Milo – Page 11

The 365-Day Devotional Commentary

ABRAHAM’S FAITH
Romans 4

“The words, ‘It was credited to him,’ were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead” (Rom. 4:23).

From the very beginning, righteousness has been a gift, received by faith.

Overview
Abraham serves as a test case, to prove Paul’s thesis that righteousness is a gift received by faith (4:1–3). Neither works (vv. 4–8) nor circumcision (vv. 9–12) nor Law (vv. 13–15) have anything to do with forgiveness of sin (vv. 16–17). Righteousness is credited to all who have an Abrahamlike faith in the God who raised Jesus from the dead (vv. 18–25).

Understanding the Text
“Abraham, our forefather, discovered in this matter” Rom. 4:1–3. Paul turned to the towering figure of Abraham, and proposed he be used as a test case. Since the Jewish people acknowledged Abraham as the father (source) of their race, in Hebrew thought he would set the pattern for his descendants’ relationship with God.
Abraham was an admirable man. He risked all in obedience to God. But the biblical text also reports his sins. So the Old Testament says God “credited” his faith to him “as righteousness.” If Abraham had to be given a righteousness he did not possess, and if faith was credited to his account as righteousness, then from the very beginning the key to salvation has been faith—and nothing else. In their teaching on salvation Old and New Testaments are one.
You and I who depend solely on Jesus Christ for salvation are one with that unbroken line of saints extending back, even beyond the cross. We are members of history’s grandest order: the order of those who have caught a glimpse of the goodness of God, and who believe Him completely worthy of our trust.

“Justified” Rom. 4:1. At God’s Lighthouse Mission in Manhattan the men who attended services in the ’50s were drilled nightly in Bible verses and in a particular definition of “justified.” Justified, they were taught to repeat, means “just as if I had never sinned in the sight of God.”
Actually the Greek verb, dikaioo, means to be acquitted, or to be pronounced righteous. It’s not “just as if I had never sinned.” It means “just as if I had lived as perfect a life as Jesus did!”
Once, when my normal green-tinted sunglasses were lost, I put on a rose-colored pair. And everything I saw through them was rose colored too. Justification is a little like this. God sees you and me through Christ-colored glasses. When God looks at the person who believes in His Son He sees Jesus Himself.
Never hesitate to come freely to God, whatever your need. As you approach, God sees you as His dearly beloved Son.

“Credited to him as righteousness” Rom. 4:3. This is another of several key theological terms in this chapter. The Greek word is logizomai. A common word in New Testament times, it meant “to make an entry in the account book.”
The Expository Dictionary of Bible Words (Zondervan) says, “As sinners, you and I have no righteousness that would be acceptable to God. But God has given His Word of promise. When we respond to Him in faith, against our name in His account book He makes an entry that says in effect, ’This person is righteous in My sight!’ Our faith has been credited to us as righteousness” (p. 203).
Some might complain that this concept of salvation is too crude. But that same person, if he went to his bank and found that someone had credited his account with the gift of 10 million dollars, wouldn’t complain about “crude.” He’d more likely shout for joy! As we do, knowing that in Christ God has credited to us something far more precious than worldly wealth.

“God who justifies the wicked” Rom. 4:4–8. There’s so much packed in these few verses. But most important perhaps is a unique vision of God.
I remember a student of mine in grad school when I taught at Wheaton. He was always friendly and most ingratiating. Later he taught at Moody Bible Institute evening school—and his students were very upset. When he taught he was rude, always putting them down and ridiculing any idea that didn’t match his own views. What a revelation of character. You can tell a lot about people by seeing how they treat those who are subordinate to them.
What a revelation of God’s character, this teaching of justification by faith. We human beings are not only subordinate, but we’ve rebelled actively against Him. Yet God’s response is to offer us a matchless gift: to justify the wicked, and credit sinners with righteousness.
How blessed we are to have, and to know, such a God!

“Is this blessedness only for the circumcised?” Rom. 4:9–13 The Jews claimed Abraham as the father of their race. Abraham had received the covenant promises which, transmitted from generation to generation, guaranteed Israel its place as God’s chosen people. It would seem then, that Jesus and justification were Jewish by right. How could Paul defend his missionary work among the Gentiles?
In the Old Testament circumcision, the cutting off of the flap of skin which covers the tip of the male penis, was introduced as a sign of God’s covenant with Abraham (Gen. 17). But, Paul said, this came after God announced Abraham was justified by faith (15:6). It followed, then, that justification by faith did not depend on a person having a previous covenant relationship with God. So justification by faith is available to all!
God doesn’t set any preconditions on salvation. We don’t have to clean up our act first. We don’t have to join any particular church or group. We don’t have to beg, or even pray. All we need to do is what Abraham did: trust God’s promise. The blessedness of forgiveness of sins is ours, and righteousness is credited to our account.

“Where there is no law there is no transgression” Rom. 4:13–15. We have a new puppy, a miniature schnauzer named Mitzi. Like most pups, when Mitzi was young she had “accidents,” and went to the bathroom on the floor. As soon as she got old enough, we began to train Mitzi. We made it very clear that going to the bathroom indoors is wrong.
This morning she slipped off into a bedroom and left a (thankfully dry!) pile on the floor. As soon as I saw her coming out of the room, her ears went back, and she began to slink—the image of guilt. She’d been taught not to do her jobs indoors. My few swats with a newspaper were accepted as just punishment.
That’s about what Paul’s saying here about law. Don’t count on law to save you. Law introduces transgression. Mitzi was doing her jobs indoors with a perfectly clear conscience—before she was taught not to. Now that “no” has been introduced, she still does her jobs indoors sometimes. But now she’s guilty of transgressing a rule, and she knows it! The law didn’t change her behavior to any great extent. But it surely did make her realize her errors.
We can’t look to law as a way of salvation. Law simply marks out the things we do by nature as sin—and makes us feel guilty when we realize that, even knowing the law, we still do wrong.

“That it may be by grace and may be guaranteed” Rom. 4:16–18. Why didn’t God let us at least try to earn salvation? Why not, say, let us do 25 percent, and let Him supply the other 75 percent? Or, if that’s too much, do 20 percent? Or 15 percent?
Paul had an important answer. Because if anything depended on you and me, there could be no guarantee. Even the Israelite descendants of Abraham, who were given a head start by receiving Moses’ Law, would have no guarantee of salvation. The issue would remain forever in doubt—at least from a human point of view.
From God’s point of view, of course, we have all sinned and fallen short. No one can contribute even 1 percent of that absolute goodness God’s holiness demands He require. But that’s irrelevant to Paul’s point here. Salvation rests on God’s gracious promise alone. Since it all depends on God, our salvation is guaranteed.

DEVOTIONAL
Abraham’s Faith
(Rom. 4:18–25)
I once read a science fiction story in which the crew of a spaceship suddenly found itself behind windowless, doorless metal walls. Food was regularly passed in, seeming to slide through the walls themselves. Days and weeks went by, and the crew could find no way out.
Suddenly one of the crew laughed aloud, and explained. Their captivity must be a test devised by an alien civilization. The walls, which seemed so real to touch and sight, weren’t there at all. They were illusions. If only the crew would believe—really believe—that the walls were unreal, they could walk out of their cage.
It was very much like this for Abraham. He was 100 years old. His wife, Sarah, was 90. She’d ceased menstruation long before. To every human sense, an impenetrable barrier existed between Abraham and the fulfillment of God’s amazing promise that he and Sarah would soon have a son. Abraham examined these medical facts. He fully understood the impossibility. And he ignored it. He ignored the facts because he was “fully persuaded that God had power to do what He had promised.” And it was this kind of faith, that saw God as the ultimate reality, that moved Abraham to trust God’s promise despite its patent impossibility.
For you and me, faith is not really belief against all evidence. We have evidence that Scripture is trustworthy. We have the testimony of untold numbers of persons who have become Christians and tell of inner transformation and peace. We have proof of life after death in the resurrection of Jesus. But the basic nature of faith remains the same. We hear God’s word of promise. And we are fully persuaded that He has power to do for us all that He says He will. Like Abraham, we commit ourselves to the Lord, and receive righteousness as the gift of our loving God.

Personal Application
“Faith” is committing ourselves completely to God.

Quotable
“Tell me Your name,” I challenged Christ.
“Were You a prophet, saint supreme?
Did You wear true flesh and blood?
Are You that which we call God?
Or but a hope, a sigh,
A thing compacted of man’s dream?”
“I will declare Myself,” said Christ,
“When you confess your name and station.”
Easy terms. I thought and thought
But still the sum of me as nought.
“A dying sinner, I.”
And straight He told His name, “Salvation.”
-Anna Bunston de Bary

The 365-Day Devotional Commentary

NO ONE RIGHTEOUS
Romans 2–3

“No one will be declared righteous in His sight by observing the Law; rather through the Law we become conscious of sin” (Rom. 3:20).

All have sinned. So all are eligible for the salvation won by Jesus for sinners.

Background
Law. “Law” is one of the most complex concepts in Scripture. The Hebrew Torah may refer to the Pentateuch, to the entire Old Testament, to the Ten Commandments, to the whole body of God’s requirements for Israel, and to the way of life adopted by the covenant community. The Greek nomos, used here by Paul, has these meanings and more. So as we approach each section of Romans it’s important to ask what Paul meant when he spoke of the “law.” In Romans 2 and 3 the basic meaning of “law” is “God’s revealed requirements for righteous living.” Later in Romans the meaning of “law” will shift subtly, and often. Here, however, we need only keep in mind the “revealed standards” aspect of God’s moral law.

Overview
God alone is competent to judge (2:1–4), and He judges Jew and Gentile on the basis of truth (vv. 5–11). Gentiles sin against their conscience (vv. 12–16). Jews boasted of possessing God’s Law (vv. 17–20), but law is of no value to those who break it (vv. 21–29). Those entrusted with the words of God must respond with faith (3:1–8). Yet Scripture shows that no human being is righteous (vv. 9–18). Thus the law’s intent is to make man conscious of sin, not to be an instrument of salvation (vv. 19–20). Through faith in Christ’s blood we are given a righteousness apart from the law (vv. 21–26). Jew and Gentile are saved by faith (vv. 27–31).

Understanding the Text
“You are condemning yourself” Rom. 2:1–3. One of the hardest things we have to learn is that when we point a finger at others, we point four at ourselves!
That’s what Paul said here. We look at another person’s actions, and we say, “That’s wrong.” And as soon as we do, we admit that moral standards exist. After all, we used some standard to determine he or she was “wrong”! So anyone who judges others, and we all do, says in effect, “It’s right to judge. Standards do exist.”
Of course, once judgment is introduced, our own actions become subject to examination. And when God measures our actions, He uses a more demanding standard than we possibly could: truth.
You might try that on a friend who pretends, as many do these days, that morality is personal and relative. Such folks will tell you, “What I do may be wrong for you, but it’s all right for me.” Well, if you ever hear a moral relativist condemn any action, say, “Gotcha! You just condemned yourself.” And then explain. By admitting that moral standards exist, that person made himself subject to judgment. By God.

“God’s kindness leads you toward repentance” Rom. 2:4–5. The next question folks are likely to ask is, if God judges sin, why doesn’t He do something about the real bad guys? Paul’s answer to this is a stunner.
If He did something about the child abusers and rapists right now, He’d have to do something right now about you! God is holding back Judgment Day to give people a chance to repent. God’s failure to zap people when they sin isn’t evidence of His disinterest. It’s evidence of His kindness and love.
How glad you and I can be that the Lord waited for us. Judgment Day will come. Let’s pray that before it does, many sinners will respond to the kindness of God and come to know the Lord.

“Persistence in doing good” Rom. 2:6–11. Paul isn’t suggesting that doing good will get anyone to heaven. He’s just making it clear that knowing good isn’t enough. God judges what we do, without showing favoritism to the Jew or the Gentile.
The philosopher Plato assumed that if a person knew the good, he would be sure to do it. It doesn’t take long to show how foolish that notion is. Just try for three days to do only what you know is good and right. And see how long before the gap between knowing and doing appears.
It’s a fun challenge to pose to a person who claims he or she doesn’t need salvation. After a couple of days of trying to do only what he judges to be right and good, suggest he read Romans 2:7–8.

“They are a law for themselves” Rom. 2:12–16. What if a person says, “God’s not fair. There are people all over the world who don’t even know what His standards are.”
Paul’s answer was that God bends over backward to be fair. Those who don’t know God’s standards “are a law for themselves.” Every society and every individual has standards. They may not be God’s standards. But they are standards—and they fall into the same categories as do the standards expressed in Moses’ Law. There are sexual standards. There are standards governing how others should be treated. There are standards about work and payment. And so on.
So, just to be fair, God is willing to judge men by their own standards, not His! It’s fair. But people still don’t have a chance. Even using the lowest of human standards, all have sinned! Every person’s conscience accuses him or her of falling short not just once, but many times. If we were completely honest with ourselves, and evaluated our own actions by truth, every one of us would confess, “I have sinned.”

“You . . . brag about your relationship to God” Rom. 2:17–29. Paul knew that any Jewish reader of his letter would argue that a distinction should be made between Jews and Gentiles. What Paul said about folks being sinners might fit the Romans and the Greeks and the Scythians, and citizens of the good old U.S.A. But it doesn’t fit the chosen people!
So Paul took a look at the basis of the brag. Yes, Israel knew God’s will and even approved of it. But the issue is, did the Jew do God’s will?
Circumcision, that sign of membership in God’s covenant people, doesn’t help a person who breaks the Law. And uncircumcision doesn’t hurt the person who keeps it. What God cares about is the heart, and a person’s personal relationship not with the Law but with Him (see DEVOTIONAL).

“God’s faithfulness” Rom. 3:1–8. God chose Israel, and generation after generation proved faithless. Did God fail? Not at all. God kept His promise and all who believed experienced His blessing. Don’t think if someone fails to respond to the Gospel that God has failed. God faithfully keeps His promise and welcomes all who come to Him by Jesus.

“What shall we conclude then?” Rom. 3:9–18 Paul showed by argument that no one is righteous, and that all have sinned. Now he proved it, by quoting Scripture.
Like D.L. Moody, we should be ready to say, “God said it. I believe it. That settles it.” When God has spoken, there is no more to say.

“Through the Law we become conscious of sin” Rom. 3:19–20. Some folks think of the Law as a ladder to climb, so we can approach God. It’s not. The Law is a mirror to look in, so we can see ourselves, and realize how much we need God to approach us in Jesus.

“God presented Him as a sacrifice of atonement” Rom. 3:21–26. The NIV translation here is weak, for the Greek hilaserion means not atonement but a “sacrifice of propitiation.” The sacrifice of Jesus satisfied the just requirements of our holy God. Jesus died not just to cover our sins, but to pay for them.
In that great act which satisfied the claims of justice once and for all, God Himself was shown to be righteous. He did not just “overlook” sin. He imposed the penalty sin demands. But He imposed it on His own Son instead of on you and me.
At last God is displayed as just in forgiving the sins of those who lived in the past—and in forgiving our sins. Even those we will commit in the future.
How great God is. And how beyond imagination His love.

“We uphold the Law” Rom. 3:27–31. How wonderful this principle of faith. It excludes boasting, for we are saved by God, not by anything we do. It opens the door of salvation to Gentile as well as Jew, for any human being who hears can believe. And it puts Law in its rightful place, not as a means of salvation, but as a revelation of the righteous standards of God.
We believe in Law, and in righteousness. But we do not believe that keeping God’s Law can save, or make us righteous within. For that we look to Christ, and to Him alone.

DEVOTIONAL
Halfway Christians
(Rom. 2:25–3:20)
In early American colonies founded by religious groups, the vote was often reserved for believers. But as new generations came along, all too often grandsons and granddaughters were not converted. How could a way be found for these folks to vote—and thus keep the wealth and power in the hands of established families?
The answer was the “halfway covenant.” God, the theologians proposed, was committed to save the children of believers someday. So they were halfway in the church anyway. So if your parents were Christians in good standing, you could vote, even if you didn’t believe in Jesus yourself.
People always seem to be looking for a “halfway” religion. The Jews of Paul’s time possessed the Law and circumcision. They were God’s covenant people, His chosen nation. Wasn’t that good enough? In this passage Paul said no. Not only isn’t it good enough; it doesn’t mean a thing (2:25–29). Jews had the advantage of circumcision and knowing the words of God. But that didn’t save them.
Folks today too look for a halfway kind of Christianity. My parents were good Christians. Doesn’t that count? I’ve belonged to my church, the “true church,” since I was a child. Doesn’t that count? I tithe. How about counting that?
Well, having Christian parents and being in church all our lives is certainly an advantage. But it doesn’t take us even halfway to salvation.
Paul tells us why. Jews and Gentiles alike are all in the grip of sin (3:9). As the Scripture says, “There is no one righteous, not even one” (v. 10). The only thing that counts, the only thing that can save us, is breaking the grip of sin. And neither Mom and Dad, our racial heritage, or our church membership can do that.
How glad we can be that Jesus Christ takes us all the way, not just halfway, to God. By Jesus’ death and resurrection, and through faith in Him, we become Chrstians indeed.
All the way Christians.
The only way.

Personal Application
Count on nothing but Jesus to save you.

Quotable
“The Gospel is Good News. But Jesus never said it was easy news. The central truth of the cross is death before life, repentance before reward. Before His Gospel can be the Good News of redemption, it must be the bad news of the conviction of sin.”—Charles Colson

The 365-Day Devotional Commentary

Romans

INTRODUCTION
This letter was written by the Apostle Paul to the church in Rome about A.D. 57. The theme of the letter is righteousness. Despite man’s sin, Paul showed that God declares those who believe in Jesus both innocent and right with Him. Even more, through the Holy Spirit that Christ gives, God works within to enable believers to actually live righteous lives, individually and as a redeemed community.
Romans is perhaps the most powerful Christian document ever written. Towering figures like Luther and Wesley trace their conversions to this book. Any Christian can deepen his appreciation of all God has given us in Christ by a careful study of Romans. And every Christian can discover here the source of that spiritual power man needs to live a life that glorifies the Saviour.

THE POWER OF GOD
Romans 1

“I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile” (Rom. 1:16).

The power of God is displayed in those who believe. And the need for God’s power in those who do not.

Overview
Paul greeted his Roman readers (1:1–7), and shared his longing to see them (vv. 8–13). He shared too his sense of obligation to bring to all a Gospel that revealed God’s righteousness even as it brought salvation (vv. 14–17). Paul then began his exposition: all mankind is wicked, and under God’s wrath (vv. 15–32).

Understanding the Text
“Set apart for the Gospel of God” Rom. 1:1–2. Paul first of all identified himself as a “servant” of Jesus Christ. The Greek word is doulos, and means a bondslave. Paul also identified himself as an apostle, a role that placed him at the top of the early church’s hierarchy. But in Paul’s thinking, being a slave of Jesus was a far greater honor than the high office he filled.
What an antidote to any jealousy that may appear among us today. What does it matter if I or someone else has a high church or secular office? The greatest honor you or I can have is to be a bondslave of Jesus Christ, and to serve Him with all our hearts.

“Regarding His Son” Rom. 1:3–5. In the ancient world a slave’s status was determined not just by his position in a household, but by whose slave he was. Paul was proud to serve Jesus, because no greater master can be conceived of.
Just think who Jesus is. He is the fulfillment of the prophets’ dreams, the subject of Old Testament revelation (v. 2). In His humanity He is royalty; a Descendant of David (v. 3). At the same time He is the Son of God (v. 4), and was so declared by His resurrection from the dead (v. 4). He is the ever-living source of grace, the Lord who called Paul to his apostleship (v. 5). In short, Jesus Christ is the focus of God’s eternal plan, the heart and center of the believer’s life.
Compare this with some of the masters men choose to serve. Some are slaves of drink or drugs. Some are slaves of their passion for political power. Some are slaves of a passion for wealth. Some are slaves of sex. Some sell themselves for popularity. As Paul points out later, each of us is the slave of whatever we choose to serve in life.
How wise then to choose to be slaves of Jesus Christ, the highest position to which we can aspire. How foolish to serve a lesser master.

“Who are loved by God and called to be saints” Rom. 1:7. Paul knew that we believers have other identities besides that of being slaves of Jesus Christ. He mentioned two here. We are God’s loved ones. And we are His saints.
The word “saints” (hagiois) means “holy ones.” The core meaning of “holy” is “set aside or apart for God.” In the New Testament “saints” frequently has the ordinary meaning of “Christian” or “believer.” But its significance is far from ordinary. God has set you and me apart as His precious possessions. He has chosen us, and marked us as His own. If we understand how precious we are to the Lord and how greatly we are loved, the “grace and peace” Paul wished for the Romans will surely be ours.

“I thank my God . . . for all of you” Rom. 1:8–10. One of the most impressive features of Paul’s letters was his frequent affirmation that he prayed “constantly” for others. When Paul wrote this letter he had never been to Rome. He did know several individuals who were part of the Roman church (cf. Rom. 16). But most he had only heard of. Yet Paul was excited about them, and he cared enough to “remember you in my prayers at all times.”
I confess that one of my own needs is for a greater involvement in prayer for others. I pray for folks when I think of them. But I don’t think of them often enough. Paul’s vision for others was worldwide. We need to maintain that worldwide vision too.

“That you and I may be mutually encouraged” Rom. 1:11–13. Paul’s humble attitude is a model for modern ministry. All too often the person who is called and trained for “full-time Christian service” goes out, assuming that he or she will give out—and that others will passively receive. After all, the professional has the knowledge and the training in such esoteric skills as public speaking and counseling. Or at least that’s what many assume.
The problem with this view is that God’s Holy Spirit resides in every believer. Each of us has some spiritual gift that enables us to contribute to others. Ministry is a mutual, not a professional, undertaking. No one is simply a “giver.” Each of us gives to others, and receives from others. Only the full-time minister with this attitude toward ministry will build a strong church or mission.
See how sensitively Paul approached the Romans. He yearned to be with them to “impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong.” He wanted to use his spiritual gifts to help them. But the exercise of his gift would not be one-way, him to them. He expected to receive as well as give. He sought a mutual relationship which would enable each to be encouraged by the other’s faith.
How we need this perspective in our own ministry to others. And in Christ’s superstar-studded church.

“I am obligated” Rom. 1:14–15. I was once challenged as to why I shared the Gospel with some non-Christian friends. “Why do you try to impose your faith on us?” was the rather hostile question.
I answered by asking another question. “If you were out on the highway on a stormy night, and discovered that a bridge across a deep ravine had been washed away, would you stand there with a flashlight and try to warn oncoming traffic, or not?”
Paul had a deep sense of obligation that grew out of his awareness that both Jew and Greek, apart from Jesus Christ, rushed headlong toward eternal disaster. The Christian doesn’t try to “impose his faith” on others. The Christian warns others that the bridge has been washed away, in an honest effort to save them from disaster.

“It is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes” Rom. 1:16. I’ve heard the Gospel referred to as the “dynamite” of God. But the analogy really doesn’t work, or reflect the concept of this text. A better analogy is to an appliance with an electric cord. Push your vacuum as hard as you can, and if it’s not plugged in, it won’t pick up dirt. Or stir egg whites with your electric mixer, and if it’s not plugged in, no meringue. In the same way, work at saving yourself as hard as you want. But if you are not plugged into God’s source of power for salvation, nothing will be gained.
The Gospel plugs us into the one and only source of salvation power. If you and I are plugged into Jesus, the power of God will save us for sure.

Martin Luther and John Wesley, two of church history’s towering figures, came to Christ through Romans 1:17. Through this verse each realized that God’s righteousness is obtained by faith, not by human effort or merit. Through their influence millions have claimed God’s righteousness, and made it their own “by faith from first to last.”

“The wrath of God is being revealed” Rom. 1:18. In the ancient world the familiar phrase, the “wrath of God,” indicated God’s indignant response to human impiety or transgression. In other New Testament passages God’s wrath is His righteous and necessary response to sinners, expressed in His condemnation of their acts. Here the emphasis is on moral corruption in society as the operation of a present divine judgment on sin.
We need look no farther than today’s movies and newspapers to see what Paul meant. In our area the owner of a little restaurant was beaten and killed by a neighbor who stole frozen food. Just a few days before the owner had given the killer food for his hungry baby. In St. Petersburg a federal judge was arrested for drug use and committing sex acts with teenagers. The police found videos he had made. Every day seems to bring at least one story of child sexual or physical abuse. And every day TV or the movies advertise another feature glorifying sex and violence.
With no anchor of commitment to God and His laws, society becomes more and more corrupt. The media’s “right” to corrupt and show corruption leads inexorably to the further breakdown of society. And no one understands what is happening or why.
What is happening is just what Paul described. A society which has turned its back on God is seeing “the wrath of God . . . being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men.”

“What may be known about God is plain to them” Rom. 1:18–20. Paul’s point is that the universe is like a radio station, which from creation has sent out its message about God. What’s more, God created human beings with a built-in radio receiver! We human beings actually hear the message. Only by “suppress[ing] the truth”—turning down our built-in radio till the message is only whisper loud—can man avoid the obvious truth that God exists, and that He is greater than the things He has made.
No human being ever born has been without a witness to the truth of God. The only explanation for man’s failure to turn to God is sin (see DEVOTIONAL).

“God gave them over . . . to sexual impurity” Rom. 1:18–32. Commentators debate whether Paul was giving us a historical or psychological profile of our race. Yet the pattern is clear. Those who abandon God turn to false objects of worship and their society becomes more and more corrupt morally. In time, “Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them” (v. 32).
It’s significant that Paul devotes two of the eight verses describing moral corruption to homosexuality. Our society’s present drive to validate homosexual behavior as an acceptable “alternate lifestyle” places modern America squarely in Romans 1:32.

DEVOTIONAL
Holding Hands
(Rom. 1:18–32)
I must admit that I grinned Monday night as I watched my youngest son coming up the walk toward Capio’s restaurant. He was holding hands with Liz, a 3rd-grade teacher he met at his church’s youth group. Not that Tim’s all that young. The occasion was his 27th birthday. It was just nice to see him, good-looking but very shy, walking hand-in-hand with an attractive and very nice girl.
Actually, holding hands is a pretty good image of the response God wants when He reveals Himself to us. When we catch a glimpse of God, we should be attracted to Him, and reach out. In Paul’s words we should automatically find ourselves glorifying Him as God and being thankful.
But Romans 1 describes a totally different reaction. Instead of reaching for God’s hand, as Tim did for Liz’s, mankind reacted as if God were a hot iron. When brushing up against God, the natural man jerks away! Again in Paul’s words, they supressed the truth. And rather than turn to God, they turned away, so that “their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened” (v. 21). What followed the rejection of God was idolatry, immorality, and wickedness of every kind.
Why does Paul launch his exploration of righteousness with this description of our race? For a very simple but important reason. He doesn’t want anyone to think man lacks righteousness because God has been holding out on us, or even because of the wicked deeds men do. Mankind lacks righteousness because all men are sinners by nature. And the proof is that when God revealed Himself to man, man jerked his hand away.
Tim and Liz reach out naturally for each other’s hand. They feel an affinity, a warmth of affection. Man’s rejection of a loving and righteous God is unmistakable proof that human beings are lost and in sin. If they felt any affinity with God, they would respond to Him with warmth. Only the power of God flowing through the Gospel can change man’s heart, and enable us to respond to God’s great love.

Personal Application
Reach out your heart’s hand to God today.

Quotable
“By nature I was too blind to know Him, too proud to trust Him, too obstinate to serve Him, too base-minded to love Him.”—John Newton

The 365-Day Devotional Commentary

Habakkuk

INTRODUCTION
Habakkuk wrote in the time of godly King Josiah. The prophet was deeply troubled by the injustices prevailing in Judah’s society despite a religious revival. God revealed His intention to use the Babylonians to punish Judah. The Lord went on to show the troubled prophet that the wicked only seem to succeed. Strengthened by his faith, Habakkuk knew God would sustain him in the coming turmoil.
Habakkuk has great value for Christians, for it teaches us that the “prosperity” of the wicked is an illusion, for the evil never truly succeed.

PERFECTED FAITH
Habakkuk 1–3

“The Sovereign LORD is my strength . . . He enables me to go on the heights” (Hab. 3:19).

Faith grows fastest when challenged. What Habakkuk teaches us is that through our doubts and suffering, our faith can and will be perfected.

Overview
Habakkuk complained to God of injustice in Judah (1:1–4). He was told that the Lord was raising up the Babylonians to discipline His people (vv. 5–11). The prophet asked how God could permit the wicked to triumph (vv. 12–17), and was shown that despite appearances the evil man never really succeeds (2:1–20). God then showed Habakkuk the horrors of the coming invasion (3:1–16). Shaken, the prophet determined to trust God, and so reached the pinnacle of faith (vv. 18–19).

Understanding the Text
“Injustice” Hab. 1:2–4. Under Old Testament Law local elders met to settle disputes. There was no police force or national justice system. If local elders took bribes, or if witnesses lied, the law was “paralyzed, and justice never prevails.” Habakkuk complained that the religious enthusiasm generated by Josiah’s revival (see 2 Kings 23) had not touched the hearts of the majority. Because the majority was wicked, the righteous were hemmed in (outnumbered), so “justice is perverted.”
In this morning’s paper one article described how a witness against local drug pushers was being harassed and her family threatened. Our justice system does not distribute responsibility in the Old Testament way. Yet what the individual does remains the key to a just society.
Habakkuk, looking at the corruption in his society, wondered how God could permit Judah to continue in such a state. The answer, of course, is that God would not permit an unjust society to represent Him. There may well be a cost in taking a stand for justice. But there is an even greater cost if we fail to do so!

“I am raising up the Babylonians” Hab. 1:5–11. At the time God spoke to Habakkuk, about 621B.C, the Babylonians (Chaldeans) were a subject people within the Assyrian Empire. In 625B.C Nabopolassar took the throne of Babylon and, within two decades, crushed the mighty Assyrians. This sudden and amazing overthrow of the dominant world power is referred to in verses 5–6, “I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe even if you were told. I am raising up the Babylonians.”
There may be no obvious threat on the horizon capable of shattering an unjust society. The Book of Habakkuk reminds us how quickly God can raise up and bring down nations, to say nothing of individuals.

“Your eyes are too pure to look on evil” Hab. 1:12–13. As Habakkuk considered God’s plan to use the Babylonians to punish Judah, he was even more deeply troubled.
You and I can hardly understand the terror caused by an invading army in ancient times. Verses 8–11 graphically portray ancient warfare, with swift cavalry attacks in the open, and earthen ramps built up against the walls of besieged cities. The attacking armies were truly “bent on violence.” Defeated foes were subject to torture, women and girls to rape, and even infants were speared or taken by the heels and swung against stone walls. The utter cruelty of the Babylonians repelled Habakkuk. But even more, he knew it must repel the Lord.
God is Israel’s Holy One, too pure to even look on (i.e., “permit”) evil. How then could God permit a people more wicked than His own to triumph over them.
We often may share Habakkuk’s perplexity. We too see the wicked triumph, and we too wonder. How can God, our Holy One, permit such things to happen without acting in judgment? The answer, found in chapter 2, is surprising. God does not “look on” evil! God even now is actively judging those whose success causes us to doubt (see DEVOTIONAL).

Babylonian war memorials show Jewish captives being taken to Babylon. God appointed them to execute judgment on His sinning people.

“Write down the revelation and make it plain” Hab. 2:1–19. Habakkuk had set himself to wait for God’s answer. When it came, the prophet was told to write it down and make it plain—for you and me! We can paraphrase the principles of God’s present judgment of the wicked quite simply.
The wicked man never has enough (vv. 4–5). The wicked man is doomed to dissatisfaction. He is like a furnace, and each success like fuel added to a burning fire. The more he gains, the hotter the fire burns, and the more empty his life becomes! What a judgment this is: to win, and never be able to enjoy it.
The wicked are isolated (vv. 6–8). The wicked man makes his gains at the expense of others. This creates hostility, and makes the wicked man fearful. He knows he has earned the hatred of others, and so finds himself isolated and vulnerable. What a judgment this is: to look around, and know that others hate and fear you. To know that you are truly alone.
The wicked feel insecure (vv. 9–11). Driven by their insecurity the wicked concentrate on material gain. They count on wealth or power to set their “nest on high.” The image is of a vulture, who nests on a mountain crag for safety. This is how the wicked live, desperately trying to erect barriers. What a judgment this is: to know that justice demands one’s ruin, trying desperately to protect himself, but never able to feel safe and secure.
The wicked man’s hopes will be dashed (vv. 12–14). The wicked man builds monuments to his achievements, even as Herod built cities to preserve his name and Hitler strove to create a “thousand-year Reich.” Yet every such effort is in vain: they “exhaust themselves for nothing.” God intends this world to be filled with knowledge of Him, not with monuments to murderers. What a judgment this is: to hope, and see every hope come to nothing.
The wicked will be repaid in kind (vv. 15–17). The actions of the wicked man arouse the antagonism of all around him. There will surely be a backlash. And what a judgment this is: violence, the tool he relied on in his quest for wealth and power, will be used against him, and he in his turn will be destroyed.
Never suppose that the wicked really succeed. An evil empire, or an evil person, may appear to prosper. But beyond the trappings of success, buried deep within the heart of the wicked, is a misery, an emptiness, a fear, that is the mark of the present judgment of the God too holy to look on evil.

“The LORD is in His holy temple” Hab. 2:20. Here and in other passages where God is pictured “in His holy temple,” the image speaks of imminent judgment. Note that in Habakkuk’s vision God announces He “is” in His holy temple. There is a great day coming, a day of final judgment. But never assume that God is powerless or inactive now. Habakkuk has shown us that God judges the wicked even as they seem to prosper.
Yet, seeing God in His holy temple, the prophet was confronted with the fact that judgment day for Judah—his own land—was at hand!

“God came from Teman” Hab. 3:1–15. At first Habakkuk welcomed the coming judgment. God would remember mercy even as He poured out His wrath. Perhaps, like Habakkuk, you and I take discipline lightly. Let it come, we think, never realizing the pain that may be necessary to purify us.
God quickly corrected His impatient servant. These verses describe three historic periods of judgment, not from the vantage point of a man, but from the vantage point of one who sees through the veil that isolates us from the spiritual universe. There he discovers an angry God, arrayed in holiness.
In his vision Habakkuk saw, not the plague that devastated the Exodus generation on the plains of Moab (Num. 25), but God Himself, burning in anger, His elemental power shaking the foundations of the earth, coming from Sinai to execute the judgment that Law required (Hab. 3:3–7).
In a second vision Habakkuk saw an enraged God sweeping earth clean by the Genesis Flood (vv. 8–10). In a third vision Habakkuk watched as God “in wrath” came as a mighty warrior to overthrow Egypt’s armies and deliver His people from slavery (vv. 11–15).
Each of these visions was calculated to do just one thing. To show Habakkuk what it really means to experience discipline at the hand of the holy God.

Sinai symbolizes not only God’s Law but His holiness (Ex. 3:4–5; 18:16–24). The place locations mentioned in Habakkuk 3:3–7 tell us that Habakkuk saw the Lord, setting out from Sinai, coming to the plains of Moab to judge Israel for idolatry and immorality (Num. 25).

“Decay crept into my bones, and my legs trembled” Hab. 3:16. At last Habakkuk understood. God had satisfied his doubts. Now God was ready to do a deeper work in Habakkuk’s heart.
You see, belief is not simply an intellectual exercise. Faith is not built on intellect alone. The prophet finally realized that he would be among those who experienced the awful devastation of warfare. His fig trees would be shattered, his vines droop to the ground. At last the prophet realized that when the fields of Judah produced no food, he and his own would face starvation. Divine discipline meant all he knew, all he hoped for, all he possessed—would be taken away.
And then, as the prophet trembled at the prospect, a strange peace entered his heart. Though all these things must happen, “Yet I will rejoice in the LORD.” In triumph the Prophet Habakkuk reached deep, and found a sustaining faith.
When a nation is judged for its sins, the righteous suffer with the wicked. Faith makes no man immune to the troubles that are common to mankind. But as Habakkuk caught sight of a mountain goat (not “deer”) picking its way on a mountainside, unmindful of the danger of a fall, he realized a wonderful truth. Resting in God, the believer remains secure, whatever his circumstances.
Even in the dreadful days about to come, God would enable His servant Habakkuk to pick his way safely—like that mountain goat—despite the dizzying heights.

DEVOTIONAL
Inside Out
(Hab. 2)
It isn’t fair, of course. All too often the wicked do prosper. Sinners strike it rich while the godly struggle to make ends meet. The profane man, who scoffs at God, stays healthy, while a believer suffers a wrenching back injury or is stricken with cancer. The lazy employee, who lies about coworkers, gets the promotion, while the person who works hard and helps others is ignored.
Looked at from the outside, all these things seem unfair. And they are. Looked at from the outside, you or I might conclude that God is standing back, disinterested, letting people get away with anything they want. Or, even worse, we might conclude that God helps the wicked get ahead of the righteous.
But Habakkuk 2 reminds us, that’s when we look at things from the outside. Such conclusions are based only on what we can observe: on what we can see. And so God invites us, in this fascinating chapter, to look at things from the inside.
When we do look to the inside, we discover that the wicked person who seems most successful is in fact the worst off! The wicked person is worse off because God is at work within, judging sin, and making the wicked man’s every success meaningless.
What does Habakkuk 2 tell us is happening inside the person who succeeds in wicked ways? First, no such success can satisfy, but will only create more desire (vv. 4–5). Second, gains made at the expense of others isolate the “winner” from other people. Increasingly the wicked man finds himself alone, and lonely (vv. 6–8). Third, such gains create a sense of insecurity. A wicked man will try desperately to assure his safety, but the nagging awareness that he deserves punishment robs him of any sense of peace (vv. 9–11). Fourth, the hopes of the wicked are destined to be disappointed. God intends the earth to be filled with knowledge of Him, not monuments to murderers (vv. 12–14). Finally, the acts of the wicked create hostility. The harm a wicked person does others will create a backlash, and the violence he used will be directed against him. Wicked acts plant the seeds of their perpetrator’s destruction (vv. 15–17).
I know.
There are times when it’s hard not to envy the wicked man who prospers. But only if we look at such persons from the outside. Try looking at such men from the inside out. And then stop and think of all you have received in Christ. You have a life that’s full, not empty. You have fellowship with Christian friends. You have the knowledge that you are secure in God’s love. You have the certainty that all you hope for will indeed be yours. And you know that, if you are repaid in kind for the way you treat others, you will receive a blessing and not a curse.
Looking from the inside out, you and I discover the truth. Those the world thinks of as winners have lost.
And we have won.

Personal Application
Learn to evaluate from the inside out, and thank God for your many blessings.

Quotable
“God is not alone when discarded by man. But man is alone.”—Abraham Heschel

The 365-Day Devotional Commentary

THE DAY OF THE LORD
2 Thessalonians 2–3

“For that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawless-ness is revealed” (2 Thes. 2:3).

Holding to Christian teachings involves remembering what lies ahead.

Background
The Day of the Lord. This phrase, that was picked up from the Old Testament has great theological significance. In its broad sense, it identifies any period of time in which God actively rather than providentially intervenes to shape the flow of history.
Most often in prophetic passages, however, it is used of the end times, that final period associated with the return of Christ, the crushing of man’s final rebellion by God, the restoration of Israel and universal peace, the last judgment, and the establishment of a new heaven and earth as the dwelling place of the saved. As noted earlier, these events fit in a span of time, not in a point of time. A number of years, not simply a 24-hour day, is intended when “Day of the Lord” is used. And any Old or New Testament passage mentioning the Day of the Lord is likely to focus on any one of these major aspects of that period.
We must then interpret Paul’s references to the “man of lawlessness” as a marker indicating that the Day of the Lord has come in total context. Some folks at Thessalonica interpreted the persecutions they experienced as evidence that the Day of the Lord had arrived. Paul said simply, “Look around. Do you see counterfeit miracles? Do you see the Man of Lawlessness in control? This is not the Day of Lord.”
Many Christians throughout the ages have experienced persecution even sharper than that suffered by the Thessalonians, and have wondered if what they experienced might be a sign of the end. Paul’s teaching reminds us that in this world, we can expect suffering. But, because in Christ we fix our eyes in a future beyond this world, even in suffering we have hope.

Overview
The Day of the Lord will be marked by the appearance of a “lawless” one and counterfeit miracles (2:1–12). Till then believers are to engage in “every good deed” (vv. 13–17), sure of protection from the evil one (3:1–5). The church is to discipline those who will not work (vv. 8–18).

Understanding the Text
“And our being gathered to Him” 2 Thes. 2:1. There’s nothing like persecution (1:4) to make people eager for Jesus’ return. And there’s nothing like momentary prosperity to drain our sense of urgency. Then when troubles come—a job is lost, a serious illness strikes, an accident takes a loved one—we remember again how vulnerable we are.
In one of his psalms David prayed that God would help him to “know his end,” and remember “how frail I am.” The prayer isn’t morbid at all. It reflects a vital need that each of us has to keep life on earth in perspective. When you and I do this, we look eagerly for Jesus to return, whatever the state of our health or our bank account.

“The man of lawlessness is revealed” 2 Thes. 2:1–4. The reference here is clearly to a person commonly referred to as the Antichrist. He is introduced in Daniel 9:25–27, and his introduction of an abominable image in a Jerusalem temple plays a key role in Jesus’ prophetic teaching (cf. Matt. 24; Mark 13). He appears again in Revelation 13, and is discussed here by Paul, and mentioned by John in 1 John 2:18.
Here Paul picked up the emphasis seen in Daniel and in Christ’s utterances: the Antichrist arrogantly “opposes and exalts himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, and even sets himself up in God’s temple.”
I’ve been fascinated to notice in recent Evolution/Creationism debates how some scientists oppose and exalt themselves over everything called God—pushing Him into the realm of the “merely religious” and thus irrelevant. And then such people set themselves up in God’s place, announcing their own answers to the mystery of origins and their own predictions about the future of the universe. What is most fascinating, of course, is their insistence that only they have the right to make such “scientific” pronouncements, and that the Creationist point of view must not even be permitted a hearing. The arrogant spirit of antichrist is deeply rooted in mankind, even though the individual called the Antichrist has not yet appeared.
It is good to remember that the Antichrist, and all who act as he will, are “doomed to destruction.” God will be victorious in the end.

“The secret power of lawlessness is already at work” 2 Thes. 2:5–7. When terrible things happen to God’s people, it is important to remember one thing. When persecution comes—when the courts decided that permitting a group of Christian young people to meet in a classroom after school hours for Bible study must not be permitted, but that it’s all right for a gay and lesbian teen organization to meet—when a major network determines that it is against their policy to show any program rooted in Christian values—when we see the “spirit of lawlessness” at work—we can take comfort. Paul knew that even then there was one who held back the full expression of that spirit in society (v. 7).
Nearly all commentators agree that the restraining power is exercised by the Holy Spirit. And many suggest that the Spirit’s power is exercised through His church. If this is true, then you and I need to be involved in social issues that affect our faith. We need to take a stand, lovingly and graciously, but firmly, and let the Holy Spirit exercise His restraining influence through us.

“In accordance with the work of Satan” 2 Thes. 2:8–12. The end times will be marked by the sudden emergence of the supernatural into the realm of nature. Miracles will be performed. But this time, by the Antichrist, through power provided by Satan.
It’s strange. People who scoff at the supernatural when we Christians speak of it will be entranced by the counterfeit miracles performed by the Antichrist. Paul said God will send them “a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie.” But note. The delusion is sent only to those who have previously “refused to love the truth and so be saved.”
Our only protection against Satan is found in Christ. But in Christ, our protection is guaranteed. The Lord Jesus will overthrow the Antichrist and Satan as well “by the splendor of His coming.”

“Through belief in the truth” 2 Thes. 2:13–17. The willing victims of the Antichrist’s campaign refused to believe the truth. What about those of us who do believe?
Paul says we are loved by the Lord. We are chosen by Him. We experience salvation through the Spirit’s sanctifying work. We have been given hope and encouragement by God, and one day we will even share Christ’s glory. We Christians are the new humanity: God’s new breed of mankind.
You and I as God’s new breed are to demonstrate our nature to all in a most simple way. We are to give ourselves to “every good deed and word.”
This is undoubtedly the real miracle that God performs daily. He snatches men and women from Satan’s realm, human beings who have lived selfishly, driven by personal passions, and through Christ makes us truly good. He transforms us, until we are moved to do good in every deed, and every word. No miracle Satan can empower can match the miracle that is taking place in you and me.

“Not everyone has faith” 2 Thes. 3:1–5. It’s important to pray, as we wait for Jesus to return and the end to come, that we will be delivered from “wicked and evil men.” God will guard us from Satan. But we may experience persecution from those who are in his camp. When we do, Paul has a simple prescription. Keep on loving God. Keep on persevering for Christ’s sake. And keep on living the kind of good life that Paul’s letters exhort.

DEVOTIONAL
Take This Job
(2 Thes. 3:6–15)
The country song must have reflected the frustration many felt with their jobs. “Take This Job and Shove It,” the husky voice echoed from stations all over the land. “I ain’t working here no more.”
Many in Thessalonica felt that way. Jesus coming back? Great! “I quit.”
They did quit. And, since they had to eat, they just sponged off other Christians. And passed their time gossiping.
Paul had a simple response. They won’t work? Then don’t feed them. Each person should earn his own bread. Warn each idler lovingly, as a brother. But don’t feed him.
I intended, when I started this devotional, to write about the sanctity and the fulfilling nature of work. But I think Paul is making another vital point here. That point? If we fail to practice real love, we hurt rather than help those we love.
The real culprits in Thessalonica may not have been the folks who quit work, but the people who fed them! If no one fed the hungry slacker, I suspect they would have gone back to work mighty quickly!
It’s the same with so many things in our lives. We complain about what our kids eat. But then we make them a cheese sandwich instead of saying, “Eat the roast I’m serving tonight or go hungry.”
Rather than set a policy, no TV till after the homework is done, we let a child watch “my very favorite show” first—and then are upset the next morning when somehow homework was forgotten.
Paul’s instructions to the church at Thessalonica remind us. If someone in the family has bad habits, just don’t contribute to them. Unless you or I take a stand that forces others to suffer the consequences of their own bad choices, they’ll keep on making those choices. And, at least in part, it will be our fault.

Personal Application
Don’t feed other’s bad habits by contributing to them.

Quotable
“Did I but live nearer to God, I could be of so much more help.”—George Hodges