Friday, September 26, 2014

Summary of Romans

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.