The Hope Of Glory & Power For Today (Romans 5)

December 7th, 2009

2008 in America heard a lot of talk about hope and change. But now, with the advantage of looking back, it was only a reminder that real hope and true change can and will only come through the King of kings and Lord of lords, Jesus Christ. Hope in the Bible is a different kind of hope than most people think of when they use the word. And deep, lasting change comes from Christ in us, not personal wisdom or strength.

Many times when we say “hope”, we mean it in a wishful kind of way. “I hope that things can change” or “I hope everything works out.” But hope in the Bible is used in a different sense. Hope in the Bible is the joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation, resting in absolute assurance that God can and will do what He promised. In Romans 5:2 we “rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” We know that God is faithful and able to accomplish all that He has promised.

The word “change” isn’t used often in the Bible, but the idea is a big theme throughout. Change, in a biblical sense, is something that is effected by God. Personal change for the good only happens by the power of God indwelling a person. When a person turns their life over to God by placing their faith in who Jesus Christ is and what He did for all of humanity (in dying for our sins on the cross), that person is spiritually born again, or born “from above”. That means that they are born of the Spirit of God and God Himself takes up residence in the new believer’s spirit. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is the only way for real and lasting change to occur in a person’s life. As believers, we have access to the power that created all things, and the power that rose Jesus from the dead. But, we have to appropriate that power in our lives in order to have victory over the sin that still attempts to work through our mortal bodies; today, tomorrow and for the rest of our earthly lives.

How to receive the hope of eternal life was the general subject of Romans, chapters 1-4. The assurance of our salvation is the general subject matter of Romans 5-8, but in substantiating those truths, Paul also shows us how to live changed lives, by giving ourselves to God and not to the sinful desires still present in our mortal bodies. At the moment that we are justified (made right) with God by faith, God also begins the process of setting us apart and progressively changing us from within by the power of His Spirit in us. He is changing us, more and more, into the image of His Son. This process is called sanctification. To have consistent victory over sin, to be pleasing to God in our daily lives and to have powerful ministries for Him, and by Him, we must learn to fully lean on Christ and cooperate with Him throughout this lifelong process.

So, here in chapter 5, Paul transitions from justification by faith to our assurance of salvation in Christ. And, over the next few chapters, he will give us great insights into our sanctification, as well. The fifth chapter of Romans is a wonderful summary of the first four chapters, and an insightful introduction to the basic subject matter of the next three (chapters 6-8). It is a pivotal chapter in the book of Romans, and an essential chapter to understand for the Christian’s life today. It summarizes our sure hope of future glory and introduces the fact that now, in Christ, grace abounds (as opposed to sin), and that grace reigns through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Jesus is our hope of glory and in Him alone is found our power for today.

In chapter 5, we see a new phase in Paul’s discussion as it moves forward. As he begins, he assumes that the reader has received and is enjoying the free gift of salvation by faith in Jesus. The guilty past is forgiven/removed, and the future glory is guaranteed by the presence of the Holy Spirit. Paul begins, “therefore”. That points us back to chapters 1-4, especially 3:21-4:25. Therefore, or “in light of all this”,

having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, (Romans 5:1, NKJV).

Paul is now turning to the experiential results of the Christian’s justification, the sanctifying power of the Spirit and what this life by faith looks and feels like. The first result is peace with God- based on His work, not our works.

For it pleased the Father that in Him [Jesus] all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself… having made peace through the blood of His cross. And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight… (Colossians 1:19-22, NKJV).

We were once estranged, enemies of God. But now we have peace, we are reconciled to God through Christ. And it is He who has done the reconciling! Our relationship with God is established by His faithfulness to His promises and our belief that He will keep His word. “Through our Lord Jesus Christ” refers to Jesus’ entire vicarious sacrifice.

through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. (Romans 5:2, NKJV).

Prosagōgē (access) was used in the Greek language “to describe the privilege to approach a person of high rank”. Access has been restored by faith. The door is always open to His children, to access our Father, to enter the very presence of God, the Living God and our Creator, and we are now the recipients of all of God’s blessings for us. We stand in the place of highest privilege because of His gift of grace. The grace in which we stand is the goodness and power of God. His goodness to give it to us and His power to do so. I love that little phrase, “we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand”! We stand firm in all that God has done for us and all that God is! I believe this also refers to accessing God’s presence and power for our walk with Him. His power to overcome the temptations to sin, His power working in and through us to bring glory to Jesus, His power to bring us into close communion with the Spirit, His power to love us and to fill us with His love to share His love with others. The power to be a Christian, to walk the walk, is found in His grace in which we now stand! And He has given us His Holy Spirit for this very purpose. He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6).

The last part of verse two is as wonderful as the first, looking beyond the here and now and into our glorious future inheritance- sharing in God’s glory for eternity. The sure hope of glory, that only the Christian has, is the very reason for God’s creation.

Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will give us later… (Rom. 8:18, NLT)

It [the body] is sown [buried] in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power… (1 Cor. 15:43, NKJV)

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding [and] eternal weight of glory… (2 Cor. 4:17)

To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory (Col. 1:27).

When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory (Col 3:4).

Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory (2 Tim. 2:10).

Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is (1 John 3:2).

Notice also that in verse one, we have peace with God, and in verse two we rejoice (joy) in hope of glory (joyfully looking forward to, NLT). Three characteristics of the fruit of the Spirit are listed here in these first two verses of chapter 5 (peace, joy and hope). The fact that “the love of God has been poured out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit” (v. 5) explains the source of the fruit in our lives!

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us–they help us learn to endure. And endurance develops strength of character in us, and character strengthens our confident expectation of salvation [our hope]. And this expectation will not disappoint us. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love
(Rom. 5:3-5, NLT).

As a Christian in a fallen world, all sufferings (all distresses, problems, trials, pressure, weakness, pain, persecution, death, etc…) are on behalf of Christ (Moo, NICNT, p.303). The first object of joy (rejoicing) was our hope of glory in verse two. Now, Paul says, the second object of joy is sufferings. In both, we are learning to rejoice in God Himself (v. 11). The presence of suffering during our lifetime is a difficult truth to accept, but one that we must accept because we live in a fallen world and are followers of Christ. We rejoice in our sufferings because of what it produces, for God and for us.

…we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose [sharing His glory] (Rom. 8:28).

According to 2 Corinthians 4:17, our suffering actually produces our coming glory (without the subjection to the curse of all creation, in response to Adam’s sin, we would not have the hope of glory)!

Our sufferings produce our coming glory in at least two ways: one, our recognition of weakness causes us to turn to God, and two, a believer’s weakness serves to magnify God’s power. Endurance with the right attitude, by trusting in God’s character and sovereignty, produces proven character. And proven character produces hope. Hope is like a muscle, if it is not exercised it will not become as strong as it could and needs to be. The experience of trusting God through our trials produces hope. The reason that this hope (resulting finally from affliction) does not disappoint is that God has poured out His love into our hearts (v.5, Witmer, TBKC, p. 456). And that love that is poured out and available now will finally culminate in our final glorification with God.

Hope, then, is the theme of chapter 5:1-11. The glorious character of justification by faith is that it brings peace with God, and that peace brings a firmly anchored hope. God’s love is poured out into our hearts, it gushes and overflows, not drop by drop, but in torrents of living water.

The verb “pour out” connotes an abundant, extravagant effusion (Moo, NICNT, p. 304). The Holy Spirit will over flow out of our lives toward others, as well, the more we yield to His work in our lives. This is the powerful “secret” to walking in step with God’s will for our lives day in and day out, and to having powerful ministries by and for the Lord.

Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers [torrents] of living water (John 7:37-38).”

Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love (John 15:4 & 9).

We’ll talk more about ‘abiding’ and ‘coming to Jesus’ as we work through chapters 6, 7 & 8.

Now, love has it’s origin in God and is reproduced in the children of God. He has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love and to overflow into other’s lives with His love.

In Paul’s mind, this filling of the Holy Spirit, this pouring out of God’s love through the Spirit, fulfills the OT prophecies of the New Covenant which was to come. The indwelling presence of the Spirit in the believer’s life is the direct fulfillment of the Old Covenant and the pledge and guarantee of our future glory. The Old Covenant was established by faith (Rom. 3:31), to guard believers and tutor them, leading them to God’s grace through faith in Christ (Gal. 3:23-25), until the New Covenant came. Jesus promised the disciples that this would happen after He died for the sins of the world, rose again and returned to the Father.

I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever– the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you (emphasis mine). I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you (John 14:16-18).

Again, in verse five Paul said that God has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love. This coming of the Holy Spirit fulfilled at least three OT prophecies that Paul would have had in mind. One would have been Joel 2:28-29, which Peter quotes in Acts chapter 3 to explain the Coming of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. A second certainly would have been Jeremiah 31:31-34, quoted by the writer to the Hebrews in chapters 8 and 10 of that book. And the third OT reference to the coming of the Holy Spirit that Paul would have had in mind is found in the book of Ezekiel, chapter 36:25-27:

Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.

We fulfill the law of God by faith in Christ alone because we have been made right (declared righteous, justified, acquitted of sin) by faith in Christ. We are also being changed daily, by His Spirit, into the image of Christ. This is achieved by faith in God and yielding to His work in us. The only way to live out the law of God is by the Holy Spirit of God working in and through us. And that is precisely the gift the Lord has given to you- His Holy Spirit within you by His grace, through faith in Christ.

Wow, there’s so much here in just the first five verses! But, we must move on. We will revisit these themes throughout the coming chapters. But, now on to verse 6:

When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners (Romans 5:6, NLT).

Before we received Christ, and God’s unfathomable gift, we were helpless without Him. Ephesians 2 says that we were dead in our sins, but that He has made us alive together with Christ. Christ died for us at the time of our greatest need, while we were in rebellion to Him.

For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:7-8, NASB).

I do not think that the NLT gets the gist of verse 7, which is why nearly all of the other versions translate it the way they do- literally. But what does Paul mean? The answer, I think, is proved by common sense. In the study on Romans 1, I mentioned that my wife and I are so blessed with the opportunity to have a small Bible study in our home every week. When our group came to this verse, we asked everyone to share who they thought people, in general, might be willing to die for. And the answers were nearly all along the same line- someone that we know and care for in a special and deep way. Some of the examples were: a soldier laying down his life for a fellow soldier, a man dying for his wife, a mother giving her life for her child. Not one person mentioned dying for a really righteous and good stranger! I was amazed that as I looked through some of the commentaries on this verse, many of those preachers, teachers and writers felt the same way about this verse! In fact, this is the most popular interpretation of what Paul meant. It was so wonderful how the Holy Spirit led our group that night! I think that when Paul speaks of “a righteous man”, he means someone especially good, but someone we do not know personally. And when he speaks of “the good man”, he means someone we know and have a special relationship to. Most people wouldn’t die for a stranger, even if they are a really, really good person. But some will lay down their life for a loved one. We may not know for sure until we are in God’s Kingdom, but this interpretation makes the best sense to me today.

But, the point of these two verses is how great God’s love is for us! He demonstrates (present tense, is always demonstrating) His great love for us, in that Christ died for us when we were at war with God. That is like a soldier laying down his life for a soldier from the enemy’s side! This illustrates the depth of God’s indescribable love for us. He died for us and forgave us and cleansed us while we were still sinning against Him. Not one of us comes close to loving the way God loves. Yet, we see that love lived out in the life of Jesus.

And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s judgment (Romans 5:9, NLT).

Paul deploys the “a fortiori” argument here, arguing that if the greater can be done, than the lesser can be done. This style of argument was called “qal wayyomer” (”light and heavy”) by the ancient rabbis. Verses 9 and 10 reiterate verses 1-8 and expand the central theme, which is the certainty of Christian hope. Paul’s logic goes like this: since God has done the more difficult, which is to justify sinners, than He will certainly do the less difficult, which is to save His children from the future wrath of God.

“He will certainly save us” or “we will be saved” is a temporal element in the statement (looking to a yet future event) that indicates a saving from wrath/judgement/condemnation. This is the final deliverance of the believer from sin, death and judgement, and therefore must include deliverance from God’s judgement on earth during the Great Tribulation, as well, because the Great Tribulation period is when God will pour out His wrath and judgement on a disobedient, faithless, Christ rejecting world. Obviously, Christians do not belong to that category of people.

This verse is a clear indication, for Paul and his readers (then and now), that Christians will not experience the wrath of God in judgement. This absolutely excludes Christians from living through the Great Tribulation because it is God’s wrath being poured out (Moo, p. 298). Paul speaks on this in 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10. And, he says in 1 Thessalonians,

…for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath (1 Thess. 1:9-10, NIV).

But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thess. 5:8-9, NIV).

In receiving Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we were not just forgiven of sin. We are now in the family of God, friends of the Lord.

For since we were restored to friendship with God by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be delivered from eternal punishment by his life (Romans 5:10, NLT).

Since God justifies His enemies, He will certainly save His family, His friends from wrath and judgement!

So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God- all because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done for us in making us friends of God (Romans 5:11, NLT).

Rejoice in what Christ has done for you. Live in the light of your wonderful friendship with God. And if you have not accepted this work of reconciliation that Christ has worked for you, consider this:

If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Cor. 5:17-21, NIV).

He is the Reconciler, He has done the work. But you must receive that gift. You must be reconciled to God by asking Christ into your heart, making Him Lord and Savior of your life, believing in His work that He alone accomplished at the cross for your sin. Be born of the Spirit right now (John 3), if you are not already, by receiving His free gift of eternal life by believing in the eternal Son of God- Jesus Christ.

Verse eleven is a wonderful reminder to contemplate and rejoice in all that we now have in Christ, and all that is to come!

In verse 12, Paul shifts the topic. I think that Paul uses “therefore” here, not in it’s usual sense, but to simply transition from one topic to the next. It doesn’t really seem to point back to anything specific, but instead indicates a loose relationship between what has come before and what follows. (C. K. Barrett, The Epistle to the Romans, p. 110). This section seems to point us forward to chapters 6-8, more so than looking back, and introduces the concept of positional freedom in Christ- no longer subject to our sinful nature, but in Christ and now aided by the Spirit of God.

Verses 12-21 can be outlined in the following way. In verse 12, Paul begins a thought that he will not complete until verse 18b. In 18a he restates what he said in 12, and then completes that thought in 18b. Verses 13-17 are parenthetical to his main point, which again is initiated in verse 12, but stated fully in verse 18. Though verses 13-17 are parenthetical, they are extremely important for Paul in expounding on this topic. There are two obvious parenthetical thoughts in 13-17, and then Paul restates his main point and completes the section in verses 19-21.

Verse 12 and the last half of 18 (18b) read as follows:

Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned– (Romans 5:12, NASB)

even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men (Romans 5:18b, NASB).

For Paul, the point of this section is foundational to our walk with the Lord once we’ve been justified. The truth elucidated in the last half of chapter 5 is the foundation of chapters 6-8. It is the foundation of our hope of glory and a victorious walk with Jesus now. So let’s go through it verse by verse!

Verse 12 is pretty straightforward: Through Adam’s transgression, sin came into the world, and death came through sin. Because death spread through sin, death spread to all of humanity because the sinful nature spread to all of humanity through Adam, the first man. “Because all sinned” (past tense) probably means because all sinned “in Adam”, that is that the sinful nature that Adam took on after his transgression was passed along to all subsequent generations. We all sinned “in Adam”, that is we were “in Adam” genetically (the whole human race) when he sinned by disobeying God’s explicit command not to eat of the forbidden fruit. When Adam sinned, he sinned for the whole human race.

Now, sin has spread by individual, personal sin, generation to generation. But, that is not what Paul is saying here. Paul means that the entire human race was included in Adam, so that when Adam sinned, all sinned (Hendricksen, NTC, p. 178).

For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive (1 Cor. 15:22, NKJV).

…by the one man’s [Adam’s] offense [the] many died… (from Rom. 5:15)

Paul is going to go on to say that just as the entire human race is included in Adam’s sin, the entire Church is included in Christ’s righteousness (vs. 18, 19, also see 2 Cor. 5:19, Eph. 1:3-7, Phil. 3:9).

Now, on to verse 13. Remember, at the end of verse 12 Paul said, “because all sinned”,

for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come (Romans 5:13-14, NASB).

In verse 13, Paul makes his first digression. “Speaking of sin”, he might have said, “sin was in the world from Adam to Moses, it just wasn’t counted as a transgression, a disobedience to an explicit command of God. But, sin was still in the world and the consequence for sin was still being suffered, that consequence being death (Gen. 2:17, Rom. 6:23).” If death reigned over all from Adam to the giving of the Law through Moses, than sin reigned over everyone, because death came through sin. Sin produces spiritual death first, and later physical death.

So, sin and death reigned over all humanity, even though the Law of God had not yet been given, even though people didn’t break an explicit command of God like Adam did. Paul must have felt that some of the Jewish Christians would have needed this explanation before they could continue on with Paul contrasting Adam and Christ.

Finally, in verse 14, Paul indicates that Adam is a type of Jesus. Christ is the anti-type that replaces the type or foreshadowing of the one to come. This is now Paul’s second parenthetical thought. “Oh yeah, speaking of Adam, he’s a symbol of Christ.”

Adam is typical of Christ mostly by contrast. Paul will illustrate this contrast at length for the remainder of the chapter. But the two are similar in one fantastic way. In Adam is imparted sin and death, to all that are in him (which is all of humanity), and in Christ is imparted righteousness and eternal life to all who are in Him (by grace through faith in Him).

All of humanity that ever was, is and ever will be, is in one of two camps. I am either in Adam or in Christ. I am either in God’s Kingdom or Satan’s. I am either in the Kingdom of light and life, or the kingdom of darkness and death. I am either in sin or in righteousness. We are born in Adam, and we must be born again to become “in Christ”. Which camp are you in? Are you a slave to sin or a former captive, freed by Christ? “Well, I’ve got a lot of cleaning up to do before I can get myself into Christ’s Kingdom”, one might say. On the contrary, exit from darkness and entrance to light is only attained by calling on the name of Jesus for salvation. Call on Him and receive His forgiveness right this second, and be freed from sin and death today, and enter into life in Him today and forever.

But there is a great difference between Adam’s sin and God’s gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ. And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins. For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ (Romans 5:15-17, NLT).

Here, Paul qualifies the typological relationship by stating the vast difference between Adam and Christ. The difference between Adam’s sin and God’s gracious gift is great, and the result is greatly different, as well. Disobedience brought sin and death, but even greater is God’s wonderful grace and His gift of forgiveness. God’s grace far outweighs the trespass and is far more effective. Death turns to life. Sin is not just removed, righteousness is gained. Eternal separation from God becomes not just eternal dwelling with God, but sharing in His glory as co-heirs with Christ forever (Rom. 8:17). “His gift of righteousness” in v. 17 is justification, but Paul must be thinking of sanctification and glorification as part of that act, since those are assured at the moment of justification and are the promised and sure effects of it, as well.

So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous (Romans 5:18-19, NASB).

“The obedience” in v. 19 refers to Jesus obedience to the Father in going to the cross for the sin of the world, and includes His entire ministry and life that led up to it. Again the one act of disobedience is condemnation for all, and the one act of obedience is life for all who believe. Note also that when Paul says “all”, that includes Gentiles, as well as Jews. To Paul, that is always an important truth to defend. No one is excluded from receiving Christ’s forgiveness. Jesus died for the sin of the whole world (John 3:16).

“The many will be made righteous” speaks of sanctification to glorification, not the act of being declared righteous or justified. Paul has established that thoroughly in the first four chapters, but here he speaks of actually being made righteous, which is our hope of sharing in God’s glory, being made into the image of Christ forever.

until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ (Eph. 4:13, NIV).

In conclusion, Paul anticipates more questions on why the Law of Moses was necessary and what it’s function and purpose accomplished.

The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 5:20-21, NASB).

Paul has spoken of the purpose of the Law in previous chapters. The Law has several purposes, one of which is to reveal sin to humanity. And in Galatians 3:19 & 24 he says,

…it [the Law] was added because of transgressions… the Law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

In Romans 5:20, Paul adds another reason that the Law “came in beside” “the sin in Adam”: to increase the trespass by intensifying the seriousness of the sin (Moo, p. 348). Because of the Law, sin has become transgression of God’s command, making it even more sinful. And the Law is spiritual (of the Spirit of God), so it reveals how sinful sin really is to God. Furthermore, because of how sin uses the Law, sin increased when the Law came in beside our sinful nature passed along from Adam. God’s intention in giving the Law was to make sin apparent to all and to lead us to repentance and forgiveness, to the righteousness that is by grace, through faith in Christ.

The Law turns a sin into a disobedience of God’s command. Additionally, sin uses the Law to tempt us to sin, so sin increased after the Law came in beside our sinful nature. But, as sin increased, the grace of God abounded (overflowed superlatively) so that no matter how much the sin increased, the grace (the goodness and power of the Holy Spirit) is always more powerful and more abundant to justify the sinner and to free the sinner from his or her sin. And the more we understand how sinful our sin is, the more we know just how abundant God’s grace truly is. This thought of God’s “greater” power given to us anticipates chapters 6-8, which assures us of our future glory with Him and explains how to walk in victory in Christ until we are with the Lord in His Kingdom, changed completely/glorified forever. When we go to be with the Lord, then we will be fully glorified and righteous.

Sin reigned in death, which is the victory of sin, and now grace reigns through righteousness (imputed by God) to eternal life. Grace meets sin head-on and defeats it. Eternal life is that quality of life that lives in step with God here and now, yielded to His work in your life. And that life continues everlasting, through our Lord’s sacrifice.

Those who receive the gift of verse 17 transfer from the dominion of death to the domain of righteousness. And all of this is through Jesus Christ our Lord!

If you are a Christian, grace is reigning. Whether if feels like it or not, it is. Even as we struggle with sin trying to work in our mortal bodies, we will see in chapter 6 that our old nature is dead, crucified with Christ on the cross. Grace reigns now, not sin, and we need to walk in that knowledge, stand in that grace by faith and allow the Holy Spirit, who is in us, to make us and mold us into the image of Jesus. We were changed at the moment of faith/obedience in Christ, the old man is dead and the new has come. As we live out our lives on earth, we are being changed, step by step, by the Holy Spirit. This is sanctification until the day we are with Him, when we are made righteous through and through, in spirit and in body, sharing in our Creator’s glory.

O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God–through Jesus Christ our Lord (Rom. 7:24-25a, NKJV)!

© Brian Farrell

Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to reproduce and distribute this material in any format provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. For web posting, a link to this document on our website is preferred. Any exceptions to the above must be approved by Brian Farrell. Please include the following statement on any distributed copy: By Brian Farrell. © Brian Farrell. Website http://ph16.com/index.html

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Armor, A Sword and Walkie Talkies

September 19th, 2009

Put On All Of God’s Armor: Ephesians 6:10-18

We are under attack! But don’t head for the hills. All of us in God’s kingdom of light are sitting in the middle of Satan’s kingdom of darkness (he is the god of this world, for now, Paul said). We are the world’s enemy and we are living our lives in it’s territory. So, Paul exhorts all believers, all followers of Jesus, to be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power and to put on all of God’s armor so that we will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil (Ephesians 6:10-11, NLT).

Did you know that Satan has strategies currently employed to destroy you? Peter tells us to stay alert and to watch out for our great enemy, the devil, because he prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. He exhorts us to stand firm against him and to be strong in our faith (1 Peter 5:8-9).

This battle is not against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places (Eph. 6:12).

So, this is not a fight that we can win in the flesh. That’s a relief, because I know that I would have no chance in my own strength against Satan and his army! I mean, I was a pretty good athlete once upon a time, but I get winded now just walking to the mail box! The most well trained, disciplined and ready athlete would have no chance against a power like Satan in the physical realm. This battle is real, and it’s being waged right now in the spiritual realm. The fight is over you and me and all believers and every soul on earth, and there is no way to avoid it.

It’s interesting to me that many scientists theorize that two or more worlds can co-exist in the same place. They say it is possible that there are many other unseen worlds co-existing with ours right now, unbeknownst to us. Well, I’m not sure about all that theorizing, but I do know that there is the realm of the spirit happening all around us all of the time. This realm is full of good and evil spirits, a.k.a. angels and demons.

Sometimes, we are just cruising along in life and all is well. And praise God for those times, because they are wonderful and that’s the way God ultimately wants it for us. And we have His wonderful kingdom to look forward to, where there will be no evil or sin, only righteousness and peace. But, many times in life we begin to realize that something is different, something’s wrong. God’s Holy Spirit that He has given us speaks to our hearts and we just know that things are off and we realize it’s an attack. Even if life is seemingly smooth for you right now, right now Satan is scheming against you and attacking in ways you do not recognize, or planning an attack on you shortly.

Now, at this point, you may be thinking, “gee, thanks Brian for the upbeat message today. I think I’ll go on back and find something else to read!” But don’t. I am not trying to discourage or bring fear, but warn you and to shed some light on how the Bible says to defend ourselves as Christians against the attacks of the devil. God has led me into this study because I am struggling with attacks myself.

Paul, in writing to the Ephesians in chapter six, got all of this down. You remember that he had a few attacks to deal with in his life! You should read verses 10 through 18, and then we’ll go through them one by one.

Put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm (Eph. 6:13).

Okay, there it is. One, we need to know what God’s armor is. Two, we need to have all of it. And three, we need to put each piece on. Why is this so important? So that after the battle you will still be standing, and standing firm! Without God’s armor and weapons, the devil may very well destroy you. So, it is absolutely imperative for all of us to get this and employ it in our lives.

We’ve covered verses 10 through 13, so let’s look at the armor from verses 14 through 18.

Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness (v. 14).

I like that. First of all, Paul says, when the enemy attacks, stand your ground! “Yeah, why should I be moved, devil? You are attacking one of God’s children here. I have the truth of God and the reality of all that He is. God is good, He is present with me, He is all powerful, He is perfect and right in all of His ways. He is merciful and kind, and He is my refuge and strong tower of defense. God is working all things out for good for me, because I love Him and I am His child. You can’t do anything that my God doesn’t allow you to do. And I trust my God!”

Maybe the belt of truth is like a weight lifter’s belt. Have you seen one of those? It is that thick, leather belt they wear around their waist when they are lifting those heavy weights. Without it, their bodies begin to buckle under the pressure of all that weight on their shoulders. But with the belt around their waist, their bodies stay straight and upright and can hold the weight for a moment, until they set it down.

We have the truth on our side. Who God is. What He has done. What He is going to do. His character. His mercy and love.

So, #1, the belt of truth. And #2, the body armor of God’s righteousness. When you come under attack, think of the truth of God and the truth of who God is; think of how God is perfect in all of His ways. Think of His character and how He is working out His perfect plan and perfect purpose for you.

For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News (the Gospel) so that you will be fully prepared (v. 15).

Jesus said, I am leaving you with a gift- peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give isn’t like the peace the world gives. So don’t be troubled or afraid (Jn. 14:27). The peace that we have, that has come to us through the Gospel, is the peace of Jesus Christ Himself, the peace of God dwelling in us. Isaiah said that Jesus will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. And we have access to this peace through Jesus. Amen? Amen!

We are not fully prepared for the attack of the devil unless we put on the peace of God, the truth of who He is and what He is doing in our lives. The peace that only comes from knowing Him. The peace that comes from the gospel is like entering into a rest. We are resting in what Jesus has done for us, not what we have or have not done for God. He has done it all. We are saved by grace through faith alone, not by works, so that no one may boast except in God and in His goodness and faithfulness. And we are resting on what He is going to do for us, not what we can or cannot do. Oh, the perfect peace found only in the presence of our Lord. Be in that place! Be at peace with what God is doing in your life. Be at peace with where you are at “in Christ”. You are in Christ and He is in you. You are in God’s hands. Remember the storm that Jesus calmed? While they were afraid, He asked the disciples why they had so little faith. He was with them and they should have known that He would save them. Be at peace. Only in our Savior may true and lasting rest be found.

Okay then, the 3rd piece of armor for us to “put on” is resting in our relationship with Christ and being at peace because of our salvation in Him. Putting on the peace that comes from the Gospel is another necessary piece of the armor in order for us to be prepared for the attacks that inevitably will come.

In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil (v. 16).

Faith here I think refers to standing firm in our trust in God with our lives, knowing who He is and that He intends good for us. Faith is seen, it is born out, when we are standing our ground against the enemy as he lies to us or when the attacks keep coming, because we know that God is Sovereign in all things. Our gracious Father works all things out for good for those that have faith in Him. We need to stand strong, continuing to put our faith in Jesus to accomplish His perfect will in His perfect timing in our lives.

I love the illustration the Holy Spirit uses in this verse for faith. When our faith is strong it becomes like a shield that stops the fiery arrows of the devil. I can picture a large, thick metal shield being held up against some nasty and fiery arrows. But, I see those arrows bouncing off of the shield. Just, bing…bing….bing, falling all around and the little fires burning out. Notice that there isn’t just one arrow. Isn’t that true? It seems when we are under attack it just keeps coming, one after another. Make your faith like that big, heavy iron shield. Strong and impenetrable, and keep holding it up against those arrows. One after another they come, but the enemy will exhaust his resources at some point, so hang in there and keep that shield up.

So, #4, keep your faith strong and focused on the Lord and who He is and what He is doing. He is the Creator of all things and all things are held together by Him. He will never let us down!

Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (v. 17).

The fifth and final piece of armor to put on is salvation, and we are to put it on like a helmet. Okay, but what does Paul mean by “put on salvation”? Here’s one possible answer. I think Paul may mean two things here: the hope of our eternal life in Christ and the unpayable debt we owe to Christ for this salvation He has freely given us.

When we are faced with trials and temptations, when the devil is attacking our finances or our loved ones, when things are happening that we just do not understand, look to the cross. Look to the salvation that God has so freely given to us as a gift, through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We could not make ourselves right with Him, He did it for us. God humbled Himself and became a man and went to the cross for you and me and for the whole world. That is the sacrifice that He made for us. We need to stay focused on the eternal life that He worked out for us. We need to stay focused on our true home, God’s kingdom. Colossians 3:2 says, “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.” When we remember that we have eternal life, we remember that nothing can or will ever separate us from the love of God in Christ, not even death. No matter what is happening, He keeps our souls safe for all eternity with Him.

Romans 8:35-39 says:

35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36 (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us ( NKJV says, “we are more than conquerers through Him who loved us”).
38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.
39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Amen? Amen.

The sixth thing Paul tells us to do is not to “put on” another piece of armor, but to “take the sword of the Spirit”, which he explains is the Word of God.

So, we have five pieces of armor to put on, and now our weapon to take with us is the Word of God, the Holy Scriptures that make up our Bible.

Imagine being on the battle field with all that armor, your helmet and your shield, but with no weapon. And you are out there with no communication device to speak to your commander, your fellow soldiers or allies in this battle. You probably wouldn’t last too long out there. We have been given all the armor and now we just need to put it on. But we must take a weapon for the battle, and our weapon is God’s Word. His word is truth, it is alive, active and effective, piercing through the heart like a sharp, two-edged sword. It goes out and does not return without accomplishing what God set out to accomplish by it. Going through these verses in Ephesians, learning to put on the whole armor of God, is a perfect example of the wisdom, strength and power that we have available to us through His Word. It is the Word that spoke all things into existence.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 says:

3 We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do.
4 We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments.
5 We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.

God’s Word and our prayer life are the weapons we use to knock down the strongholds that the enemy has taken and to take them back in Jesus’ name.

Now, that is all the armor of God and our weapons to fight with, which are His Word and prayer. Prayer is like a communication device that a soldier might use on the battlefield to reach his commander or fellow soldiers. We must use prayer to reach our High Commander, and we must stay in close coordination with our fellow soldiers.

Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere (v. 18).

On the battlefield, we can be in constant communication with our Commander. Through prayer, we can be asking for help, getting instructions and directions, and just being comforted and encouraged by Him. Prayer is key in this battle. Notice, Paul doesn’t say, “don’t forget to pray every once in a while.” He says, “pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. If we are out in the battle and only getting the directives from our superiors every once in a while, how can we expect to have victory? We need to be in constant communication with our Savior for His strength, His wisdom, His power and His direction. Lord, help me to call on you more, even constantly!

And we should never forget the fellowship of the believers. Some of us have gotten into the habit of skipping church. And I’m not here to judge or beat anyone over the head, but my wife and I had missed church for sometime when we moved to a new state, so we know first hand. And now that we are back and plugged in, the blessings of our new friends in the Lord are indescribable. There is nothing like loving, Christian fellowship in the Lord. These are God’s fellow soldiers on the battle field, and our brothers and sisters in Christ. They need you and you need them if you are going to have any victories in this spiritual warfare raging all around us all of the time.

Okay, so to summarize, we found 5 pieces of armor to put on, one weapon to take with us, a communication device to stay in constant touch with our High Commander and the support of our fellow soldiers.

For armor, put on truth like a belt and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Gospel. Hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil and put on salvation as your helmet. Take the sword of the Spirit for your weapon, which is God’s Word. And pray in the Spirit at all times and on all occasions for all believers everywhere.

Stay alert in this battle against Satan and his army. Both Paul and Peter exhort us to stand firm against the devil and to stay alert. And be persistent in your prayers for all of God’s army everywhere.

By God’s grace may He arm us, empower us and keep us through this battle. The war has already been won by Christ at the cross. Give us victory in our battles, Lord Jesus. May your kingdom come soon.

© Brian Farrell

Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to reproduce and distribute this material in any format provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. For web posting, a link to this document on our website is preferred. Any exceptions to the above must be approved by Brian Farrell.

Please include the following statement on any distributed copy: By Brian Farrell. © Brian Farrell. Website http://ph16.com/index.html.

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Through Faith (Romans 4)

August 9th, 2009

In Romans chapter 3, Paul ended the chapter by asking if we can now boast of our relationship and right standing with God. Paul replies that we cannot boast in ourselves because “we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law (v. 28).” My salvation is a work of God, I cannot boast in it; it is God’s work in me. I boast in the cross of Christ alone.

In 3:21 Paul stated,

But now God has shown us a different way of being right in his sight–not by obeying the law but by the way promised in the Scriptures long ago (being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets). (NLT)

In chapter 4, Paul is now going to develop this statement and explain what he meant in verse 31, as well.

Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law. (3:31, NLT)

He will elaborate on each of his points in verses 27-31 of chapter 3. Even more, he is adding to what is already a mountain of evidence in his argument for salvation by grace through faith and not works (Eph. 2:8-9), that started all the way back in chapter 1.

In verses 1-3 of chapter 4, Paul starts out by asking what the Jewish patriarch, the founder of the nation of Israel, experienced in his own life concerning this question of how a person is made right with God. If Abraham was accepted by God because of his works, his good deeds, Paul reasons, than he would have had a right to boast in himself, about how holy and righteous and great he was. But, Paul tells us,

from God’s point of view Abraham had no basis at all for pride. For the Scriptures tell us, “Abraham believed God, so God declared him to be righteous.” (NLT)

Verse 3 is a quotation of Genesis 15:6, where God tells us through Moses, the writer of Genesis, that Abraham was accepted by God through his faith in God. Many Jews incorrectly assumed that Abraham was right with God because of his many good works. But, there is nothing to boast of in our own nature.

I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. (Romans 7:18, NIV)

Our old nature is condemned to the cross (to death).

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. (Galatians 2:20, NKJV)

For our perishable earthly bodies must be transformed into heavenly bodies that will never die. (1 Corinthians 15:53, NLT)

Abraham’s works were the fruit of a relationship that was already established with God. The fruit was proof of God accepting him by faith.

Now the LORD had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
(Genesis 12:1-3, NKJV)

So Abram departed as the LORD had spoken to him… (Genesis 12:4a)

If Abraham had not believed God’s promises, than he would have never obeyed God and set out for the promised land.

Faith itself is not a work. The act of faith is not what made Abraham right in God’s eyes. God freely counts Abraham as right because of Abraham’s belief and full trust in God and His word. The Mosaic Law, which came through Moses 430 years after Abraham, failed to bring righteousness because it depended on man’s obedience. Our human nature (the flesh) is weak. Because of our human weakness and failures, the principle of righteousness by faith is the only way to keep our relationship with God constant. The law did not fail, man did. The law was not intended to bring man righteousness, because all are found guilty before the law. If our relationship with God is dependent on our success, we are doomed. The only way our salvation could be sure and secure is if it depends on God’s faithfulness.

If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself. (2 Timothy 2:13, NKJV)

When people work, their wages are not a gift. Workers earn what they receive. But people are declared righteous because of their faith, not because of their work. (Romans 4:4-5, NLT)

If salvation were by works, than God would “owe” us. In a “works-rewards” relationship, wages are a legal obligation for the employer. But my relationship with God is based on a gift, because I could not earn right standing with God. According to Ephesians 2:8, even my faith itself is God-given.

Although we cannot be saved by our works, true faith produces fruit in our lives. Knowing the love of God, having true faith in God “sparks a tremendous response in man (Chuck Smith, The Gospel According to Grace, p. 48).” The believer’s works are a response to God’s love, His grace and mercy. In God’s eyes, that love of God and love for God is the only acceptable motivator for service to God (1 Cor. 13:3). The work-reward system is earthly, not spiritual. Rewards do not motivate a heart enough to give one’s life to/for Christ. The only acceptable service to God is that motivated by the love of God in our hearts. Good works do not give us any better standing with God and are not a way to be more right with Him. Good works are simply the response to the free gift of righteousness that He has given us through faith in Christ, by the work of redemption completed by Jesus on the cross.

Now, in verses 6-8, Paul refers to Psalm 32:1-2, written by David about 1,000 years after Abraham, 500 years after Moses and about 1,000 years before Paul.

King David spoke of this, describing the happiness of an undeserving sinner who is declared to be righteous: “Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sins are put out of sight. Yes, what joy for those whose sin is no longer counted against them by the Lord.”
(Romans 4:6-8, NLT)

David’s understanding of the forgiveness of sins lines up perfectly with Paul’s description of justification as a free gift/act of God. Paul’s argument is not based on the act of reckoning by good works, but is centered on God’s act in not reckoning our sins against us. For David, God had removed his sin out of sight and was no longer counting it against him. David was not just referring to himself because he says “what joy for those” and “whose sins are removed.” David’s words may as well be Paul’s, as they both clearly confirm that all can be made right with God in this same way. And no wonder they agree perfectly, for there is but one Author of the Bible. The Holy Spirit spoke through Moses, David and Paul to communicate this same message.

Paul gives us a secondary “source” in David, and this was a common Jewish homiletical practice. We now have the account of Abraham from the Pentateuch (the Law, the first five books of the Bible written by Moses), we have also the quotation from Habakkuk in “the prophets” (Romans 1:17), and finally now David from “the writings”. Paul quotes from all three main divisions of the Hebrew Bible to give his Jewish brothers and sisters a thoroughly “biblical” argument.

We also notice that the verb used for account/impute/reckon is the same verb used to describe this act of God toward both Abraham and David. God does the same thing for both David and Abraham, and for the same reason, namely their faith in Him. And that’s why Paul uses these two examples here together. They work perfectly together with his argument and really give us a firm biblical foundation for the argument of justification by faith and not by works. Luther found it in Paul, but Paul found it in Moses, David and Habakkuk, and all throughout his Bible!

This truth cannot be spoken of too often. Not only is our sin removed but it is not counted against us! It is no longer counted against us; past, present and future.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. (1 John 1:9 & 2:1, NKJV)

Paul then asks if this blessing is only for those of Jewish heritage. To answer the question, Paul points us back to Abraham’s life as an example. We have been saying he was declared righteous by God because of his faith. But how, and when? Was he declared righteous only after he had been circumcised, or was it before he was circumcised? The answer is that God accepted him first, and then he was circumcised later! The circumcision ceremony (which was in obedience to God) was a sign that Abraham already had faith and that God had already accepted him and declared him to be righteous–even before he was circumcised. The good work came after Abraham’s acceptance by faith. So, Abraham is the spiritual father of those who have faith even if they have not been circumcised. They are made right with God by faith.
(Romans 4:9-11)

For most Hebrews, circumcision was the most important ritual that a man could experience. In the opinion of many, God would not accept an uncircumcised man.

But, in Genesis 15, Moses tells us that Abraham was counted right in God’s sight because of his faith. Then, 14 years later, recorded in Genesis 17, is the command of God for Abraham and all of his descendants to be circumcised.

This is My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male child among you shall be circumcised; and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you.
(Genesis 17:10-11, NKJV)

Abraham is the spiritual father of those made right with God by faith, whether circumcised Jews or uncircumcised Gentiles. (v. 12)

He is the type, the foreshadow who prefigures the person who is made right with God by grace through faith. Noah and Moses are two other examples of persons of great faith, saved by God because of their faith in Him.

Okay, so what is all this circumcision stuff about, right? I know my son gets a real kick out of it every time I mention it. Well, it’s all pretty easy to explain (slightly sarcastic tone implied). Firstly, it was a medical procedure that was protective of God’s people. God was looking out for their health and safety. Secondly, it was something that God used as a sign that they were His people, much like water baptism is today for Christians, which symbolizes our death to sin and our being raised to resurrection life by faith in Christ’s death and resurrection. Circumcision symbolized the cutting away of the old, sinful nature (the flesh), and the walking in newness of life by the Spirit of God, by faith. This is what God wants for all of His people. It is interesting that even though we are not called to be circumcised as a sign anymore, we are all called to walk by the Spirit and not by the flesh (our own strength). To count the old, sinful nature as dead (cut away), and to walk in the newness of life in the Spirit.

So, circumcision was the sign, the seal for the Israelites; God’s special people. And today Christians have water baptism and the taking of the Lord’s supper as signs, seals of the righteousness by faith that we have in and through our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul said that the Holy Spirit was the seal, the sign, the deposit, the guarantee of our redemption/salvation. I believe this is the true sign and seal for the church; all those who have received Jesus as their Lord and Savior have received His Holy Spirit indwelling their hearts. The true fulfillment of a sign is the presence of God Himself and our relationship with Him.

For example, a wedding ring is a sign of marriage. But it only represents the real relationship that is between the man and the women. The ring itself is just a metal band. It’s importance is what it stands for, what it means. The metal itself is not what should be important. It is just the sign of the relationship. Baptism and eating the Lord’s supper do not make us right with God, they are only the outward signs of our love for the Lord. Circumcision too was the outward sign. But, obviously this didn’t make the Israelites “right” with God, otherwise none of the women would be saved! And Abraham was saved before he was circumcised. So, it is by grace, through faith alone. It isn’t about the sign, it is about what it symbolizes and the relationship it seals.

In verse 13, Paul refers to God’s promise to Abraham and concludes that it was given by grace and received by the relationship with God that comes by faith, not by doing good works or keeping the law. Abraham lived 430 years before the law, so his righteousness had to be apart from the law. The promise did not come through the law because the law did not exist! The promise was to give the whole earth to Abraham and his descendants. This promise would be accomplished by one of Abraham’s descendants, the Messiah/Christ. Paul tells us that, in Genesis, when Moses speaks of Abraham’s descendant (singular), he is referring to the Messiah, Jesus. But, when he refers to descendants (plural), he is referring to either the physical offspring of Abraham, Israel, or the spiritual offspring, which would include all people that have the same faith in God as Abraham.

And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, “In you all the nations shall be blessed.” So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham. (Galatians 3:8-9, NKJV)

Jesus said, “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.”
(John 8:56, NKJV)

And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and now all the promises God gave to him belong to you.

So you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:26 & 29, NLT)

The children of God will be glorified as Christ was glorified, we are co-heirs of God with Christ and we will inherit the whole world and universe that God created (1 Cor. 3:21-23, Eph. 3:6, Rom. 8:17, Titus 3:7).

For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. (Romans 8:29-30, NKJV)

In verses 14-15, Paul says that if you believe that God’s promise to Abraham is for those who obey God’s law and think they are “good enough” in God’s sight, than you are saying that there is no need for faith, that it is useless. In that case, the promise of God is then meaningless. The law brings punishment on those who try to obey it. (The only way to avoid breaking the law is to have no law to break!) The whole basis of the promise would be nullified if obedience was added to it later.

This is what I am trying to say: The agreement God made with Abraham could not be canceled 430 years later when God gave the law to Moses. God would be breaking his promise.
(Galatians 3:17, NLT)

The promise was given as a gift and received by faith. If God was making it dependent on people keeping the law, the promise would have no purpose, and further more it could never be accomplished because all people fail to keep the law perfectly. That is why Paul says that the only way to not break the law is if there is no law! The law brings the judgment of God. Where there is no law, there is no breaking of the law. Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, He is the end of the law for all who believe (Rom. 10:1-5).

But those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under His curse, for the Scriptures say, “Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all these commands that are written in God’s Book of the Law.” (Galatians 3:10, NLT)

Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When He was hung on the cross, He took upon Himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” Through the work of Christ Jesus, God has blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing He promised to Abraham, and we Christians receive the promised Holy Spirit through faith. (Galatians 3:13-14, NLT)

(At this point in the study, the reader may want to read Galatians, chapters 3-5. Paul speaks quite a bit about these same issues and the two passages really compliment each other, each offering “commentary” that illuminates the other.)

So, if the inheritance promised was given based on one’s ability to keep God’s law perfectly, than no one would ever inherit it and God’s promise would mean nothing.

So that’s why faith is the key! God’s promise is given to us as a free gift. And we are certain to receive it, whether or not we follow Jewish customs, if we have faith like Abraham’s. For Abraham is the father of all who believe. That is what the Scriptures mean when God told him, “I have made you the father of many nations.” This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who brings into existence what didn’t exist before.
(Romans 4:16-17, NLT)

The promise is by grace so that it is certain. It doesn’t depend on my faithfulness to God, but His faithfulness to me. Righteousness dependent on our works could never be sure because of human weakness and failure. God wants us to have confidence and certainty, and if we are relying on Him, we will have that confidence. This brings to mind my “life verse”:

He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.
(Philippians 1:6)

And again, this is why we are saved by faith and not by works, so that it might be a matter of grace2, and it applies to all of us, no matter what we’ve done or not done, no matter our race, intelligence, gender or economic condition. We are all the children of Abraham, he is the “father of many nations,” in the sense that we have the same faith in our hearts as he had, when we place our faith in Jesus Christ.

And we will all receive God’s promised inheritance in God through faith in Jesus. God is our Father, and we like Abraham, are His children through faith. Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life. Only God can do that. He is the Creator, the Giver of Life. Abraham and Sarah were too old to have children, it was humanly impossible- they were both around 100 years old! The parts of their bodies needed to have a child were dead, and yet God promised Abraham a son, and millions of descendants, with complete surety. He brought into existence that which did not exist. If God says it, it’s sure. God’s word is so precious to us, it is our life. His very word is available to us in the Bible. His sure word. We have confidence because we are resting in His promises and not in human strength, which always lets us down.

Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, All glory to him, who alone is God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Yes, glory, majesty, power, and authority belong to him, in the beginning, now, and forevermore. Amen. (Jude 1:24-25, NLT)

When God promised Abraham that he would become the father of many nations, Abraham believed him. God had also said, “Your descendants will be as numerous as the stars,” even though such a promise seemed utterly impossible!

And Abraham’s faith did not weaken, even though he knew that he was too old to be a father at the age of one hundred and that Sarah, his wife, had never been able to have children.

Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God.

He was absolutely convinced that God was able to do anything he promised.
(Romans 4:18-21, NLT)

Abraham did not focus on the problem, the fact that it was not humanly possible for he and Sarah to have children, let alone descendants. Abraham had faith. He focused on the Maker of all things and believed God’s word. Our job is to believe and trust. With God, all things are possible and He works out all things for good, for those that love Him. We have God’s guarantee of victory and we can rest in that promise.

By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised. Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude–innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore. (Hebrews 11:11-12, NKJV)

Can God do what He promised? Is He able to accomplish it? The Eternal and Almighty is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. (Ephesians 3:20-21, NKJV)

And because of Abraham’s faith, God declared him to be righteous.

Now this wonderful truth–that God declared him to be righteous–wasn’t just for Abraham’s benefit.

It was for us, too, assuring us that God will also declare us to be righteous if we believe in God, who brought Jesus our Lord back from the dead.

He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised from the dead to make us right with God. (Romans 4:22-25, NLT)

Abraham’s story is vital for us to know intimately today. His life is the perfect picture of God’s grace toward man and man’s right standing with God through faith. If we have put our faith in Jesus Christ, we are part of Abraham’s family, we are children of God like Abraham and all those throughout history who have put their hope and trust in the Lord. We are those who have been graciously “counted” as righteous by the Lord, even though we have done nothing and never will be able to do anything to be worthy of God’s family. We have simply received His unspeakable, free gift.

Now Abraham did not waver in his faith, but he did struggle. Take some time to read through the life of Abraham in Genesis chapters 12-25. You will be encouraged to see that he was a person who had failures, he struggled and he also had his victories in the Lord. God strengthened Abraham even when he did struggle, and that is why the Scripture says he never wavered in his faith. God got Him through those tough times, through those failures of faith and action, and he will get you through them, as well. We are part of his family by faith, not works. So, if we mess up, we still go right to our loving, Heavenly Father and seek His restoration, His love and His empowerment to get back up and keep on going by His Spirit. Abraham was saved by grace through faith, and he lived his life by grace through faith. May we seek our Heavenly Father always and learn to rely on Him completely in all things.

© Brian Farrell – All rights reserved 2009 – Use only with written permission from the author and include proper credits.

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Mercy Surrounds Those Who Trust in the LORD (Ps 32 Part 5)

June 9th, 2009

Psalm 32:10-11

10. Many sorrows shall be to the wicked; But he who trusts in the LORD, mercy shall surround him.
11. Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous; And shout for joy, all [you] upright in heart!

The “sorrows of the wicked” is contrasted with “those who trust in the Lord” and the mercy of the Lord that surrounds them. Walking outside of God’s teaching/moving brings sorrow (see verse three). But, mercy and deliverance is available for all those that trust in and walk with the Lord. Mercy is God’s unfailing love. Love never fails (1 Cor. 13) and God has shown just how much He loves the world through Jesus Christ. His unfailing love surrounds those who trust in Him.

Trust equals faith and obedience in His word and His Spirit.

…the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him (John 4:23).

The trust spoken of here in verse ten is equivalent to our reliance on God in verse seven. Believing in Christ and keeping His commandments are inseparable (see John 13:31-16:33).

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another (John 13:34).

If you love Me, keep My commandments (14:15).

At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him (14:20-21).

Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me (14:23-24).”

Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing (15:4-5).

Intellectual belief in Christ is not faith. Jesus said, “not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven (see Matthew 7:21-23).” The Lord is gracious and patient with our short comings. Branches that remain connected to vines do not produce perfect fruit, but they do produce fruit. God will perfect us in His time. But we must be abiding in Christ, moving ever closer to Him and His perfect will for our lives. If we are truly trusting in Him we will produce the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:19-26).

Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous; And shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

“You righteous” and “you upright in heart” here speaks of the righteousness of Christ that is now ours through faith in Jesus Christ, by God’s amazing grace. Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, shout for joy! “Rejoice” could be described as spinning around in violent emotion, beaming in joy. Shout for joy triumphantly because of all the Lord has done for us (see Psalm 107).

Rejoicing in forgiveness comes from the assurances of God’s love, protection, guidance and forgiveness, even if we sin.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

Rejoice always,
pray without ceasing,
in everything give thanks;
for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
(1 Thess. 5:16-18)

Of all people, we have reason to be most joyous. God has forgiven us of our sins, and we have the hope of eternal life with Jesus Christ. Our relationship with God has been restored through Jesus Christ, so we may now pray without ceasing. Prayer is the constant awareness of and communion with God and the awe that we have as we worship Him. So, in everything, we give thanks. We know our life is in God’s hands and His purpose. Nothing can happen to me except God allows it. And if God allows it to happen to me, He has a purpose for it.

We are to be a joyful church, a praying church and a thankful church. “This is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
(Proceeding paragraph taken from The Word for Today Bible, page 1579, “The Will of God”)

Trust in the Lord. Call on His name. Seek Him, and you will find Him. Draw close to Him and He will draw close to you. God’s unfailing love surrounds those who trust in the LORD.

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God is Speaking. Are You Listening? (Ps 32 Part 4)

June 6th, 2009

Psalm 32:8-9

8. I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.
9. Do not be like a senseless horse or mule that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under control.

Prayer is not meant to always be a monologue, a one-sided conversation. It would be silly if we ran into someone at the store and just talked straight for 5 minutes without letting them speak, and then just walked away, “okay, bye.” Isn’t that what we do to the Lord sometimes? I’m smiling because we all do this so often to the Lord! Prayer should often be a dialogue, a two way conversation. To me, prayer is the most amazing aspect of our relationship to God. We have the opportunity, 24 hours a day, to come boldly to His throne of grace and commune with the Living God.

To all those that have called on the Lord and put their faith in Jesus Christ, God has promised to instruct us and teach us, to counsel and watch over us. He promised this through David in our text, but Jesus also spoke in detail about it. How does He comfort? How does He counsel us? I submit that He will do it in three primary ways: through His word, through prayer and through our brothers and sisters in Christ that He is using to speak to us. Jesus promised the disciples that He would not leave them alone after His physical departure from the world.

And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever– the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you (John 14:16-17).

At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him (14:20-21).

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you (14:26).

When He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you (16:13-15).

When we pray, we should make sure to get into a nice quiet space, set aside enough time to bring our worship, petitions and intercession to the Lord, but also make enough time to just wait on the Lord. Wait? Yes, wait.

Be still, and know that I am God (Psalm 46:10).

Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still. Selah (pause/wait/meditate on) (Psalm 4:4).

Have your Bible with you. The Lord may want to speak to you through His living and active word (Heb. 4:12). If you wait on Him, He may also want to speak directly to your heart. You will just know that God is speaking to you. And, you can compare what you think He is speaking to your heart with the revealed word of God in the Bible. He will never contradict Himself, and the Bible is the standard we use to judge whether something is of God or not. He will teach, He will comfort. There won’t be condemnation (condemnation is from Satan). There is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:1). There is loving direction, wisdom, insight and leading. Isn’t that what the Lord says in our text? God instructs His children, teaches and counsels. The Holy Spirit is called “the Counselor”. God does do these things! He is so good! We say we ask Jesus “into our heart”. But Jesus Himself makes it much more explicit when He prays for all believers in John 17.

“I do not pray for these (the apostles) alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word (that’s you and me!); that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me (17:20-23).

Jesus prayed that He would be in us, that we would be one with Him as He is one with the Father.

God is speaking, but are we taking the time to listen? Listen for the Lord’s voice speaking to you through His word, through your brothers and sisters in Christ, and directly to your heart as you wait on Him. He is faithful and He is good, so good! The more you wait on God and hear from Him, the easier it will become to discern His “voice”. Pray for discernment.

Notice that in our text David hears from God while he is praying and waiting (Selah) on the Lord. The voice speaking to David is God’s. “I will instruct you and teach you and counsel you…” God is telling David that He will instruct him- as He is instructing him! This is an example of a believer in God waiting on Him (Selah at the end of verse seven) and hearing from Him (verse 8). Just to clarify, I say God “speaks to our heart” because I do not think that we can hear the voice of God audibly. There are cases in both the Old and New Testaments of God doing just that. But, if it happens today, it is extremely rare. If God wants to speak to me audibly, I would have no problem with that, and He certainly could if He wanted to. I’ve just never experienced it myself and personally know of no one who has.

Let us not be stubborn like a mule or wild like a horse (verse nine) and not hear our Heavenly Father speaking to us individually, personally.

No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you (John 15:15).

Jesus is the King of kings, but like King David was to Israel, Jesus is our friend and brother, as well. Do not be like an animal that needs to be controlled by bit and bridle. This statement in verse nine is set in direct opposition to the intelligent cooperation described in verse eight. Our spirit should be yielded to His Spirit. Come to the Lord willingly. Let His Holy Spirit work in you. Do not be forced into cooperation.

The greatest joy in being a Christian is spending time with Jesus. His peace He gives to us. His joy is made complete in us. Sitting at the Master’s feet- listening (like Mary, Martha’s sister). Don’t be afraid and don’t make excuses as to why you can’t or don’t have time to pray that long or that way. Just humbly call upon the name of your Lord and Savior and ask Him to come and be with you- and wait. It usually takes some time as our heart and mind quiets. Read some verses, be waiting expectantly (in faith) and receive all that the Lord has for you, His lovely child, set apart for Him in Jesus Christ.

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Turning To God In Trouble (Ps 32 Part 3)

June 5th, 2009

Psalm 32:6-7

6. Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you while you may be found; surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him.
7. You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah

The Holy Spirit, speaking through David, promises us here that when the Lord’s children call upon Him, He will be found, and He will protect and deliver us from our trials and troubles. He will give us deliverance and fill our hearts with songs of joy and thanksgiving for His deliverance. We all have troublesome times in our life. That part I do not like so much! But, this is a fallen world that we live in. It is a violent, God-hating world that is in reality, ruled by Satan. Trouble and hardship will come. But rejoice in God’s promise of deliverance. He will surround you, and will be found when you call on Him.

The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, A refuge in times of trouble. And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You (Psalm 9:9-10).

The “therefore” in verse six looks back to the forgiveness that David found when he confessed his sin. Because of God’s grace, everyone who is godly (worshippers of/believers in God) should pray to Him while He may be found. We have seen in verses 3-5 that forgiveness and restoration with God are as close to us as our own hearts. James said, “draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”

Seek the LORD while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the LORD, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon (Isaiah 55:6-7).

The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth (Psalm 145:18).

“Surely the mighty waters” seems to harken back to the flood waters of Noah’s day. But, like Noah and his family, the waters will not reach those that call on the Lord. God’s wrath and judgment is being poured out on a wicked and rebellious world (Rom. 1:18). His wrath against wickedness does not reach those in Christ, though. God has accounted our sin to His Son Jesus Christ, on the cross, for all who believe in Him. Those that call on the name of the Lord are accounted the righteousness of Christ, and are therefore no longer the recipients of God’s wrath.

For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved (Romans 10:13).”

“The mighty waters” may also speak of a flood of adversity and trial. Though God does allow trials in our lives, everything that happens to us is allowed by Him and we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). Notice (in verse six) that prayer/relationship with God, through the mediator Jesus Christ, keeps us safe in His will, under His wings. Safe in His ship, riding the flood waters instead of drowning in them!

He Himself is our hiding place, our refuge and our strong wall of protection from trouble. He has surrounded us with songs of deliverance. We sing out to Him joyfully because of His intercession in the midst of our trials and troubles. He is our deliverer. He reaches into our lives and is the worker of miracles.

When God allows trial and hardship to infringe on my life, many times I just do not understand what is happening or why it is happening. I have to remind myself that God is sovereign over all. He is on His throne. Nothing happens that doesn’t first pass through His counsel. I am a child of God and He has a plan for me. He works all things out for His people according to His perfect plan.

In Exodus, chapter 15, Moses and the children of Israel sing to God a song of deliverance because of the mighty workings of God to free them from the Egyptians. Here are a few verses:

The LORD is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation; He is my God, and I will praise Him; My father’s God, and I will exalt Him (Exodus 15:2).

“Who is like You, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, Fearful in praises, doing wonders (Exodus 15:11)?

You in Your mercy have led forth The people whom You have redeemed; You have guided them in Your strength To Your holy habitation (Exodus 15:13).

You will bring them in and plant them In the mountain of Your inheritance, In the place, O LORD, which You have made For Your own dwelling, The sanctuary, O LORD, which Your hands have established. “The LORD shall reign forever and ever (Exodus 15:17-18).”

Think of all that God has brought us through to this point. Will he bring us this far to forsake us now? No! He will see us through the wilderness. He has already delivered us from our slavery to sin and brought us into the glorious kingdom of His Son. He will see us through our adversities in this life. We will enter into His promised kingdom.

In Mark, chapter 4, Jesus and His disciples were crossing the lake to the country of the Gadarenes.

And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling.
And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”
Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith (4:36-41)?”

At another time, before Jesus raised a little girl from the dead, He said, “do not be afraid, only believe (Luke 8:50).”

And, in Psalm 27, David expresses His trust in God.

The LORD is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?

When evil men advance against me
to devour my flesh,
when my enemies and my foes attack me,
they will stumble and fall.

Though an army besiege me,
my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
even then will I be confident.

One thing I ask of the LORD,
this is what I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD
and to seek him in his temple.

For in the day of trouble
he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle
and set me high upon a rock.

Lord, stand with me in my trial. Be present. Work out your perfect will for my life. I ask for your peace and joy. See me through this, Lord. Be my strength. I give my heart and life to you Lord, and pray that in all that is happening, Jesus Christ may be glorified in me. Amen.

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The Drought of Summer Replaced With Torrents Of Living Water (Ps 32 Part 2)

May 14th, 2009

Psalm 32:3-5

3. When I kept silent, my bones grew old Through my groaning all the day long.
4. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was turned into the drought of summer. Selah
5. I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” And You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah

Oh, the misery of denial in the heart of a child of God. David attempted to keep his sin from his friends and all of Israel for somewhere around 9 to 12 months. But he was miserable. The conscience of this “man after God’s own heart” was taking it’s toll on him. J. Vernon McGee suggests that David may have lost weight during this period. So overcome with guilt and the hand of God heavy on him, he couldn’t sleep, he couldn’t eat and he just groaned throughout the days. The NLT translates verse 3 as follows: When I refused to confess my sin, I was weak and miserable, and I groaned all day long. The KJV says “roaring” instead of “groaning”. David was living a lie and was not right with God. He was silent in confession, but roaring throughout the day with the heavy burden and horror of his guilt. Psalm 38 further illustrates how David felt during this time. Like Psalm 32, it is one of the penitential Psalms.

In verse 4, David then says (NLT), “Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat.” In First Corinthians 11:31-32 and in Hebrews 12:5-13, the Lord reminds us that He does chasten and correct His children, when the need arises. One reason He does this is that “we will not be condemned with the world.” In Hebrews, the writer tells us, “For whom the LORD loves He chastens.” He goes on, “But God’s discipline is always right and good for us because it means we will share in his holiness and afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” Like a good father on earth, our Heavenly Father does not hesitate to teach us His way when we ourselves are obstinate and unchanging. If we are not corrected, we are not His. If we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged (1 Cor. 11:31).

The hand of the Lord was heavy upon David, and like a drought stricken land at the height of summer, his soul was dry. In First John 1:5-2:2, the beloved disciple says that if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. But, if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.

Now, as we transition from verse four to verse five, we remember that this Psalm was set to music. At the end of verse four, we have the musical term “Selah”, which is a rest or pause in the song to contemplate what has been spoken and to wait on the Lord. Spurgeon speculates that moving from verse four to five may have also brought a change to a higher key in the song. With the forgiveness of his iniquity, David advances from the drought of summer to God’s grace poured out on him like the torrents of a monsoon.

In verse five, David says that he will confess his transgressions to the Lord and will acknowledge his sin to Him, that he will no longer attempt to hide it. The last part of verse five is the result: “and You forgave the iniquity of my sin” or, in the NLT, “and you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.” As soon as David confessed his sin, God forgave him. In the Hebrew, the language implies that God forgave him instantly. I believe the forgiveness came to David as soon as his heart was set on confession, even before the words got out, and as he was saying it, the love and mercy of God overflowed his drought stricken soul with torrents of living water.

Now, it is important to point out that admitting our sin to God is not the same as confession. Confessing is saying the same thing about our sin as God, seeing it the same way He does. Confession is a true repentance of the heart, and includes a turning away from our sin and giving it to the Lord. Confession softens the heart to receive God’s leading and guidance in our lives, which we will see in verse eight of this Psalm.

This portion of Scripture reminds me of the story of the prodigal son, recorded in Luke 15:11-32. It says that when the prodigal came to himself, he said, “I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put [it] on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on [his] feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill [it], and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.”

My nature is such that it is always fighting against God’s spirit within me. The flesh lusts against the spirit. So, daily renewal is essential in my walk with Jesus. Many times I fall short of taking hold of the invitation for renewal in His presence. But as soon as I am still and seeking Him, waves of mercy and love pour forth over me, and I am renewed in His love once again.

Bring me to the cross, Lord. Search my heart and show me where I am off. Renew my soul with your presence, the peace and joy that comes only from you. Thank you for the free gift of forgiveness and your love in Jesus Christ. Move me, lead me and guide me into your perfect plan for the life you’ve given me. In Jesus name, Amen.

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Oh, How Blissfully Happy is that Person! (Ps 32 Part 1)

April 15th, 2009

Psalm 32:1-2

1.“A Psalm of David. A Maschil.
Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered.
2.Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit.”

Psalm 32 is a Psalm of thanksgiving. It is a Mashcil, which means to give instruction or to understand; a contemplation. The Hebrew word translated blessed could be translated “Oh, how blissfully happy!” Spurgeon noted that this blissful peace came after David’s confession of sin, recorded in Psalm 51. For the full context of these two Psalms, read 2 Samuel 11 & 12.

In Psalm 32:1-2, three Hebrew nouns are used to denote sin and three verbs are used to describe God’s way of dealing with it. “Blessed is he whose transgression…” Transgression is rebellion, a willful and knowledgeable crossing of the line. But the “transgression is forgiven”, that is, lifted up and carried away like a burden. “Whose sin…” Sin is failure to keep God’s law. The Greek word translated sin in the New Testament means to miss the mark. But the “sin is covered,” that is, blotted out from the sight of the divine Judge. “Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute”… Impute is an accounting term. The Lord is no longer accounting this debt to the sinner’s account, it has been canceled. “For He made Him who knew no sin [to be] sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21).” So, God is no longer accounting our sin against us, it has been laid on Christ, and in Christ we have become the righteousness of God, as His righteousness has been imputed to us! “Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity.” Iniquity is a crookedness or deviation from the right path, a twisting and a going astray. “Blessed is the man in whose spirit there is no deceit” is speaking of self deceit. There is no self deceit because he has faced up to his sin (cf. v5).

Christ’s atonement is the propitiation, the covering, the making an end of sin. It’s interesting that the Hebrew word for cover is sometimes used for concealing. Sin cannot be covered by God until man uncovers it. This is a bit of a play on words. The man who does not attempt to conceal his sin, but confesses to God that he is a sinner, finds that it is covered by God through faith in Christ’s atoning death. David is here expressing the happiness of the person whose sins have been confessed to God and forgiven by His great mercy. “Many sorrows [shall be] to the wicked; But he who trusts in the LORD, mercy shall surround him (Psalm 32:10).”

Paul quotes Psalm 32:1-2 in Romans 4:5-8. In Romans 4, Paul gives Abraham, and then David, as examples of those forgiven by God before and after the law was given. Paul used these scriptures as evidence that one is forgiven by God through faith, and not by works. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; [it is] the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8).”

Paul finishes Romans chapter 4 with this, speaking of Abraham, “And therefore ‘it (Abraham’s faith) was accounted to him for righteousness.’ Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification (Romans 4:22-25).”

It is so important for us, as Christians, to keep this doctrine close to our hearts at all times, for the rest of our lives. To walk, day in and day out, in the light of the grace of our God, our Heavenly Father. This is the Good News of God’s grace for a dying world, and it is our joy, our hope and our strength until the Lord calls us home. Oh, How blissfully happy that person is, who has had their sin removed, and who now has the righteousness of Christ imputed to them through faith, because of what our Creator has done for us and His loving-kindness that endures forever!

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Rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ

March 24th, 2009

John 14:2-6
In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.”
Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?”
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

1 Peter 1:3-5
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

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Jesus is our living hope. We have been born again by our God and Father who has, according to His abundant mercy, begotten us again to a hope that is living. Our hope is Christ, who is alive through the resurrection from the dead. And our Father has a place for each of us that are born again (John 3) in His house that Jesus is preparing for each of us, an imperishable and undefiled inheritance that will never fade away. Jesus is coming again to receive us to Himself that where He is, we may be also, a place reserved in heaven for each of us. We know where He has gone and we know the way, and we are kept by the power of God through faith for this salvation (in sanctification of the Spirit 1 Pet 1:2), which is ready to be revealed in the last time.

Someone may say, “how can we know the way?”
Jesus says to that person, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

1 Peter 1:6-9
In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.

1 Peter 1:13-16
So think clearly and exercise self-control and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”

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

March 21st, 2009

Romans 8:1
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

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The Scripture says that “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness (Gen 15:6, Rom 4:3).” And Paul tells us in Romans 4:23-25: “Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed (accounted) to him, but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.”

God has accounted our sin to Christ, who bore our sin on the cross, and God has accounted Christ’s righteousness to us- by our faith in Jesus Christ, and this because of God’s amazing grace. His love for us is immeasurable.

In Romans 7:21-25 Pauls says this, “I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man (faith). But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.”

That brings us to Romans 8:1, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”

The word Gospel means “Good News”, and oh what good news it is! Justified by faith in the atoning death of Christ. There is no good work that we can do to justify ourselves before God, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23). Even though there is a battle between “this body of death”, the sinful nature still resident in our bodies, we have forgiveness (God is not accounting our sin against us anymore) and eternal life in Him. Glory in the grace of God today, you child of God! He has freely forgiven and has “given you all things in Christ.” Go boldly to the throne of His grace and praise His name, worship Him in His holiness. Do not let anything separate you from your Father’s love today. No condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. By faith, we no longer walk according to the flesh, but according to the spirit. Born again, born from above, worshiping in spirit and in truth. We are a new creation in Christ, who loved us and died for us. Be filled to overflowing with the Holy Spirit (Eph 5:18) today, believer. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you (Acts 1:8) and He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water (John 7:38).

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? … just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life (Rom 6:1-4). If Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you (Rom 8:10-11). For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified (Rom 8:29-30).

Glorified, past tense. I love that. In God’s view of things, your salvation is done! So, enter in. Walk in the glorious freedom from sin and enter into His rest for you today.

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God (Rom 12:1-2). But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts (Rom 13:14).

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit (Rom 15:13).

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