Romans / chapter 8 (read the chapter)
I love what happens when we fix our eyes on God—all of our doubt, fear, uncertainty, and anxiety gets blown away. You had to feel sorry for Paul in the previous chapter. He painted a self-portrait of a man in total chaos, struggling with the war between his spiritual desires and his carnal habits. By the end of the chapter, he was at the end of his rope, so to speak, ready to give it all up, wondering how he could possibly be delivered. Continue Reading »
Romans / chapter 7 (read the chapter)
In this chapter, it’s pretty apparent that Paul has no power over the sinful nature of his heart: “I obviously need help! I realize that I don’t have what it takes. I can will it, but I can’t do it. I decide to do good, but I don’t really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don’t result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time. It happens so regularly that it’s predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God’s commands, but it’s pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge. I’ve tried everything and nothing helps. I’m at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me?” (vs 17-24) Continue Reading »
Romans / chapter 6 (read the chapter)
I was recently talking to a friend of mine who objects to the picture of God he finds in the Old Testament—in particular, a God whom he describes as “pro-slavery.” I suppose people come to this conclusion because God outlined very specific rules regarding how the Israelites were supposed to treat their slaves. Continue Reading »
Romans / chapter 5 (read the chapter)
There aren’t many places in this world to find peace, but Paul assures us of the one area we don’t have to worry about: “Since then it is by faith that we are justified, let us grasp the fact that we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (vs 1-2) Continue Reading »
Romans / chapter 4 (read the chapter)
In this chapter, Paul addresses the issue of “righteousness”—or, being made right, being set right, being “straightened out.” After convincing us so thoroughly in the previous two chapters that we’re all in the same sinking boat, the question now is, how can we ever be made right again? Indeed, can we be made right? Continue Reading »
Romans / chapter 3 (read the chapter)
Regardless of Jesus’ statement that He had not come to do away with the law (Matt 5:17), many Christians today argue that the law has, in fact, been done away with and is no longer relevant for us. In making such arguments, many point to the statements of Paul in this chapter (and elsewhere) that speak of righteousness apart from law. And, indeed, we are made righteous (or, made right) apart from the law, but the law was never intended to lead to righteousness in the first place. Continue Reading »
Romans / chapter 2 (read the chapter)
In this chapter, Paul turns the tables on anyone who has been left with feelings of superiority after reading chapter 1. “Thank God I’m not like those sinners” is a thought that doesn’t hold much traction with Paul, and he quickly reminds us that we’re all in the same sinking boat. Continue Reading »
Romans / chapter 1 (read the chapter)
Here’s the essence of God’s wrath: In a universe where both freedom and sin are realities, surrender is a foregone conclusion. Either we surrender to God and allow Him to heal us from sin, or He will eventually surrender us to sin and the death it causes. Either we surrender, or He surrenders. Astonishingly, we are the ones who make the call. Continue Reading »
Acts / chapter 28 (read the chapter)
After a short stay on the island of Malta, Paul and his other shipwrecked companions finally reached Rome. He had traveled there to make an appeal to Caesar, which we assume he eventually did. However, the book of Acts never relates that story. Instead, the last chapter tells how Paul spent two years in Rome, preaching to the people—particularly the local Jews, who were curious to hear more about The Way: Continue Reading »
Acts / chapter 27 (read the chapter)
How did we get this picture of God as One who is just waiting for us to screw up so He can pounce? Where do we get the idea that He is like some sort of cosmic meter maid who is just waiting for the time to run out so He can slap a ticket on our car? Wherever that comes from, it’s a Satanic picture. Continue Reading »
