Paul longs to arrive in Rome and settles for writing to
the Romans as their minister who is not ashamed of the Gospel. Paul proclaims the Grace that comes from
recognizing sin in humanity and transformation that occurs through the Spirit
enriching his unmerited favor. This is
the goodness of God. The Romans will hear
the gospel from Paul in this precious letter revealing the righteousness of
God. Oh how Paul loves the Romans!
Paul describes what we easy can observe from our tangible
surroundings all that God has made and we are "without excuse" of the
knowledge of God. Paul has clearly set
up our need for God that the law cannot provide. To Know God is not enough. We must internalize, take in, soak in, and
live in obedience the riches provided through a relationship of the living God.
Eugene Peterson writes, "Readers
become what they read. If Holy Scripture
is to be something other than mere gossip about God, it must be
internalized." Knowing God cannot
save us from the deep sin that has made a home in our inmost being. Sin has power over all people.
Paul speaks to the Romans "There is no one righteous,
not even one; there is no one who seeks God.
All have turned away; they have together become worthless; there is no
one who does good, not even one." (NIV) Therefore, however or whatever means we may
try to use to declare ourselves good and righteous before God is futile. Paul confirms that the Jews and the Gentiles
are both offered eternal life through belief in Christ Jesus. Paul goes on to explain that in faith we are
justified. Abraham did not have the law
and he was justified by faith. Abraham trusted
that God would grow him in God's image, setting everything right. Abraham did not work to pull himself up by
his bootstraps and out of his sinfulness to present himself worthy. He soaked up God. This is a generous gift from a loving, good
God, who sacrificed Jesus in order to set us right before God.
Sin is nothing and God in Christ Jesus is everything. "For sin shall no longer be your master,
you are not under the law, but under grace." (NIV) We
no longer need to rationalize our sin and try to figure it out. We cannot fix ourselves or work hard to do
better; there is no need to go to the trouble of all the worry about getting it
right. We do not have to work to try
show that we are good, that means God has already done the work for us in the
sacrifice of his son Jesus. Jesus died
so that we will not. Jesus defeated
death when he came up from the grave. Paul tells the Romans that this does not mean
we are to go on sinning.
We have died with Christ; the old self of trying to
rationalize our sins has died with Christ.
We live now in our new self and sin is defeated. Paul explains that we are human and have an
inner conflict that says, even though we delight in God's law, we cannot be
good. Paul calls this "the law of
mind" Then describes his struggle, "for what I what to do I do not
do, and what I hate to do, I do". (NIV) The law did not keep us from sinning and it
still does not keep us from sinning.
There is no punishment!
Christ took our punishment upon himself when he went to the cross and
set us free from the entanglement of sin and gave us life everlasting. Beating ourselves up with, "I am
worthless" or "I can't get it right" is like punishing ourselves
when our punishment, has been paid in full.
Paul talks about the Spirit that lives in the ones who have Christ. The Spirit lives in us and we have life. Our life is eternal with God alone and we
will never spiritually die.
We struggle many times daily with the inner conflict of
sin. We make choices to listen to the
Spirit or listen to the flesh. To turn,
turn, and turn again toward our God and listen is the moment we repent. Listening to the Spirit involves the action
of turning.
The fall season is a reminder of death. Brilliant colors emerge from fall casting
paths of reds and yellows, purples and browns.
Golden paths of pine needles fill the pined woods. Our bodies will die and decay and return to
the earth and become fertilizer for new growth. Our life here on earth is the
"flesh" that Paul talks about in Romans. Turning toward the Spirit is Repentance. Repentance is not what some think as only the
words, "I am sorry".
Repentance is an action we choose to turn to God when we have listened
to the Spirit within us. Dying from our
old self or our flesh and turning to God is like the season of fall dispersing
color on the Spirit of God. The
suffering of death in our flesh follows God's Grace. His grace is a tiny sample of what is to come
in the future.
We suffer many times in this life and in many ways,
physically and emotionally. Paul tells
us that our "sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will
be revealed in us". (NIV) God's glory revealed of dying from our old
selves and turning to Jesus is not worth comparing with what will be in
us. Yes, in us! Adopted children of God deeply loved by our
father!
"What, then
shall we say in response to these things?
If God is for us, who can be against us?" (NIV) Can
you hear the excitement in Paul's voice?
God is for us! God gave up His
son to suffer. Jesus suffered. Jesus was condemned. Jesus took our place. The good news is that Jesus conquered death
and lived again. Therefore, nothing can
get in the way from the love that God has for his adopted children.
Israel displayed their unbelief by laboring to attain
salvation. Paul was heartbroken and
wanted to help them and even said he would give up his own salvation for them
to see Jesus. Many Christians today work
to do good in hopes to be right with God. When it comes to following God during suffering, reconciliation and
proclaiming Jesus and then they stumble on the rock and fall. They have turned to their own flesh and are
basking in pride. "Brothers and
sisters, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they
may be saved." (NIV) Paul's heart was aching for his friends to
turn away from trying to look good in front of others and soaks up Jesus. Pursing the law and doing good will not
produce righteousness.
Looking good may be pretending that you do not sin. Many may refuse to acknowledge that they are
not responsible for any wrongdoing. Many
people today blame others and claim they did nothing wrong. They may cover up their garbage with good
things, like helping the poor or giving to charity. This is like Israel, they did good and
followed the rules, and then they hear Paul say guess what? Hey, the Gentiles are invited and actually,
everyone is invited. Hey, Israel, by the
way, all the good works you were tallying, it is all for nothing. Lay down your back patting and get up and
turn, or repent. Jesus is Lord, not
you. Paul desperately wanted his friends
to repent. "Everyone who calls on
the name of the Lord will be saved."
(NIV)
The Lord is near and saves us from inside our hearts. The work of God in us is transformation. When we look to God for help, we are waiting
and yearning for his work to make us more in His image. The transforming power happens when God does
the work as he chooses. We only have to live
our lives, turning to God.
