necessary like electricity or food.
The problem is that my desire has been awakened and while I might not physically kill I know that I have had to put people down out loud or in my mind to make myself feel better about not having what they do. The other problem would be if I started asking God for an ipod touch. That would definitely be asking with wrong motives - there is no way that I would (or even could?) use it to glorify God; my reason for having one is to glorify myself. The problem is that I have asked for so much for my own glory. My motives aren't right. I need to submit myself to the purpose and the glory of God so that I can truly pray, with all my heart, the prayer that never fails: "Your will be done" I think then I might see my prayers be answered because it becomes all about him and not about me.

harvest time

James 3:13-18

Wisdom is the key word of this section of James. Other key words are: humility, eny, selfish ambition and peace. James connects true (or heavenly) wisdom with humility and peace while false (or earthly) wisdom is conntected to eny, selfish ambition and disorder. If we are to understand peace as "shalom" (when everything is as God intended) then we see that true wisdom works to make things right in the world while earthly wisdom seeks only its own gain.
This is vital to my position: am I here for my own gain? Then I can only expect disorder and conflict. Am I here for the kingdom of God? Then my ministry will bring peace, mercy and purity (James says it is pure first, then peaceful, considerate, submissive, merciful, impartial and sincere). I think that sincere best sums up what I want my ministry and life to be: I sincerely care - not so I can look good, not so I can get ahead - about people, about their present circumstances and their eternal destiny.

fig bearing grape vines

James 3:7-12

The key words here are: tongue, mouth, tame. James makes some contrast between our ability to tame animals and our ability to tame our tongue. He uses several word pictures: the tongue as a poisonous snake, fresh water salt springs, olive bearing fig trees, and fig bearing grape vines. He uses these word pictures to cause the reader to stop short and realize how unnatural it is for our tongues, which have been redeemed by God, to both praise God and curse men.
The tongue in these last two passages is described as a seperate entity that has its own will. Of course, James recognizes that the tongue only speaks according to the will of the person. What he is saying is that just as a tree is known by the fruit that it bears, so a person is known by what they say. This echoes the teaching of Jesus: out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.
It woudl be easy to say that this passage means that I need to be careful what I say. There is certainly some truth to that. However, I think that the application goes much deeper. If the tongue only speaks according to my will and if what I say is a result of what is inside, then I need to get the inside cleaned up. From the rest of the Bible, I can see that while I bear the responsibility to "live clean" the only person who can actually make me clean is the Holy Spirit. God, please fill me with the Spirit so that when I speak, I speak words of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control. Let the fruit of my mouth reflect your character. Let the words I say reflect the fact that you live in me.

wild fire

James 3:1-6

The keys words in this passage are tongue, fire and the idea of speaking. James uses a couple of word pictures: a horse controlled by a small bit, a ship steered by a rudder, and forest fire started by a spark. He compares all these things to the tongue.
James has two points in this section: first, that those who teach will be judged more strictly. The implied reason is that we are in a position of authourity and are moulding minds and lives by our words and instruction. The second point is that the tongue, while a small part of the body, can change the whole course of our lives. The implied application is that everyone should be very careful what they say because our words can destroy lives (including our own) very quickly.
I can attest to the truth of that - I don't have to think very hard to remember times when my tongue got me into a lot of trouble. James says that if we can control what we say, we will be perfect. I think his point is that if we have the strength to control our tongues, then we have the strength to control every other area of our lives.
His warning to teachers rings true for me. I need to work very hard to make sure that I am giving my best to my students, to make sure that I have researched what I am saying and that it is true and good and right. I must be very careful not to lead others down the wrong path. The responsibility that I have been given is huge and overwhelming.

get to work

James 2:14-26

The key words are faith and deeds. James uses three illustrations to prove his point: it does not do anyone any good to wish them warmth and full bellies if you don't give them blankets and food; Abraham's belief was seen through his action of offering his son; Rahab's faith was seen by her action of hiding the spies. The main point is that faith without deeds is worthless - in fact, he uses a word picture to say that deeds are the life of faith just as the spirit is the life of the body.
This seems to contradict the teaching of Paul that we are saved by grace through faith and this is not by works so that no one can boast (Eph 2:8-9). In fact, James comes right out and says, "people are justified by what they do and not by faith alone." The danger is that I will soften the meaning of this text to make it fit with the other teachings of the Bible. James is saying that deeds are what bring our faith to life. Put that way, we can see that this clearly fits the teachings of Paul and, especially, Jesus.
For me, this means that I need to get to work: do I believe that God has a concern for the poor? Great! What am I going to do about it? Do I believe that I should love my enemies? Yes! Now how am I going to live that out? In a Christian culture where I am trying to help faith come alive for myself and my students, James provides an easy solution: start acting on it. Just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead.

you're my favourite

James 2:1-13
These are my thoughts from the past two days. I forgot I had internet access and so I wasn't blogging...

Obvioulsy the key word from this passage is favouritism. James is adamantly against favouritism and again it seems like he especially opposed to any favouritism shown toward the rich. It seems likely from the passage that the rich had done something to really oppose James and possibly the rest of the believers - they are the ones exploiting the believers and suing them in court. To curry favour with the rich, and maybe to prevent themselves from being sued, people were quick to offer them the best spots in the church. James says that this isn't just bad behaviour but it is actually sin as defined by "love your neighbour as yourself."
Who are my favourites? In my ministry, I don't think I give special treatment to the rich but as I coldly evaluate our ministry, I think we might give special attention to the "cool". As I look at who our leadership team spends time with, it is often the cool. To evaluate myself, I have to ask if I am looking for some kind of validation - is it that I couldn't make the cool crowd in school and by hanging out with them now I am somehow proving that I can be cool? Is it that I am worried about my reputation - if I spend too much time with the uncool, do I become uncool? This has really caused me to think about our ministry a lot. Why don't we attract more "at risk" students? Why are most of our students well dressed, good looking and skilled - the so called successful students? Is this just a function of the demographic of our church? Is this whom we've been called to reach or do we have an unfulfilled ministry to others? I'm going to have to continue to wrestle with this one. I do know that if I am playing favourites personally or in the ministry, I am as guilty as an adulterer. That's pretty serious stuff!

the power of the word

James 1:16-21

James contrasts the Father of heavenly lights who does not change to the lights (and shadows they create) who are constantly shifting. He repeats the phrase "my dear brothers and sisters" as if James is their older brother or spiritual father offering sage advice. There is definitely some intimacy there.
James speaks about the word twice. First, it is the word of truth that gives birth to us and then it is the word planted in us that, if we humbly accept it, will save us. This is a powerful word! If the word has that ability, I wonder why we are so unlikely to read it and humbly accept it. The fruit of the word is life and salvation and who isn't looking for that?
I am afraid that we are in the midst of a generation of illeterate Christians - people who don't read the Bible. This raises huge challenges for ministry since it is the word that brings life so how can I, as a minister of the gospel, help people find life in a world where they don't read? What does this mean for the way that I speak and teach? What does it mean for the way that I mentor and lead? I don't think I can assume that my audience knows much, if anything, about the Bible beyond what they've been taught in Sunday School or what they might have heard at youth or church. I also think it means that the Church needs to find creative ways to get the Bible to the peopel. In medieval times when the populace was illiterate, the Church relied on passion plays and morality plays to teach the Bible. Maybe this means that we find ways to teach through YouTube and the internet. All I know is that if the word brings life then if we want to see people saved and come alive, we need to get the word to them.

what did the rich ever do to you?

James 1:9-15

I wonder what the rich did to deserve these scathing words from James. They must have been the driving force behind the persecution or something. James certainly pulls no punches: "Hey rich people! Take pride in your humiliation - you're going to fade away like a wild flower." That doesn't sound very nice at all. At first I'm kind of cheering James on but when I stop and think about it, I realize that I am one of the rich. I don't remember the specific numbers but it goes something like this: if you have a car, a telephone and equipment for a hobby (game system, hockey equipment, etc.) you are in the top 10% of rich people. Now James is talking to me! I must make sure that I have my security in something besides my possessions and money.
James' letter reads like a bunch of strung together sayings - sort of like Proverbs for the New Testament Church. This saying is telling those who are facing persecution to persevere because the pain of this life is nothing compared to the rewards waiting in heaven. I think our tendency is to apply this to our petty, wimpy temptations (ok, I don't want to downplay the power of temptations and the awful way our failures make us feel. But compared to the pastor in North Korea who is being executed, my "trial" of being tempted to watch something I shouldn't on tv in the comfort of my living room while eating popcorn, completely sheltered from the cold wind, is pretty wimpy!) but James is talking specifically about persecution, not temptations. It makes me wonder if we're going to miss out on the crown of life because we are not willing to pay any price to follow Jesus. I don't think ducking our head and hiding our faith is equal to persevering under trial.
James does talk about temptations next - he tells us that we shouldn't blame God for our temptations. We are tempted because we have sinful desire for that thing. If I didn't like Zesty Cheese Doritoes, then I wouldn't be tempted to eat them. The same goes for pornography - it wouldn't be a temptation if I didn't like it. James is telling us to stop making excuses and stop blaming others for our sin and for our temptations - face the truth that it is your fault that you are tempted in the first place because you have cultivated a desire for that thing. He doesn't really offer any solutions but perhaps the implied solution is that we need our desires changed and the only one who can do that is God.

joy?

James 1:1-8

This letter is written by James, the brother of Jesus, to the Jewish Christians not living in Israel. James does not "pull rank" as the brother of Jesus but identifies himself as the servant of Jesus. I wonder what it would have been like to grow up with Jesus as your older brother. I wonder if his siblings resented him. I wonder what role Mary's faith played in their eventual belief in him as the Messiah and as God.
From these verses, it would seem that the Christians James is writing to have not "been scattered" of their own free will - they have faced trials of many kinds, likely persecution that has forced them to relocate. James uses a progression: trials develop perseverance which brings maturity and completion to the believer. I wonder if the reason that I am seeing such immaturity of belief in North America is because our faith costs us nothing. Because we have not developed much in the way of perseverance, we are rather immature.
It seems strange in the short term that we should have pure joy about the trials we are facing but when we can step back and realize what these trials will do for us, then we can have joy. If my desire is to fall more deeply in love with God, to know him more fully and trust him more completely then I can rejoice in my trials because I know that he is using them to bring me to maturity. It's kind of like growing pains - they hurt a lot but if living without them meant I was going to be a short weak person...
James also uses a word picture to describe a person who asks God for wisdom but does not have faith that God will provide: he is like a wave in a stormy sea - going back and forth depending on which way the wind is blowing.
I know I need wisdom. When I first started as a youth pastor I prayed this prayer a lot but over time I have come to rely on my experience, my "expertise" and my own resources. I believe that God has given me wisdom in the past and that I still have some measure of wisdom today. What I don't want is for that wisdom to make me independent and sure of myself. I need to keep relying on God to provide that wisdom for me.
God, I know I need your wisdom. Without it I am lost. Please give generously to me.

i'm not that innocent...

Romans 16

Most of this chapter contains greetings to the church in Rome. There are a few things that stand out: the number of women that Paul greets or commends - calling one a deaconess (v.1) and another seems to hold the office of apostle (v. 7). This would have been considered quite radical in Paul's day (and, let's face it, in the church we haven't moved very far from that day).
It also strikes me that Paul's "last words" would be to watch out for divisions and those who would put obstacles in the way of the church. This must have been something that Paul considered very important - something he wanted to emphasise to the church. I don't really know the context in which he was writing (as far as what false teachings were present or beginning to take hold) but he must have seen something that was in the beginning stages and wanted to make the Roman Christians aware of it. Perhaps it was the legalistic requirements of those who demanded that Christians had to observe Judiastic law as well.
The verse that speaks to me this time around is the end of v. 19: Be wise about what is good and innocent about what is evil. I think that I have developed the craftiness of the serpent in many ways - finding ways to do evil and get away with it. There is something intriguing about evil and i have definetely exposed myself to way too much for me to be innocent of evil. I really do need the Holy Spirit to come and renew my mind. Wouldn't that be great? If I could truly be cleansed of all the rot that I have allowed into my mind? I want to be that innocent...

the struggle

Romans 15:17-33

This passage is basically Paul's personal message to the Roman Christians: he hasn't come to them because he has been so busy taking the teachings of Christ to people who have not yet heard them. However, he is now hoping to visit them on his to Spain via Jerusalem. He asks the Roman Christians to join him in his struggle by praying for him. Paul has some sense that his visit to Jerusalem will not go well - perhaps because there is a sense that he has betrayed and abandoned the Jews.
I have forgotten how vital prayer is to my life and to my ministry. I have fallen out of the habit of praying and I need to get back into it. I have given lip service to the fact that my ministry only comes to life through Christ and the Spirit but I have not really acted on that belief by constantly and intentionally laying my ministry at the feet of Christ and inviting the Spirit to fill it. I also need to be inviting others to join me in my struggle through prayer.

this is my offering...

Romans 15:14-16

Paul lists the attributes of his audience: full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent in teaching. The key words are "minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles" and "priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel". These phrases indicate that Paul understood that his work was not just something he decided to do but that he was on a God-ordained mission and his work was as significant to God's glory as the priests of the OT who prepared and offered sacrifices on behalf of the people. The offering that Paul is preparing is the Gentiles - Paul is seeking the glory of God by taking the gospel to the Gentiles so they can respond to his love and goodness. This is so incredibly cool to me! The thing is that Paul worked really hard to present this offering and paid an incredible price to do so.
This convicts me: do I see my role as a God-ordained mission to the youth of Lethbridge? Am I doing everything I can to reach them with the gospel for the glory of God? How much effort am I putting into preparing the offering? Some of the things that I will have to do are really difficult - connect with students that I have a hard time finding anything in common with, remembering people's names (that's so hard for me for some reason - perhaps because I am too self-absorbed?) so they know they are known, cared for and significant, putting hours into preparing an evening that nobody seems to appreciate. I don't want you to get the impression that my job is terrible - the truth is that I love it. But I do need to keep spurring myself on to do all that I can to offer the youth of Lethbridge as an offering to Christ. I can never get comfortable because there are still so many to reach with the gospel.
God, please show me how to best bring you glory as I seek to prepare this offering for you.

i love it when a plan comes together...

Romans 15:7-13

Observe:
Key words: Accept, praise/glorify God, Gentiles
Comparisons: accept each other as Christ has accepted us

Interpret:
Paul is transitioning from looking out for the weaker brother to the master plan of God. As Christ has accepted us (with grace, not by merit, etc.) we should accept each other. This seems to remind Paul of the controversy between Jew and Gentile and so he proves that God's intent was always to bring th Gentiles in to his blessing - that through the nation of Israel, the rest of the world was to be blessed and brought to a relationship with God. An OT understanding (simplified) would be that as Israel followed God's law they would be blessed in such a way that it would capture the attention of the surrounding nations and they would turn from their gods to the true God and therefore enter into the relationship and blessing of God. However, looking back on history, we see God's plan come together in ways that were not expected: he blessed the Gentiles through Jesus (a Jew and also His Son).

Apply:
The last verse strikes me. If I want to impact my world with the hope of God, I need to rely on the Holy Spirit, trust God and allow him to fill me with his joy and peace. Then hope will flow out of me. This means that times like this - meditating on and studying God's Word - are essential to the impact that I will have. This means that my prayer time and my times of quietness and communion are essential to the impact I will have. This means that the impact that I have is not my impact but the impact of the Holy Spirit as I allow him to fill me and work through me. My job is to make space for Christ.

one heart, one mouth

Romans 15:1-6

Observe:
Key words: endurance, encouragement, one, unity
There are no lists. Paul uses a word picture of one heart and one mouth to indicate the spirit of unity that we are to have within the fellowship of believers.
Paul contrasts pleasing ourselves with building others up

Interpret:
The main argument is that we don't just live to ourselves but that we belong to each other in the Body of Christ. My freedom may cause another to stumble and I need to recognize my responsibility to that person. Paul is continuing his thought from the previous chapter. The key verse is "May God... give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Apply:
The spirit of unity does not mean that I will agree with everyone. It does mean that I will have love towards them no matter what issues we may not agree on. It does mean that I will recognize that I am connected to them spiritually and my actions and attitudes have an affect on their spiritual health. It does mean that I may be willing to limit my own freedoms or not impose my limitations on others for their sake and for the glory of God.
This passage tells me that God is most glorified when we love one another in unity.

stumbling

Romans 14

I read this passage while I was at Identity in Medicine Hat. The key words in the passage are: look down, pass judgement, condemn. The other key idea is that none of us live and die to ourselves but we live and die to God (and, it is implied, to each other).
Paul is saying that we have to give freedom and grace when it comes to certain issues. I was going to say, "when it comes to disputable matters" but the problem is that some people don't think that these issues should be disputable, choosing to make them markers of spiritual maturity and holiness. The issues that Paul specifically addresses here are: eating meat (specifically adhering to the kosher diet), drinking wine and holding certain days as more sacred. Paul says that we must be fully convinced in our own conscience (otherwise we are not participating out of faith and it is sin), that we must not condemn or look down on those who think differently than we do and that we must not do anything to cause someone to stumble.
For me, that last one is what is causing me questions. What does it mean to stumble? If they are offended, have they stumbled? I believe that it means that I must not lead them to sin in that area. I think, from the context, that is what Paul is saying because he ends by saying that if someone has doubt about drinking or eating being right, they shouldn't drink or eat meat. So, if I am thinking this through properly, I believe that Paul is saying that some people will view drinking as wrong and that we must not put them in a position where they might drink against their conscience because that would cause them to sin.

wake up and get dressed!

Romans 13:8-14

Observe:
Key words: Love, commandments/law
There is a list of behaviour that belongs to the sinful nature and not to the child of God. Paul contrasts the sinful nature to the new nature using imagery like light and dark, day and night. He also uses a word picture: he likens putting off the things of the sinful nature to getting rid of bad armour. It is implied that a Christian would then put on new clothes or armour.
Paul also uses a word picture to depict Christians as sleeping and calls them to wake up because the dawn is approaching.

Interpret:
The word debt connects to the previous section where Paul admonishes us to give what we owe to whomever we owe it. Here, he says that the only debt that should remain outstanding is our debt of love. Paul argues that love fulfills the law for when I do not covet nor murder nor steal I am loving my neighbour which is the summary of that section of the law.
We need to make urgent payments on our debt of love because the end is coming very quickly. Not only should this motivate us to love our neighbour but to live holy lives.

Apply:
I know that God hates the deeds of darkness and if pleasing God and being like Jesus really is important to me, I'm going to put those things out of my life. Earlier, Paul implies that no one can change their life unless God changes for them but here he implies that there is some effort that is necessary on our part. I think that if we put those two ideas together, this means that I need to put a lot of effort into creating space for God to change me.
I am getting a little bit tired of people who are willing to compromise in the physical relationships, in their honesty and integrity, in the way that they treat other people (especially gossip and manipulation) and not see it as a huge deal. When I look at Matt 5, Jesus says that engaging in these behaviours puts a person in danger of hell. I'd say that's pretty serious. I'm afraid that a lot of "Christians" are going to be very surprised when they stand before God because they were relying on some prayer said when they were 3 or 4 to save them.
I want to be really clear - I do not believe that salvation is by works. It is only by the grace of God. However, the life of Christ in someone will always result in evidence in the way that they live and act, won't it? If there is no evidence, shouldn't that indicate that there is no life? I know that it is a journey and at times it is a battle (believe me, I know that - the battle continues for me!) but I am getting a little bit tired of everyone (including myself) taking sin so casually. Paul calls it the armour of darkness. Maybe it's like the venom suit in Spider Man 3 - it completely takes over and we have to fight to get rid of it. I really believe eternity is at stake if we don't.

governing on behalf of God

Romans 13:1-7

Observe:
Key words: authorities, God's servant, wrong, right, fear, give
It is important to remember that Paul is writing to Christians in Rome who were under the governmental authority of the emporer at this time - likely Nero - and were quite likely facing persecution.
The passage contains a list of things we may owe to people that we ought to pay.

Interpret:
Because of the paganism of the rulers and their persecution of the Christians, it would have been quite tempting to teach that the Christian owed allegiance to no one but Christ. Paul teaches just the opposite: the authorities have been established by God to act as his servants in establishing an doling out justice in the civle realm.

Apply:
Even though I may not agree with the governments policies and decisions, I must respect them as the agents of God. Paul makes it clear that Christians, as much as possible, ought to be tax paying, law abiding citizens who respectfully might disagree with their leaders but will honour them as agents or servants of God. This does not call for blind obedience to leaders but that our default should not be blind disobedience either.

what if we lived this way?

Romans 12:17-21

There's a group of Christians out there who call themselves the "red letter Christians" meaning that they emphasize the teachings of Jesus. These Christians would usually be called proponents of the social gospel by those who call themselves fundamentalist Christians because they teach that it is not just what you believe but how you act on that belief. They also tend to emphasize social justice as part of evangelism and the cost of discipleship as part of salvation. I have to say that I am attracted to the red letter Christians - I think what they say makes a lot of sense and I am personally challenged by them in regard to my lifestyle and what I emphasize in my teaching. My problem is that their very name tends to de-emphasize the rest of the Bible (as if all we needed to be "good" disciples of Christ is the gospels).
The truth is that the teaching of "red letter Christians" is found throughout the Bible and this passage is an excellent example.
Can you imagine if followers of Jesus started living out what Paul calls us to here? To not take revenge, to feed our enemies and to not retaliate with force but to overwhelm evil with good. What would our world look like? What if we did whatever we could to live at peace with people? What if we weren't so concerned with us being treated fairly and were more concerned about others being treated fairly? I think that we would really stand out! Maybe then we'd be the "light of the world" that Jesus said we were.

rules for living in community

Romans 12:9-16

Observe:
This section is entirely made up of imperative commands. The key word is love since most of the other commands are about how to practically live out that love. There are some contrasting imperatives but they mostly serve to clarify each other.

Interpret:
Paul is explaining how to live in community. He just finished saying that we are all one in Christ even though we have different gifts. We should use those gifts for the good of the Body and, judging from the flow of the passage, the way we do that is in love that is active. He then tells the reader what active love looks like.
In light of the whole book, Paul would say that it was impossible to live this love out in community without faith (we are justified by faith and live by faith). This is consistent with the message of the whole Bible - yes, we bear responsibility to act out what we believe but it is impossible unless Christ is living in us through faith (John 15). If this is true, then Paul is really shaping the growth (or fruit) that one should see in Christian community by providing some parameters or markers for it.

Application:
If I don't see this kind of fruit in my life, it is evidence that I do not have Christ living through me in faith. I know that I try so hard to be perfect: the perfect youth pastor, the perfect husband, the perfect Christian, the perfect driver. Just yesterday, upon running into the back of the car in front of me, I got really frustrated and angry. I want to blame someone or something else (and, honestly, her tail lights were not working properly) so that I can maintain my perfect driving record. There is a car currently sitting in the parking lot with a bashed in hood to remind me that I am not perfect. Hopefully I can learn that lesson in my spiritual life as well: I need the life of Christ living in me to produce fruit. I can do nothing apart from him (I think there's a verse that says something about that...)

i'm a transformer...

Romans 12:1-8

Observe:
Key words: mercy, living sacrifices, one body, gifts.
Paul contrasts conforming to this world with being transformed and he compares a physical body with the spiritual body of Christ. This is very vivid word picture where the one body with many members compares to the one church with many unique individuals. This passage contains a list of spiritual gifts: prophecy, service, teaching, encouragement, giving, leadership, mercy.
I also notice that when Paul talks about the gifts, he adds some qualifiers to the last three: give generously, lead diligently, show mercy cheerfully.

Interpret:
Connecting words: Therefore (v. 1) connecting back to 11:29-32 which is a discussion on God's mercy (Paul makes sure we get this connecting by reinforcing it: "in view of God's mercy..."). Then (v.2) indicates that the logical flow is: after your spiritual transformation you will be able to know the will of God.
In my own words:
Because God has had mercy on us we should respond by offering our whole lives to him. This involves not conforming to the world's ideas but being completely transformed by a new way of thinking. One of the new ways we'll have to think is about ourselves: we shouldn't be involved in self-promotion but recognize that the gifts we have been given have been given to us by God and they don't make us any better or worse than anyone else and that we are all part of the same Body, working for the same goal; the glory of God. We shouldn't be concerned about the gifts that we don't have but use our gifts in accordance with the faith God has given us.

Apply:
I know that I am still trapped in a worldly way of thinking and that I need my mind to be renewed daily and more completely. I still am intrigued by all the things I may have missed out on because of my decision to follow Jesus: drinking, sex, parties, etc. I need to focus instead on all the things I have in Christ.
I also still struggle with how to think about myself. I know that God has given me some good gifts and I love to use them but the sinful side of me loves to get noticed using them. I need to remember that my gift of teaching does not make me any better than anyone else. I need to remember that I am to use my gift not for my own glory but for the benefit of the Body and for the glory of God.
This passage tells me that God is very just and the master planner - he knew what each person needs in the time period in which they live to accomplish his plan for this world and so he gave each person the gift necessary to fulfill the purpose for which he created them and to do the job that he has assigned to them. This is an incredible mind!

deep

Romans 11:33-36

Paul ends this section with an outpouring of spontaneous praise. This could be a hymn that the early church sang or it could be a Paul original. In any case, what Paul sings about is the incredible depths to the mind of God. He is entirely beyond figuring out - not because he is inconsistent (although from a human perspective he can seem that way) but because he is so completely different than we are and anything else that we've ever experienced is. Paul also sings about the fact that God does not owe anyone anything. No one has ever given to God what God hasn't given to him in the first place. No one holds God in his debt. He is the source of all things and the giver of all things.
My heart bursts to sing of God's greatness! Even though I can't understand him and even when he seems dangerous and untame I know that he is good and he is great. Sing with me?

benefitting from disobedience

Romans 11:25-32

Paul connects disobedience and mercy in this passage. He quotes from Isaiah and Jeremiah to support his point that all Israel will be saved. His main argument is that the hardening of Israel is not a complete and total hardening but that one day they will return to God. I, as a Gentile, benefit from Israel's disobedience. His logic is: Israel disobeyed God so God turned his attention to the Gentiles; this pouring out of mercy on the Gentiles will stir up envy in the heart of Israel and they will repent and receive God's mercy. Because God is in control, it means that he turned us all (Jew and Gentile) over to the disobedience so he could have mercy on is. Our sinfulness was predetermined by God in order to bring him glory.
This does not excuse me (Paul makes that clear - at some level it was still my choice to be disobedient). It does speak of the incredible sovereignty of God and how far he will go to bring himself glory. In a human this would be incredeibly selfish but because there is no one higher than God that he should be seeking glory for, it is right and good (and hard to understand).

rooted

Romans 11:17-24

Paul describes a tree where certain branches have been cut off and other branches have been grafted in. The grafted in branches become part of the main tree.
Paul warns the Gentiles, as grafted in branches, not to be arrogant about their new position because a) they do not bring life to the root but are brought to life by the root and b) it would be easy for God to break them off and graft the original branches back in. Paul's point is that the nation of Israel was cut off because of unbelief and we were grafted in by faith - not by any merit in ourselves. If we lose faith and become arrogant (thinking, like Israel did, that we somehow merited our position), we are in danger of being cut off.
This is not the picture of God that we generally hold to. Paul actually points this out: we see both the kindness and the sterness of God in this. He is so kind and gracious and merciful that he grafted me in but he is stern - he is not soft. This is a God that I can worship because he is strong and fills me with wonder (and, at times, fear - not in the sense that he is a boogey man but in the sense that he is an incredibly powerful and wild king).
On a side note, I am incredibly frustrated with the NIV study bible since they never have notes on the interesting verses. For example, they remain strangely silent on v. 21 and the end of v. 22. Have some balls!!

I make Jews envious?

Romans 11:11-6

The key words here are: trangression, envy, riches. Paul contrasts the loss of for the Jews to the riches of the Gentiles, the benefits the Gentiles received from the rejection and hardening of the Jews to the benefits the world will receive from their awakening and acceptance.
Paul is arguing that God still has a purpose for the Jews - that his rejection of them (based on their rejection of him) is not final but that by opening the door to the Gentiles, God is hoping to arouse the envy of the Jews. I understand his argument but it seems a bit contradictory: God knows that the Gentiles being brought into the covenant will not make the Jews envious because it is God himself, according to Paul in the previous verses, who has hardened and blinded the Jews.
In this passage I see the sovereignty of God again: he is orchestrating the events of this world, including the (according to Paul, temporary) hardening of the hearts of the nation of Israel for his ultimate glory. God is at work. As far as what I should be doing because of this passage, I am humbled because I am made aware again that my being adopted in the family of God had so little to do with me and so much to do with God and his character.

bad hermeneutics and a mystery God

Romans 11:7-10

The key word of this passage is "hardened". Paul is saying that even among God's chosen people, he has still chosen to harden and blind some to the truth. He is basically continuing his argument from chapter 10: even among the nation who rejected the Messiah there remains a remnant of those who accept him.
Paul proves his point by quoting two passages of Scripture. One, from Isaiah, is used mainly within the context that Isaiah intended. The other would receive a failing grade from any bible college professor worth his salt. When I went to college, there were all kinds of rules about interpreting and using Scripture: consider the genre, the context, the original intent of the author, etc. Here, Paul takes poetry written by David against his enemies and uses it to describe those of the nation of Israel whose hearts God has chosen to harden. He breaks all the rules!
I don't understand God. First he chooses the children of Jacob as his special nation and then he chooses some (actually the vast majority) within that nation to be hardened and blinded to the truth. I don't understand how this brings God glory. It also puts some fear into my heart: if God would choose a people and then reject the majority of them, how secure am I? I think Paul tells me in the rest of this chapter that I am not very secure.

remnants and rejections

Romans 11:1-10

The key words in this passage are reject, remnant, chosen and elect. Paul contrasts grace and works, showing them to be opposites: if salvation is by works at all then it is not by grace at all. Paul is arguing that God has not completely rejected Israel: he is evidence that there are some Israelites who believe. This matches God's pattern: he has always preserved a remnant of the nation to remain close to him. Paul argues for God's sovereign choice and grace in this: that God chose certain members of the nation, in grace, to remain in him while he chose to harden other members of the nation.
This shows me that God is sovereign and beyond my understanding. I can't entirely see how he can be just when he chooses some to have the ability to respond to him and chooses to harden others. I know that some people will say that God only chooses for grace and that it is not that he chooses others for destruction but just that he doesn't choose them for grace. First, I think that it splitting hairs and, secondly, that's not what Romans 11:7-8 say. This I am convinced of: the judge of all the earth will do right.

Knowledge Based Passion

Romans 10:1-13

Observe:
Key words: righteousness, law, faith, confess, believe
Contrasted ideas: righteousness from God through faith vs. righteousness through the law

Interpretation:
Paul is connecting back to the beginning of chapter 9 where he talks about his desire to see Israel saved. He mourns their status because they had been given so much revelation from God and because he is an Israelite as well. He also connects to the over all theme of his letter (the just shall live by faith) in that his main point is that righteousness is obtained from God through faith and not by following the law (or doing good works).
The key verse is v. 9 because it sums up Paul's argument: salvation comes from acknowledging the deity of Christ and believing with your heart (emotions, will and intellect) that Christ was raised from the dead by God.

Application:
This reminds me of the graciousness of God: he does not demand that I do incredible heroic acts in order to be saved but to simply call on his name. This is so gracious of him because he has every right to judge (and condemn) me based on my deeds but he has agreed to allow the righteousness of Christ to become my righteousness through faith.
I am reminded again that my status before God has nothing to do with me and I am humbled again. At times I am arrogant in my thinking because I fall into the trap of believing that there was something in my character or abilities or accomplishments that attracted God to me. The truth is that I am saved only through faith and by the grace of God.

burdened

Romans 9:1-18

Paul lists the "credits" of Israel and laments that they have not accept Jesus as the Messiah. The key theme of the passage is election and promise. Underlying it all is the glory of God. I know that I don't have the same burden that Paul has for the lost. Paul goes so far as to say that he would trade places with them: that he would be willing to be cut off from Christ if it would mean that his fellow Jews would submit to his right to rule. I am not willing to be uncomfortable for the sake of the gospel. God, please give me your heart for the lost of the city of Lethbridge. Help me to understand the seriousness of their situation. Don't let me ever tire of my efforts and prayers for them.
Paul goes on to say that God has ordained and elected certain people to respond to the gospel. This doesn't break the promise of God to Abraham but fulfills it. Paul declares that God's choosing is not unjust because God is being true to his character by having mercy on whom he wants to and hardening those whom he wants to harden. I believe, because I have been so indoctrinated by Piper through Sid, that God has in mind here his own glory and so he pours mercy on some for his glory and he hardens others for his glory. I agree with Paul (although it makes God seem completely self-absorbed which I think is only bad if you are human) that this does not make God unjust because God is being true to his character and God defines justice.

wretched

Romans 7:14-25

Observe:
Key words: law, sin, death.
Contrasts the spiritual aspect of the law with the unspiritual aspect of Paul (and therefore us).
Contrasts God's law with the law of sin.

Interpret:
Paul is saying that the law is spiritual and therefore good but that his depravity has taken the good intended by the law and twisted it to bring about evil and death. He has the desire to do what the law requires but cannot because he is such a slave to sin. In his regenerated state, his desire to do good is increased, because he has the law of God at work in him. However, even with that, there is still the law of sin at work, seeking to keep him enslaved to sin. In the end, the only way he can be rescued is through Jesus Christ.
Paul's whole point is that the law does not bring life, even though that is what it was intended to do. Life, therefore, must come through faith in Christ (just as the law does not bring righteousness but righteousness comes through faith in Christ).

Apply:
Some people think that this whole section describes Paul before he became a Christian. Thankfully Paul talks about this struggle in the present tense. This gives me a lot of hope that I am not alone in my struggle against sin: I still don't do the things that I want to do and do the things that I don't want to do. My tendency has been to make rules for myself and I think there is some merit in that (Christ commands us to cut off those things that cause us to sin) however, I have also seen that creating more rules creates more opportunity for failure and shame. I need to find out how I can rely on Christ rather than create rules for myself. How do I increase my faith so that I can truly live?

twisted preferences

Romans 7:7-13

I just have a couple of minutes today so let me get right to it. Paul's point is that not only does the law not justify us (chapter 3) but it does not bring us life. It was intended to but, because I am so broken and twisted that I prefer and am enticed by what is forbidden, in simply saying I was not to do something, the law produced the desire to do that very thing which results in death. This is not a fault of the law but with me. The theological term is depravity - I prefer my own glory and the glory of the created things to the glory of God. Not only do I prefer it but I actively seek to undermine the glory of God. The result of all of this? Death.
If I am looking for life, I will not find it in the law. I will not find life by making rules about being a Christian. I will not find life there at all. And yet that is what I do. The law does not bring life! I need to stop creating and relying on the law and start pursuing life!

til death do us part...

Romans 6:1-6

Observe:
"Law" is used repeatedly, sometimes in contrast to "the Spirit." Death/dying is a concept that is repeated, sometimes in contrast to being alive. Paul uses a word picture of marriage to illustrate our relationship to the law.

Interpret:
Paul is continuing his argument that we are dead to sin but made alive, through faith, to God. We no longer need to obey sin. His illustration may seem a bit strange: in Paul's time, a wife was basically property and was bound to her husband "til death do us part." She had to be obedient to him. But once her husband was dead, she was free to find a new husband. Paul argues that because we have died, we are no longer subject to sin - we are not bound by it any longer.

Apply:
I have been released from my commitment to sin and the law because I have died to sin. I am now bound to Christ and to serve him, not in the old way of the law, but in the new way of the Spirit. As Korey, Mick and I talked this morning, this means that I have a choice: I don't need to automatically sin. It also means that I need to take more responsibility for my actions - I choose to subject myself to my old master (which means I am stupid because he treats me badly).

servitude (I like the word as long as it doesn't affect me)

Romans 6:19-23

Observe:
Key words: slave(ry), righteousness, holiness, life, death, impurity/sin
Paul contrasts the results of being a slave to sin (shame and death) with the results of being a slave to God (holiness and life). Holiness and righteousness are connected to life and sin is connected to death.

Interpret:
Paul recognizes that his analogy is not perfect - it is causes some problems to talk about our obedience to God as slavery in the same way that our obedience to sin is slavery. However, the analogy is there in that we are either obeying sin or obeying God.
Paul carries on the idea of wages vs. gift in verse 23 which echoes his language in chapter 4 where he argues that Abraham's righteousness was credited to him as a gift not as an obligation based on his works. This also furthers Paul's argument that we live by faith and that life is a gift from God; not based on works - just as Abraham's righteousness was a gift from God not based on works. This is Paul's whole point: Our righteousness is a gift from God and so is our life. We achieve both by faith in Jesus Christ, not by works or any social status.
Paul is specifically arguing in this passage that there are only two choices when it comes to life: either obeying sin (which leads to shame and death) or obeying God (which leads to holiness and life). The difference is that one is what we deserve (wages of sin) and one is not (gift of God).

Apply:
It follows that my justification will lead to holy living. If I rely on God to save me, why wouldn't I rely on God to help me live? I'm not talking about physical life (although that is a gift from God as well) but about really living, being alive. I have settled for living death when Christ offers living life! I think that we, as a Christian society, have stopped short of the life that God wants.
I also don't think we see the two options very clearly. We tend to think that our choices stand alone and don't see the effect they may be having on history and eternity. We need to recognize that in this battle between sin and holiness, death and life, that we must be very intentional in the things we do and say. I need to evaluate every choice: how can I best promote the cause of holiness and life and act against sin and death?

You're not the boss of me!

Romans 6:15-18

Observe:
Repeated words: slaves, sin, righteousness.
Paul uses the rhetorical question again in this paragraph. He also makes a contrast between being a slave to sin (which leads to death) and a slave to God (which leads to righteousness).

Interpret:
Paul is making the point that our freedom from the law does not equal freedom to sin but freedom to obey God (something we were incapable of apart from God's intervention - Romans 3). He anticipates that people would abuse the fact that they are not under law but under grace (from the previous paragraph) as a license to sin. He argues that by submitting to sin a person makes himself a slave again to sin. He also indicates that humans are always slaves to something - in Paul's world it is either we are slaves to sin or slaves to God.

Apply:
Sin is no longer my master. I have been freed through Jesus Christ to obey God. Compared to the power of God, the Holy Spirit, in me, sin has no power. I need to remember this when temptation comes. I also need to remember that there is a snare hidden in the temptation: that sin never has my good in mind but is trying to entice me to become its slave again. I admit that in the middle of the temptation it seems very attractive and very powerful. I truly need to become more sensitive to the Spirit in me as he seeks to remind me of the truth: God is more powerful that the temptation and the temptation leads to enslavement.

Some kind of zombie...

Romans 6:11-14

Observe:
Death and life are key words in this section. There are also a lot of imperatives: count yourself dead to sin, do not let sin reign, do not offer yourself to sin. This is a list of commands that will enable someone to find the true life that faith offers.
Another key phrase is "in Christ." Paul uses this phrase a lot (not so far in Romans but in his other letters).

Interpret:
Paul is calling the believer to live out what has already taken place: they are dead to sin and Paul calls the believer to count themselves dead to sin. There is a progression to victory over sin: count yourself dead to it, refuse to let sin reign and offer the parts of your body to God for his use and glory.
Paul uses what seems like an oxymoron: in order to live by faith, you first must die. The just will live by faith by dying to themselves and to sin and living to God.

Apply:
The reality of my situation is that I am no longer enslaved to sin. Paul is calling me to live out that reality in my life. It is true that it is a work of God everytime that I don't sin but it is also true that I need to recognize that the work of God is not just one particular sin in one particular time but that his work has freed me from all sin for all time. I need to "count myself" dead to sin and refuse to recognize its rule - it has no right to rule my life. The reality is that I have died to sin but, like some kind of zombie, I keep on coming back to live to sin. This is where the miracle comes in: I have been so conditioned by sin to obey it and my soul has preferred sin for so long that it is going to take a miracle for me to live the reality of being released from its mastery over me. Like a prisoner who's been set free after a virtual lifetime of incarceration, it is going to take me a while to get used to my new freedom. God not only frees me but he helps me to live (really live!) in that freedom. This shows me just how weak and incapable I am apart from him.

mastering death

Romans 6:8-10

Observe:
Repeated (key) words: die (in its various forms), live (in its various forms).
There is a word picture that involves death and slavery in the sense that the dead slave is no longer bound by obedience to his master. Paul compares the physical death and resurrection of Christ to the spiritual/moral death and resurrection of the believer.

Interpret:
Paul is arguing in this whole section (chapter 5 onward) that we live by faith. Here, he argues that we identify (by faith) with the death and resurrection of Christ which allows us to escape the mastery of sin and live the life that God expects us to. The other benefit is that Christ's death broke the "judicial link" (from the study notes) between sin and death, moving Christ beyond the reign of sin. As we identify with Christ's death and resurrection we also move beyond the reign of sin and escape death.

Apply:
I live by faith. All of this (life, escaping the judgement, etc.) is only possible through Christ. It is only possible to live the life God expects me to by identifying myself with Christ. It's like Korey and I talked about this morning: it's a miracle when I don't sin in the sense that it is truly only by the power/work of the Holy Spirit in me that I don't give in to my sinful desires. This raises the question: if I don't want to sin, do I work hard at not sinning or do I work hard at surrendering to the Holy Spirit? The answer is pretty obvious. Just as I can only be saved (or as Paul puts it, justified) by faith in the work of Christ on the cross, I can only live the life God desires by faith in the work of Christ in me.

Freedom!

Romans 6:1-7

Observe:
Paul uses a word picture of death and burial. He actually identifies believers in Jesus as being united in Christ's death, burial and resurrection. Those are key words in this passage. Sin is also a key word (and one that is repeated through the paragraph). The section starts off with some rhetorical questions, which seems to be a common device that Paul uses. Paul also uses another word picture of the slave market.

Interpret:
Paul is following through on his thought in the previous chapter: the law "increased" the trespass and grace "increased all the more." Paul anticipates the question: then shouldn't we sin so that grace could keep increasing? The obvious answer: No! Paul argues that, through faith in Christ, we have died to sin. We don't just live, continuing on in our old ways (because that was death). We have died to that way of living and been given a new life. Paul says that we are no longer slaves to sin, not just because we have been redeemed but because we are actually dead. A dead slave cannot be made to obey and therefore is no longer a slave.

Apply:
I don't have to sin - sin cannot control me because I am dead, no longer its slave. When I sin, it is because I prefer sin and choose sin over the glory of God. This is somewhat simplistic (and even Paul seems to acknowledge that later on) but it is also mysteriously true. What is also true is that, like a man released from years of imprisonment, it is taking me a long time to learn this new way of living. I need to remember that it is by faith in Christ that I live - not by my own efforts to defeat sin but by identification and unification with Christ in his death and resurrection.

Tonight's the night the world begins again...

Romans 5:18-21

So, I have good news - my wife and I adopted a baby boy and we just got to bring him home on Saturday night. We were so excited! My wife travelled in the back of the car just so she could sit beside him all the way home - even though all he does is sleep. When we brought him into church, everyone was gathered around to see and in the service I got to introduce him to everyone (I held him up over my head like a trophy! I certainly felt like I had won a championship!). It such exciting news that I find myself sharing it with everyone - I just got off the phone with Canadian Blood Services (I missed my appointment last week in all the excitement) and I told the wonderful lady on the phone my good news. I couldn't help it! It just spills out of me.
Paul is announcing some incredible news here: the human race, living under the condemnation of God as a result of one man's trespass, has hope for life because of one man's act of righteousness. Incredible! Even more incredible than our little son (as hard as that might be to imagine). This is simply wonderful news - I, and the rest of humanity, don't have to live under the cloud and weight of God's judgement and wrath any longer because one man (Jesus - in case you hadn't figured that out yet) acted in righteousness and provided justification, available for us all. If the result of disobeying God is death, the result of this man's obedience means life!
This fits into the rest of Paul's argument: not only are we saved from judgement but we are made alive through faith in Jesus Christ. The law doesn't save us from judgement - it doesn't even bring life. The law, according to Paul, is meant to highlight the need we have for redemption. It causes our way of living to stand out in stark contrast to the holiness of God. It is the act of Jesus that brings us life!
Great news! I wonder why it doesn't burst out of me like the news about my son does?

How much more...

Romans 5:15-17



Observe:

The phrase "how much more" is repeated and key to Paul's point. Also, "through", "one man" and "righteousness" are key. Paul contrasts grace with trespass, Adam with Christ, the results of the trespass (condemnation and death) with the results of the grace (justification and life).



Interpret:

This continues Paul's comparison/contrast between Christ and Adam. Paul's point is that the effects of Adam's trespass were devestating and far reaching but the grace of God through Christ has an even greater impact on the world. This is hard to understand since the world was completely changed through Adam - death came to all humans, relationships were altered between humans and between humans and God, the way we work was changed, the way we have kids was changed. As great as the effects of sin, according to the Holy Spirit as he writes it in this passage, the effects of grace are even greater!



Apply:

Your grace is enough! I am sometimes guilty of a cheap view of God's grace - as if his grace might run out, or barely be enough to cover over my sin. His grace is more than sufficient. I don't need to live in scarcity but in the abundance of God's grace. I can enjoy life to the full because I know that when I fall I will fall on the grace that first brought me to Him!

Reconciled!

Romans 5:9-14

Observe:
There is a lot of comparisons and contrasts in this section. Justified by Christ's blood compared to being saved from God's wrath through Christ; being reconciled through Christ's death compared to being saved through Christ's life; the condemnation spreading to the human race from Adam's act of rebellion contrasted to the grace that spreads to the human race from Christ's sacrificial act (this comparison gets interrupted because Paul realizes how the two acts, while able to be contrasted, are on two completely different levels).
The key words are "through Christ" (saved from God's wrath, rejoice, receive reconciliation) and "how much more".
The word picture is that of condemnation spreading to all humans from Adam like an insiduous disease spreading around the world from one source of rotteness and corruption.

Interpret:
It is clear that Paul has moved on to his second argument believing that he has already proven that we are justified by faith: v. 9 "Since (a foregone conlcusion) we have been justified..." The main argument is that now that we have been reconciled to God (declared just or righteous) through Christ's death and life, we will now also live free from God's wrath/judgement. Paul begins to argue that just as sin and death entered through one man, righteousness and life entered through the ONE! He is beginning to build his argument that we are not only declared righteous by faith but that we also live by faith.

Application:
I often live with the proverbial sword of judgment and condemnation hanging over my head. God no longer holds that over me because I have not only been declared just (not guilty) through Christ's death, I have been given life (free from condemnation) through Christ's resurrection. I know longer should be living my life out of fear (although there is still an aspect of fearing the Lord) but out of love and joy. It is my joy to honour you!

A Demonstrated Love

Romans 5:1-8

Observe:
The repeated words are: faith, through (Christ), rejoice, die. There is a logical progression: suffering leads to perseverance which leads to character which leads to hope which does not disappoint because it is founded in God's character. There is the theme of God's love poured into us and demonstrated at the cross of Christ and the theme of Christ's death.
Paul contrasts humans, who might be willing to die for a good person, to God who died for us when we were sinners (i.e. not good people).

Interpret:
The connecting word is "therefore" indicating that what comes next is because we have been justified by faith. Paul's argument is that because we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through Jesus Christ. Not only is our legal standing changed (from guilty to justified) our relational standing has changed (from enemy to friend) before God.
If Paul's thesis is "the just will live by faith" and he has proven that we are made just by faith, this passage is the connection to the part where he proves that we will live by faith as well.

Apply:
The part that really stands out is rejoicing in suffering because suffering produces hope (taken to its final conclusion). I don't rejoice in suffering. I hate suffering. The idea of suffering makes me suffer. I think it is because I don't see the point of suffering - to produce perserverance, etc. in me. I just see it as an inconvenience. I also don't really trust God - if I am suffering it must be because either God is not in control, or he is not good, or he doesn't really love me. This is a very selfish view of suffering. Don't get me wrong - I think it is totally appropriate to ask God all sorts of questions but I can't lose sight of who God is in the midst of it all.
The second part of this is that I don't like suffering because I've lost sight of the hope. If I truly understood the hope I have in Jesus Christ (which is not blind optimism like "I hope I win a million bucks" but is secure because has given us the Holy Spirit and poured his love into our hearts through him) then I could truly rejoice in my suffering. No matter what I go through here in this life, there is something far better (unimaginably better) waiting for me! I think that I have lost sight of the fact that heaven is waiting and it may not wait until I die (that sends shivers down my spine!).

declared righteous (or just) by faith

Romans 4:16-25

Observe:
"Faith" is a key word in this passage again. It is contrasted with "law" a little bit (not as much as in previous passages). Abraham continues to be a key person - he is the father of us all in that he had faith and was given righteousness just as we have faith and are given righteousness by God. "Credited" and "righteousness" are key words as well, especially at the end of the passage.
I also notice a bit of an idealistic picture when it comes to Abraham: he never wavered in his faith in regard to the promise of God that he would be the father of many nations. However, the story of Abraham shows that he did have a few crises of faith: he lied about Sarah being his wife and he tried to make God's promise come through human measures like having sex with his wife's maid. Obviously Paul is using a bit of hyperbole to prove his point.
There is a great image of hopelessness in this passage: Abraham was as good as dead and Sarah's womb was old and barren and yet Abraham still had faith. This shows me that God's work depends on God's ability not on my (or anyone else's) perceived ability.

Interpret:
Paul is summing up the first part of his argument or thesis: The just will live by faith. Here, Paul has proved, using the example of Abraham, that righteousness (be declared just) comes from God through faith, not through works. He has shown that no one can be declared righteous by works (Romans 3) because there is no one who does good, that no one can be declared righteous through the law because the law brings condemnation (Romans 3:20) and that all are guilty of breaking God's standards whether they have the written law or not (Romans 1-2; 3:23). Abraham is his final witness in this part of his argument: he was declared righteous not because he was circumcised or because he followed the law but because he believed God. Therefore, righteousness is by faith and we are declared just by faith in God who raised Jesus (who was delivered to death for our sins and raised again for our justification) from the dead. From here, Paul will talk about how we have life and how we should live in light of this amazing truth.

Apply:
There is not a tonne of practical application to this teaching - it is very philosophical and theological. However, it does speak to an attitude adjustment that I need to continue to make: I have been declared righteous and just, not by any merit of my own but by the merit of God. My righteousness speaks of God's character and ability. The fact that I have been made just speaks to the fact that I am helpless and hopeless apart from the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the grace of God.

Father Abraham had many sons... and I am one of them

Romans 4:9-15

Observations:
The words that are repeated are: circumcised, uncircumcised, faith, credited, righteousness, father. The ideas that are contrasted and compared are circumcised/uncircumcised and faith/law. The people mentioned are Abraham and his offspring - Paul argues that everyone who has faith in God is Abraham's offspring whether they are circumcised (Jews) or not (Gentiles).

Interpretation:
"This blessedness" (v. 9) refers to the quote in v. 7-8: blessed are those who have been forgiven. Paul argues that this blessedness (and, therefore, forgiveness) is not just of the circumcised. The argument goes like this: Abraham was credited righteousness because of his faith (not because of his works) and this credit was given to him before he was circumcised. Therefore, circumcision is not necessary for righteousness to be credited to our account (in other words, Gentiles don't need to convert to Judaism to become believers in Christ) and Abraham, in his example of faith, is the spiritual father of both the Jewish and Gentile-ish(?) believer.
Paul is referring back to the blessing that Abraham received: many offspring (like the dust of the earth), possession of the land of Canaan and that all nations would be blessed through him. Ultimately, all nations are blessed because Abraham was the ancestor of the Messiah but also because we are the spiritual offspring of Abraham.
It is interesting that James uses this same example to prove that faith without works is dead. He says that Abraham was credited righteousness because he acted on his belief and until he acted on that faith, there was no righteousness credited to his account.

Application:
I am really struck by the logical flow of Paul's arguments. I really enjoy the balance of emotion and reason that Paul achieves. I personally tend to lean on the law which doesn't make sense. I don't even live up to my own standards and I try to impose those standards on others. I know that as a follower of Christ there are standards for me to live up to but I can't achieve those standards without the intervention of the Holy Spirit. This means that my role as youth pastor is not to impose standards on people but to use those standards, and our failure to reach them, to point out our need for Christ, then to teach students how to depend on Christ.

I want that kind of credit card...

Romans 4:1-8

Observe:
Two people's lives and words are used as examples to prove Paul's point that the just will live by faith: Abraham and David.
Paul contrasts the ideas of works and faith or belief. Other key words are righteousness, credit, justified. He also compares the spiritual transaction between Abraham and God to a financial transaction: when a person works, he is credited with wages (the employer owes the employee). However, Abraham did not work, he believed and God credited him with righteousness (it is not that God now owes Abraham anything but as a gift he credits it to Abrahams account).

Interpret:
Paul uses Abraham because he was considered the father of the Jewish faith. If the father of Judaism was credited righteousness because of what he believed as opposed to what he did, then all the rest of humanity cannot earn God's righteousness through works either. Paul also uses David because he was THE king that everyone looked back on. Paul uses these two important figures to add authority to his argument: "Look, I'm not making this up. Even Abraham and David talked about this."
The main argument here is summed up in Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death." If it was about earning anything, all that humanity would earn is death because they have sinned. Apart from faith in God, death was being credited to our account. But, when a person puts their faith in God and his promises, God does not count their sins against them anymore ("The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord") - like that bank account is wiped out - and instead credits righteousness to their account.

Apply:
God is gracious and merciful. He could have made me (and the rest of humanity) to draw from the account of death that I had built up but, simply because I trusted him, he cancelled that account and credited my account with righteousness.
Again, there is no cause for arrogance - I have nothing to boast about. As Paul says, "If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about..." But he wasn't so he doesn't and neither do I. Why am I righteous? Because God chose to credit my account. Not because I had any merit -I didn't (couldn't) finally bank up enough righteousness to get chosen. The fact that he chose me is nothing to boast about - he chose weasels like Jacob so all I'm saying when I get arrogant about God choosing me is that I am in the company of weasels (and properly so).
Finally, this righteousness that was credited to my account means that I should not take it for granted. I don't believe that God will take it away from me but he would be entirely justified to do so because it is his righteousness in the first place. I know that if I had given someone something so valuable and they took it for granted and abused it the way that I abuse God's righteousness, I would want to take it back. O, God, please forgive me for the way that I have abused your amazing gift!

boasting is out

Romans 3:27-31

Observations:
Paul uses rhetorical questions to make his point (a technique he uses frequently - especially in Romans). There is a contrast/comparison between the circumcised (or Jews) and uncircumcised (or Gentiles) as well as a contrast between justification by faith and justification by the law.

Interpretation:
Paul is saying that because there is only one God (the most important belief of Jewish faith: "The Lord our God is one...") that there is therefore only one way of salvation for both the Jew and the Gentile: through faith. This means that there is nothing to boast about because justification is not about what a person does but what a person believes or where a person places his faith. Paul is not saying that the Law is useless and should be abolished. He is saying that apart from faith, a person cannot keep the Law but after being saved, a person is empowered by God's Spirit to uphold the Law.

Application:
I remember a commercial for microwave pizza from a few years ago. Two guys were arguing about putting a personal pizza in the microwave; one guy saying that it would get soggy and the other guy insisting that it could be done. The commercial ends with the guys eating the pizza from the microwave with a nice crispy crust. The second guy has a smug attitude about it all and the first guy brings him back to earth by saying, "It's not like you invented it!"
That reminds me of the Christian faith. It is easy to get smug, to boast that I have found the right way to gain God's favour but I need to relax because it's not like I invented it. I haven't earned God's favour - it was given to me through Christ and I simply believed or had faith. There's not much to boast about there!

good news = gospel

Romans 3:21-26

Observation:

The key words are: righteousness, law, faith, justifies. They are repeated through out these verses. The contrast is the righteousness that comes from the law vs. the righteousness that comes from God.

There is a small word picture that most readers would have picked up on comparing the death of Jesus to the atonement sacrifice in the OT.

Interpret:

The phrase that connects this to the rest of the chapter and the book is "But now..." indicating that there is a change in the present that alters everything. Up to this point, Paul points out that all of us are guilty, whether we have the law or not. All of our religious ceremonies and arrogance will not save us from God's wrath. But now...

Up to this point, Paul has proven that we are not declared righteous by observing the law adn therefore the just do not live by the law. In this passage, he proves how we can be declared righteous through the death of Jesus Christ - adding to his thesis that the just will live by faith (or, we are declared just/righteous by faith).

The main argument of this passage is that righteousness comes from God through faith in Jesus Christ. None of us could attain righteousness on our own because we all (whether Jew or Gentil - there is no difference when it comes to righteousness) fall short but we all (whether Jew or Gentile) can be declared righteous by God's grace through the sacrifice of Jesus. In Jesus, we see the justice and the grace of God.

Apply:

God's exceptional and indescribable mercy is seen clearly in this passage: because I could not attain his standard of righteousness, I deserve punishment but he gives me righteousness through Jesus. Wow! I also see God's justice - he could not let sin go unpunished but in his grace allowed Jesus to take the punishment for me. Wow (again)! My response should be complete surrender to God and a complete humbling before him. He saved me - it wasn't my merit or effort or attractiveness (and I know I'm pretty attractive...). It was his character that moved him to act on my behalf. My salvation depends on God, not on me.

the verdict: all are guilty!

Romans 3:9-20

Observation:
The words "no one" and the idea of "righteous" are repeated. Paul uses a list of verses from the OT that speak of the depravity and brokeness of all of humanity. The theme is that no one is righteous, not even one. "Law" is also a key word that is repeated a few times.

Interpretation:
The main argument of the passage is that there is no one who is righteous - it doesn't matter wether you are a Jew and have access to the Scriptures or a Gentile and don't. All of humanity prefers sin to the fear and glory of God and rushes to sin rather than to obey God. The law does not make people righteous - the law acts as a mirror, making us aware of our unrighteousness and sinfulness. The law is the instrument that God will use to measure our lives and everyone will be found lacking.

Application:
Any righteousness that I have "gained" is not from my own efforts because I could never be good enough to earn it. Any righteousness I have achieved by my own efforts is self-righteousness and is empty and futile. I am fallen. This means that rather than running to do what is good, my feet are swift to shed blood and my tongue practices deceit. Any decently close examination of my life will show this to be true. This is not just what I do but my character has been twisted so this is what I prefer and any time I do something good, it is a miracle because it is God breaking through my falleness and depravity. The miracle is not just that I don't perform the bad act but that God is starting to change my preferences and fix my depravity.
If it takes God's intervention to change me, then I need to stop expecting that other people will change apart from the intervention of God. Rather than beating them up (emotionally. I usually avoid throwing punches!), I need to introduce them to Jesus, offer them grace and pray that God would intervene in my life as he has in theirs. I also need to seek the intervention of God in my own life more. Jesus said in John 15 that apart from him I can do nothing of eternal value, I can bear no fruit. My goal is to bear fruit and the way that I do that is not to try to produce fruit on my own but to seek the divine intervention, the life-giving source that flows through me as I abide in Christ.

the advantage of circumcision

Romans 3:1-7

Observe:
Now it seems like Paul is shifting to address the Gentiles (he speaks of the Jews in the third person instead of in the second person as he has done in the previous section).
Paul is contrasting God's character to human character and basically saying that God's character is seen more clearly when contrasted to human character but that doesn't get us off the hook from facing God's judgement.
Paul starts a list in v. 2 of all the advantages that a Jew has over a Gentile. However, he only gets to number one and then he interrupts himself (a classic Paul tactic). According to my study Bible, he doesn't pick up the list again until chapter 9.

Interpret:
First, Paul is saying that Jews have an advantage over Gentiles because they have been entrusted with the word of God. This advantage also carries responsibility with it - to live according to the revelation they have been given through the words of God.
Paul then goes on a bit of a side track by saying that even if some Jews do not believe the word of God, it does not change the fact that God is faithful. We tend to think of God being faithful to us but Paul says that he is faithful to his own character - his judgement of sin exhibits his faithfulness to himself (in other words, he will never act outside of his character).
Paul goes on to destroy an argument that people were making: God cannot be just when he judges us because his character is seen most clearly in contrast to ours (i.e. his faithfulness in contrast to our unfaithfulness). This is similar to an argument that people make today that God cannot be just in judging those who don't have access to the gospel of Christ. God is just and he will judge in righteousness (Paul argues this in the previous chapters).

Apply:
As a Christian living in a free country, born to Christian parents and having access to many different versions of the Bible in my first language, I have been entrusted with a huge responsibility before God to live up to and take care of his words. I have been given many of the same advantages that the Jews had in Paul's day. This means that I must read, study, treat with respect, teach and live out the words of Christ as they have been given to me and as they are taught to me by the Holy Spirit.
Thankfully I don't hear too much of the argument that Paul was fighting against (let's do bad so God's goodness can be clearly seen). I have heard a variation of it once from a friend of mine who was a terrible driver (passed on the shoulder, 1.5x the speed limit, etc.) who saide he couldn't wait to get pulled over so that he could show the police officer respect and humility and be an example of Christ to the officer. I think God would rather have my friend be an example of Christ in the way that he drove. This passage reminds me that I am to display God's faithfulness, justice, truthfulness, etc. not by contrasting it against my own unfaithfulness, etc. but by allowing the Spirit of God to produce the character of Christ in me. I should represent, not be an anti-example of, God's character.

conversation on circumcision

Romans 2:25-29

Observe:
The key words of this passage are circumcision and the law. Paul repeats these words, comparing and contrasting them several times. He contrasts circumcision of the flesh to circumcision of the heart, creating a fairly vivid word picture... ouch!!
Paul is obviously addressing Jewish Christians again in this section of his letter.

Interpret:
The main argument Paul makes here is that circumcision of the flesh does not automatically make a person a law-abider. In fact, if someone lives according to God's standard but is not circumcised, God regards them as being circumcised - I believe this is talking about a Gentile who did not have access to God's revelation in the Law and Prophets. Paul is arguing that there is more important things in God's view than the outward markings of belonging to him; specifically he is saying that the true sign of belonging to God is the new life (circumcised heart) brought by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Apply:
First, I see God's justice clearly again. Even though he chose the nation of Israel to be his special, chosen people, he creates a level playing field: righteousness does not come from having the law or meeting the ceremonial requirements such as circumcision. Righteousness comes from God and a person who never has read the Law but is trying to live according to the revelation God has given to her can be regarded just as righteous as the person who has access to the Law (Paul is going to argue in chapter 3 that no one is righteous in God's sight, whether they have the law or not).
Secondly, I am convicted about the outward signs that I place value on: going to church, living a "moral" life (at least outwardly), etc. In effect, I have become just as religious as the Jews - relying on the culture of Christianity rather than on the inward cutting away of sin and selfishness as I surrender the Holy Spirit, submitting to his work in my life.
Finally, I am convicted (again) about the pious, superiour spirituality that I try to impose on people around me. It is more about behaving a certain way than it is about a vital, real relationship with God that transforms me and regenerates me from the heart. Can you imagine what such a person would look like - rather than worrying about conforming to the restrictions of cultural Christianity they were consumed by love for Christ and a desire to please God (conforming to the "restrictions" of God).

God is blasphemed because of me?

Romans 2:17-24

I know I should be doing observe, interpret, apply but this passage hits me right in the gut! I think it should do the same for all Christians, especially those in North America. We have become arrogant in regard to our relationship to God and the revelation of himself that he has given to us just as the Jews that Paul was writing to had become arrogant. They relied on the fact that God had given them the law and saw themselves as superior because of that. We rely on the fact that we have a "proper" interpretation of Scripture and we have become arrogant - as if we somehow merited God's special attention. We are smug in our relationship with God and believe that we are the moral compass of the nation and the world but we are unwilling to listen to our own teaching and unwilling (and, quite frankly, unable) to live up to the standard that we impose on the rest of society. We stand up on our self-built pedestal and look down our long, pious noses and condemn people for the very acts we are committing (and congratulate and applaud ourselves for doing it).
We preach against stealing and yet we still steal - this one really hurts because I was the one that did the sermon on stealing a year or two ago and yet I still find myself stealing in creative ways. We condemn those who commit adultery and sit in front of our computers and unite our selves in mind and spirit with virtual, photo shopped, airbrushed images. We puff out our chests because we don't worship false gods and then prostrate ourselves before money, possessions and sports heroes. We brag about being Christians (literally "little Christs") and then act nothing like Christ.
Here is the damning indictment against us: "God's name is blasphemed among the people because of you." I am the reason that people don't trust God. I am the reason that people don't repent.
O God, I am so sorry for the way that I have treated your name and the way that I have represented you to the people. I am so sorry for the way that we, who take your name on ourselves, have dragged it through the mud and brought dishonour to you.