Milo

OCTOBER 8

Reading 281

ISRAEL TO BE SAVED Romans 11

“And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: ’The Deliverer will come from Zion; He will turn godlessness away from Jacob. And this is My covenant with them when I take away their sins’ ” (Rom. 11:26–27).God doesn’t break any of His promises.

Background

The remnant.

The concept of a “remnant” is consistently emphasized in the Old Testament prophets. The word means “survivors.” It is used of those Israelites who survived the various devastating judgments that God brought on His Old Testament people when they sinned. The 6,000 who refused to worship Baal in the time of Elijah were a spiritual remnant, whose faith survived the efforts of Ahab and Jezebel to impose Baal worship on Israel. Those who were carried to Captivity in Babylon when Judah fell and Jerusalem was destroyed were a physical remnant. From them God chose a spiritual remnant to return and rebuild the Jewish homeland some 70 years later. Paul argued that those Jews who became Christians were the remnant. As always, God preserves some of His people, even though the majority turn away. Picking up the argument from Romans 9 and 10, then, Paul showed that God’s Word had not failed. The vital, living Word of the Gospel was heard and believed by those within Israel who, as the remnant throughout sacred history, displayed the matchless grace of God.

Overview

Some Israelites are among those chosen by grace (11:1–6), though not all (vv. 7–10). The fall of Israel permitted Gentiles to be grafted as branches on the Jewish root (vv. 11–24). Yet the fall of Israel is temporary. One day all Israel will be saved, and all God’s ancient promises will be fulfilled (vv. 25–32). In view of the beauty and complexity of God’s plan, all we can do is praise (vv. 33–36).

Understanding the Text

“There is a remnant chosen by grace” Rom. 11:1–6. This first paragraph reminds us that we’re never alone in our commitment to Christ. Sometimes it may seem like it. Many a teen complains he or she is the only one who maintains moral convictions. Many an adult feels just as lonely when trying to do what he or she believes is right. God wants us to know at such times that there is a remnant. Always. The grace that gave us a vision of Jesus and snatched us out of the world has been poured out on thousands more. The fact that it’s grace reassures us. If salvation depended on human effort, we might well be all alone. But salvation is an expression of divine grace, and God brims over with grace. Surely His grace has overflowed and showered others with the kindness we’ve experienced in Christ. “God gave them a spirit of stupor” Rom. 11:7–10. Does this passage teach that God kept the majority of Israel from responding to the Gospel? Not at all. Paul said that Israel’s earnest search for a works—righteousness caused that spiritual deafness and blindness which God “gave” as a consequence. Last night I burst into Sarah’s room and, shouting to be heard, told her to turn down her cassette player. She was listening to her “New Kids on the Block” tape—turned up as loud as possible. I told her to turn it down, because if she didn’t she was going to lose her hearing for sure. Muttering unhappily, she turned the music down. It’s the same with a solar eclipse. People are warned not to look directly into the sun. Yet they do and lose their sight. Too-loud music dulls the hearing; too-bright sunlight darkens the sight. And earnestly searching for works—righteousness in God’s Word creates a spirit of stupor, so man can neither see nor hear the Gospel. “Salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious” Rom. 11:11–16. Israel’s fall is temporary. For a time Israel has been set to one side, and the salvation of the Gentiles has become central to God’s activity in the world. But, Paul said, this is only for a time. One day Israel will again be showcased, as a dead people brought to life. And that restoration will bring riches to the world. Some Christians, recognizing the Jews as God’s chosen people, insist that our nation support the present Jewish state, whether that state’s actions are right or wrong. We need to make a distinction between the people of God, and the modern state of Israel. The restoration that Paul predicted in Romans 11 will come. But it is not here yet. Farmers in Bible times grafted branches from cultivated olive trees onto wild stock, to improve the quality of the fruit. Paul pictured God, grafting wild Gentile branches onto cultivated Israel’s roots—an act of amazing grace. The image is also a reminder. The natural branches lost their place because they failed to understand grace. We dare not lose sight of the fact that salvation is a gift of God, a demonstration of pure grace (vv. 17–24). “Do not be arrogant, but be afraid” Rom. 11:20. Arrogance is always an enemy of grace. The arrogant person assumes that there is some virtue or quality in himself that wins God’s approval. The fact is that there is nothing in any man or woman that merits praise. We are all sinners. We all fall so short that all we can rightly do is fall humbly to our knees. If you catch the slightest hint of arrogance in any attitude, be afraid. You are rushing headlong away from grace. You are rushing headlong away from God. “Grafted into their own olive tree!” Rom. 11:24 Paul wanted us to realize the great debt we owe to Israel. The roots of our faith are sunk deep into the history of the Jewish people, and their pilgrimage with God. The roots and trunk of Christianity are Jewish: we are but branches grafted on a mighty, living tree God has tended lovingly for thousands of years. One day the Jewish people, cut off now because of unbelief (v. 23), will be grafted into their tree again. And every true Christian will shout for joy. “God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable” Rom. 11:25–32. Paul looked back into history, and reviewed in his mind the many promises that God gave to Abraham and the patriarchs. He heard again the thundering voices of the prophets, shouting stridently against sin, yet growing warm and loving as they looked ahead to a future filled with blessings for Israel. There was no doubt in Paul’s mind about the future. Those promises will be kept. Not as the “spiritual” experience of the church but as God’s plan for the future of Planet Earth. “All Israel will be saved.” “A Deliverer will come from Zion.” “God’s gifts, and His call are irrevocable.” There is a future for Israel as Israel, when “the full number of the Gentiles has come in” (v. 25). Why is this important to us? In one sense it isn’t. We live in today, not in tomorrow. God’s future plan for Israel is less important to us than His will for our present. Yet there is a sense in which Paul’s statements about Israel truly are important to us today. That importance is summed up in Paul’s saying, “God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable.” It’s important to us that God be a Person of His Word. If He took back His promises to Israel, or if the promises were deceitful, not saying what they meant, then we might doubt the promises God has given to you and me. Thank God this is not the case. God is a Person of His Word. He doesn’t change His mind. He doesn’t take back His promises. He doesn’t try to fool us with words that fail to say what He means. We can count on God. We can trust His promises. His Word to us too is irrevocable. He will never go back on His Word.

DEVOTIONAL

Doxology(Rom. 11:25–36)

“Doxology” is a compound term, from doxa, glory, and logos, word. Together they mean a “glorifying word”; an expression of praise that glorifies God. The doxology that concluded Paul’s survey of Israel’s relationship with God and the Gospel expressed praise for the complexity and beauty of God’s plan. It was as if Paul had picked up a diamond cut by a master craftsman, and saw brilliant lights reflected from a multitude of facets. And suddenly he would find his heart filled with praise of the variegated wisdom, the vast knowledge, the intricate matrix of God’s plan. Theologians argue over Israel. Is there a future for Israel as Israel? Or is Israel today integrated within the church, which has inherited the ancient promises of the prophets? Personally I think the church and Israel are separate facets of a single, beautiful, complex divine plan. I think that this is exactly what Paul taught in Romans 11:25–32, with his reminder that “all Israel will be saved” and that God’s “gifts and His call are irrevocable.” Perhaps verses 35–36 have an even more direct application to you and me. From my perspective I can only see a tiny facet of what God is doing in the world. I see my tiny circle of brothers and sisters. I know the prayers He answers for us, the little daily miracles He performs. But all too often I forget that there are literally millions in this world who experience God as I do. Who see Him at work. And who rejoice in His goodness. If you or I could travel out in space, we’d see a globe inhabited now by over 5 billion human beings! And, if we had the spiritual sight, and each work God performed gave off an instantaneous flash, this globe would be alight with millions of points of brilliant light! Perhaps then we would catch a glimpse of the qualities of God that Paul praised here. And we would say with him, in awe, “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!” And, in renewed love, we would cry, “To Him be the glory forever! Amen!”

Personal Application

Consider the complex kindness of God. And offer Him your praise.

Quotable

“Though we speak much we cannot reach the end, and the sum of our words is, ‘He is the all.’ “—Ben Sira

OCTOBER 7

Reading 280

HAS GOD FAILED? Romans 9–10

“It is not as though God’s Word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel” (Rom. 9:6).God’s choice leaves room for man to decide.

Background

God’s sovereignty.

Two things are involved in this concept, His freedom to act and the fulfillment of His purposes. Freedom to act means that God is able to do as He chooses, without His choices being limited in any way by the actions of other beings, or by circumstances. Nothing can thwart God’s will. The fulfillment of God’s purposes means that what God decrees will come to pass. Again, no actions by other beings, and no circumstances, can thwart God’s will. The problem is, the rejection of Jesus by the Jewish people seems to do the unthinkable, and to actually thwart God’s will, so that His purpose for Israel has not been achieved! It is this vast issue, not the question of individual predestination, that Paul took up in Romans 9–11. He argued that the Jewish rejection of Jesus had not thwarted God at all. Instead, that rejection fitted patterns found in the Old Testament, and revealed a purpose more complex than believers often suppose. It’s important to remember as we read these chapters that the issue is not one of individual predestination to salvation. Anyone tempted to read this issue into the text can find some comfort in Paul’s observation that “not all the Israelites accepted the Good News.” The absolute freedom of God to act need not limit man’s freedom to accept or to reject the Good News about Jesus. Our freedom to choose does in no way limit God’s sovereignty, for God has freely decided to extend the Gospel invitation to all—and to permit each to respond as he or she will.

Overview

Had God failed because His promises to Israel had not produced faith in Christ? (9:1–6) No, for sacred history shows only some in the family line had been chosen (vv. 7–13), though all are within the framework of God’s purpose (vv. 14–23). As for Gentiles, God has always intended to show grace to them as well as to the Jews (vv. 24–29). Israel misunderstood God’s righteousness (v. 30–10:4), which is gained by faith rather than by Law (vv. 5–13). The failure of Israel to believe is not God’s failure, but Israel’s own (vv. 14–21).

Understanding the Text

“I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish” Rom. 9:1–5. Paul, despite the view of some, was certainly not anti-Semitic. He identified strongly with his race, and he loved his Jewish people intensely. Paul was fully aware that God had poured out many blessings on Israel, and that these were evidence of God’s committed love (vv. 4–5). While “Christian anti-Semitism” has often cropped up in history, and raises an ugly head in our own country today, to place “Christian” and “anti-Semitism” together is a contradiction in terms! How can a person who loves God not love the people loved by the Lord? “It is not as though God’s Word had failed” Rom. 9:6. This verse is the key to unlock the argument of Romans 9–11. It is also a key to our own peace of mind. All too often we pray and witness to folks who simply don’t seem to understand. Or who refuse to respond. That may make us feel like failures. What did we do wrong? Why didn’t they hear? Paul reminds us that God’s Word does not fail. Ever. Isaiah 55:11 says, “So is My word that goes out from My mouth: It will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” Even if a person willfully refuses to respond, the failure is not in the Word, but in him or her. So share Christ with a sense of confidence. God’s Word does, and will, succeed. “Through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned” Rom. 9:6–13. One of several basic mistakes made by first-century Jews was to assume that physical descent from Abraham guaranteed a person God’s favor. How does history show this was a mistake? It records the fact that Isaac inherited the covenant promises, while Ishmael did not. Both were physical descendants of Abraham. If one wanted to argue that Ishmael had a slave as a mother, Paul pointed to Jacob and Esau. They had the same mother and father. But only Jacob inherited the promise. Physical descent is no guarantee of divine favor. Thus the failure of first-century Israelites to believe in Jesus did not indicate that God’s Word had failed. One of my professors at the University of Michigan was a Christian who had an atheist son. He kept reminding the son that it didn’t matter. God, my professor thought, was obligated to save the children of believers, so his son would believe in Christ one day, no matter what. The view may have brought my professor comfort. But it was wrong, nevertheless. God was not under obligation to all physical descendants of Abraham and Isaac, and no child of believers is guaranteed salvation today. That fact shouldn’t discourage us, however. It should encourage us—to pray for our children, to share with them, to teach and love them while they’re with us in the home. Through our love God’s love can be made real. “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated” Rom. 9:13. Don’t misunderstand Paul’s point. He used the language of inheritance to drive home his lesson, that Jacob was chosen to inherit the covenant promise and any claim of Esau was decisively rejected. Here “love” and “hate” are legal terms, not expressions of emotion. Why did Paul emphasize God’s choice of Jacob even before the twins were born? To show those who relied on works that they have no basis to argue, “Well, Esau was rejected because he despised his birthright.” God’s choice was announced before either son did anything, either good or bad. We’re not to extend this principle, as if Paul were teaching the predestination of individuals to salvation. That’s not what he was writing about. He was simply making the point that God was not obligated in any way when He chose Jacob to inherit the Covenant. God’s word of salvation in Christ has not failed, simply because first-century Israel rejected Jesus. God didn’t have to save Israel, any more than He had to bring Ishmael and Esau into the covenant line. How great a need we have to remember God’s freedom. He doesn’t have to act as we expect, or even want Him to. God is God, and we are creatures. The awesome wonder is that God has freely chosen in Christ to offer us salvation. When we choose Jesus, God welcomes us into His family. Then, whatever God chooses to do will be for our good. “Does not the potter have the right?” Rom. 9:14–23 The image of God the potter molding human clay seems to some a harsh one. Yet we shouldn’t soften it too much. The fact is that even Pharaoh, who was raised up and “hardened” to display God’s glory, was not mistreated. Paul knew the Old Testament, and the Exodus passage makes it clear that Pharaoh hardened his own heart, as well as it being hardened by God. Exodus also makes it clear how Pharaoh was hardened: not by God, forcing Pharaoh against his will to resist God, but simply by revealing more and more of His divine power. The same heat which melts wax hardens clay. The same revelation which creates love for God in the heart of the believer intensifies the resistance of the person who has chosen not to believe. But this was not Paul’s point. Paul’s point was that even those who reject God’s grace, bring God glory. One of God’s purposes in creating the universe as it is was to display His wrath against sin, even as another is to display His love for sinners. Israel’s failure to turn to Jesus was not a failure of God. God’s purposes will be accomplished in those who reject as well as those who accept Jesus as Lord. Thank God, you and I will display the riches of His grace, rather than the majesty of His wrath. “I will call them ’My people’ who are not My people” Rom. 9:24–30. Had the Gentile response to Jesus surprised God? Not at all. The Old Testament makes it clear that God had always intended salvation to come to the Gentiles. And that always a remnant—a few rather than all—Israelites have maintained their trust in God. Again, God’s purposes have not failed. Salvation history is on course. What is happening now is what God intended all along. “A righteousness that is by faith” Rom. 9:30–10:4. How do we explain Israel’s failure to respond to Jesus? The Jews took the Old Testament as a rule book, and expected to gain merit with God by trying to keep His Law. They were so busy trying to establish their own righteousness, that they completely missed the message of Scripture, that God gives man a righteousness based on faith. In making this statement, Paul summed up all he had taught in Romans 1–8. There are only two ways to seek a relationship with God: man’s way or God’s. Man’s way assumes God is satisfied with merely human righteousness. God’s way abandons self-reliance, and trusts God’s word of promise. Today those two choices still loom before us. We must trust ourselves. Or trust God. And only trust in God can save. “Their voice has gone out into all the earth” Rom. 10:16–21. Is it possible that Israel hadn’t heard the Good News of God’s grace? “Of course they did,” Paul said. We can say the same thing today. Is it possible that someone hasn’t heard God’s voice? No, all have heard. All the earth has heard God speak in the creation, if not in the Gospel (cf. Ps. 19; Rom. 1:18–20). The failure of any man or group to respond to God is not the fault of the Lord. It is because of man’s obstinate disobedience when God’s voice is heard.

DEVOTIONAL

Inside and Out(Rom. 10:1–15)

“Henry! Henry Aldrich!” When I was a kid, that call introduced one of my favorite radio programs. And always Henry’s quavering voice replied, “Coming, Mother!” Henry wasn’t the greatest of sons. But you could still count on him to respond when Mom called. As the Apostle Paul went through his explanation of Israel’s failure to heed the Gospel, he made something perfectly clear. We need a righteousness that God is eager to give. We must claim it by faith. And faith is an “inside and out” response to God’s promise. What’s the inside? “Believe in your heart that God raised [Jesus] from the dead.” And the out? “Confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord” (v. 9). Why are both inside and out stressed here? When I ask nine-year-old Sarah to do something, I expect her to at least let me know she’s heard. I admit I sometimes get irritated when Sarah, engrossed in play or in some TV show, never even looks up or in my direction when I speak to her. Somehow words addressed to another person not only have to be heard, but also need to be acknowledged. It’s the same with God’s Word to us. Yes, God knows our hearts, and He knows when we’ve believed with our hearts. Yet God’s Word is dynamic, and in a sense demanding. If we truly hear, we will, and must, respond. And so Paul said that salvation comes to those who believe in their hearts, and confess with their mouths. The Word has found a home in our hearts, and is acknowledged in our lives. I have a hard time imagining that old radio show, opening with Mother crying out, “Henry! Henry Aldrich!” And not hearing Henry respond. It’s almost as hard as it is to imagine a human being hearing and truly believing God’s voice in his heart, and giving no evidence by his life that he has heard. As the old chorus says, “If you’re saved and you know it, shout ’Amen.’ If you’re saved and you know it, shout ’Amen.’ If you’re saved and you know it, then your life ought to show it. If you’re saved and you know it, shout ’Amen!’ ”

Personal Application

God knows your heart. Let the world hear your “Amen.”

Quotable

“He that believes in the heart will not be ashamed to confess with the mouth.”—Matthew Henry

OCTOBER 6

Reading 279

FREED FROM MORTALITY Romans 8

“And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit, who lives in you” (Rom. 8:11).Despite our weaknesses, with the Spirit’s help we can live holy lives.

Background

Mortal bodies.

Paul’s exposition of the Gospel’s impact on individuals examines three vital issues: sin, Law, and mortality (“flesh”). Union with Christ in His death frees us from the domination of our sinful nature, so that we can offer ourselves to God as “slaves to righteousness” (6:18). Union with Christ in His death also legally frees us from man’s obligation to God’s Law. This is important, as Law stimulates the sin nature and corrupts even the good we seek to do. We are to respond to Jesus out of love, not obligation (Rom. 7). Now Paul explored the problem of our mortality. Human beings are but flesh, sarx. As a theological term sarx stands for all that is weak and corrupt in human nature. In effect Paul asked, how can a mere mortal, whose essential being is tainted by corruption, live a godly life? His joyful answer leaps from the pages of Romans 8. God has given us His Holy Spirit! If we respond to the Spirit within us rather than the sarx within, the righteous requirements of that Law we could not keep will be “fully met in us!” God’s Spirit vitalizes us, even in our present mortal state, so that we can live righteous and holy lives! Then Paul went on. We are bound to our mortality now. But in the resurrection we will be fully liberated, along with the whole creation! And, until then, we can be sure of one thing. No one, and nothing, can ever separate us from the love of Christ.

Overview

The dynamic principle of new life in Christ overwhelms the principle of indwelling sin, enabling us to live righteously (8:1–4). If we as sons of God choose to live in harmony with the Spirit, not the flesh, the Spirit’s resurrection power vitalizes us even in our present mortal state (vv. 5–17). In the future our bodies, with all creation, will be transformed (vv. 18–25). Till then we live in the love of the Spirit who prays for us (vv. 26–27), the Father who provides for us (vv. 28–33), and Christ who guards us (vv. 34–39).

Understanding the Text

“In order that the righteous requirements of the Law might be fully met in us” Rom. 8:1–4. So many Christians feel condemned to failure. They try. But somehow they keep on failing. The life of many Christians is like the god in Greek mythology who was condemned to roll a giant stone up a mountainside—only to see it tumble down into the valley every time he got near the top. What a condemnation this would be. Always to try. And always to fail. But Paul’s message was, “no condemnation!” Jesus didn’t die that we might be left frustrated and hopeless. God has introduced a vital new principle of life into our personalities, which frees us from bondage to the “sin living in me” that Paul acknowledged with such agony in Romans 7. In Jesus, we are freed to live righteous lives. That’s what’s so special about Romans 8. It gives us hope. And it tells us how to draw on God’s own resources to experience spiritual success, not failure. “Righteous requirements of the Law . . . fully met in us” Rom. 8:4. The little Quaker lady was complimented by a younger woman, who was amazed at her self-control when provoked. No matter what, the little lady seemed to remain sweet and patient. She received the compliment, nodded, and then said, “But thee should know I’m shouting inside.” When Paul said that the righteous requirements of the Law are “fully met” in the believer, he was making an amazing statement. Rightly understood, the Law does not just speak to what we do and say “outside.” It calls for us to be changed “inside” as well. A sweet and patient voice while “shouting inside” has not “fully met” the righteousness God requires. Law itself can never make us good. But God can! The death of Christ, and the gift of God’s Spirit, are intended to make you and me different inside and out. “Controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit” Rom. 8:5–9a. So many illustrations have been offered to clarify what Paul was saying here. Some speak of a tug-of-war between the Spirit and the flesh. Whichever side you choose to pull with will win. Some suggest a teeter-totter. The sinful nature is on one end, the Holy Spirit on the other. And you tip the balance. These, and other illustrations, make a common point. There’s a competition between God and man’s mortal, sinful nature. The Spirit urges us to go in one direction and the flesh urges us to go another. And, each of us can choose. We can choose to follow the Spirit’s leading, to pull with the Spirit, to add our weight to His side of the teeter-totter. Or we can choose to go the way of the flesh. How gracious God is. Even now, He does not say “You must.” That would be Law. Instead He reminds us that, because of Christ, and in the power the Spirit gives, “You can!” “He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies” Rom. 8:9b-11. “You can!” is one of the hardest things for a Christian to truly believe. We’re so used to failure that down deep many of us are convinced, “Well, I can’t!” When that conviction overwhelms you, remember the nature of God’s power. God’s power, exercised by the Holy Spirit, raised Jesus from the dead. That same power, exercised by the Holy Spirit, is fully capable of taking your mortality—your deadness—and making you live! And, this same verse says, His Spirit “lives in you.” Of course “I can’t.” But because God’s Spirit lives in every true believer (v. 9b), you can! To approach any spiritual challenge with the confidence that “I can” isn’t presumption, it’s faith. Faith that God’s Spirit living in you will give you the power you need, despite your mortality, to succeed rather than fail. Actually, this is how you and I add our weight to that inner tug-of-war, or climb on the Spirit’s side of that teeter-totter. We say, “I can,” confident that the Spirit will act in and through us. And then, we do! “You received the Spirit of sonship” Rom. 8:12–17. Paul concluded with a paragraph that emphasized consequences, obligation, and resources. The consequences of a choice to respond to the prompting of the sin nature are to live in the realm of death and defeat (v. 13). Our obligation and our resources are rooted in our new relationship to God. When a person was adopted under Roman law, all earlier obligations were broken, and he became responsible only to his new father. He owed the adoptive father complete obedience, and everything he possessed was under the adoptive father’s control. But as a child, he was now an heir of his new father. And under Roman law, an heir was considered to possess his inheritance even before the father died. In other words, all the resources of the father were, through the father, available to the child. When we received the “Spirit of sonship” (literally, of “adoption”), the authority of the old nature over us was broken completely. We became obligated to no one but God, our new Father. And, as His heirs now, all the resources of God Himself are available to you and me. No wonder Paul shouted, “There is now no condemnation” (v. 1). Because Christ died for us, because the Father adopted us, because the Spirit is given to us, there is now no question. We can live a victorious Christian life! All we need to do is to believe. And, acting on faith, to step out and to do. “Creation waits in eager expectation” Rom. 8:18–25. Still working with the theme of mortality, Paul noted that the entire creation has been affected by man’s sin and is subject to decay. One day, when our redemption is complete, and our bodies, like our spirits, have been renewed, creation itself will be fully redeemed. Till then, mortality means suffering. For us, and for nature. We know that our sufferings are insignificant when compared to the glory that awaits us. But till then, we can only look ahead, confident and eager, waiting for Jesus to return. “In all things God works for the good of those who love Him” Rom. 8:28. The verse doesn’t say that everything that happens to us is good. There’s far too much pain in the world for that to be true. What Paul said was that God is at work in all things. He redeems even our suffering, using it to do us good. “He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son” Rom. 8:29. Christians have argued over predestination. Did God simply know ahead of time what individuals would do? Or did God cause individuals to act as they did? Are we saved because of our faith, or did we believe because we are chosen? This passage won’t resolve questions like these. Why? Because it says we who believe are “predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son.” God has determined that believers will become like Jesus. The great contribution of this verse is the perspective it provides on the teaching that God works in all things “for the good of those who love Him.” It tells us what God’s “good” is: Likeness to Jesus. What a wonderful thought. And what an exciting destiny. God wants us to be like Jesus. And He is committed to transform us into Christ’s likeness. Even suffering, if it helps me learn Christlikeness, is a blessing from the Lord.

DEVOTIONAL

Until Then (Rom. 8:26–39)

Waiting is so hard. I remember as a child, sitting on the front porch, waiting. We were going up to Cedar Lake, and I could hardly stand the thought that the trip was three whole days away. And there was nothing I could do to make the time pass faster. Waiting for Jesus is especially hard as we sense our vulnerability and mortality. We may even feel there’s nothing we can do until then. When we do feel that way, it’s helpful to remember that, until then, God is active for us! God the Holy Spirit, sensitive to our mortality, “helps us in our weakness.” The Spirit prays urgently for us and with us (vv. 26–27). God the Father, who has adopted us, in that act committed Himself to us totally. God is for us: He gives us all things now, and will give us the glory that is assured in His initial choice and call (vv. 28–33). God the Son, who died for us, is praying for and loving us. We sense that love, whatever our hardships. In everything we know with Paul that “neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (vv. 38–39). So if waiting seems hard, and a little frustrating because there doesn’t seem to be anything you can do, remember. Until then, God is active for you. Until then, the Spirit prays, the Father provides, and the Son protects you. And, until then, you can live your life here on earth for God.

Personal Application

Until then, serve the One who loves you.

Quotable

“The strength for our conquering and our victory is drawn continually from Christ. The Bible does not teach that sin is completely eradicated from Christians in this life, but it does teach that sin shall no longer reign over you. The strength and power of sin have been broken. The Christian now has resources available to live above and beyond this world. The Bible teaches that whosoever is born of God does not practice sin. It is like the little girl who said that when the devil came knocking with a temptation, she just sent Jesus to the door.”—Billy Graham

OCTOBER 5

Reading 278

FREE FROM LAW Romans 7

“For when we were controlled by the sinful nature, the sin passions aroused by the Law were at work in our bodies, so that we bore fruit for death” (Rom. 7:5).Even Christians find God’s Law hard to keep—for good reason!

Background

More on Law.

Romans 7 explores the impact of the Gospel on the individual in his or her relation to “God’s Law.” This is one of the Bible’s most difficult passages, but contains exciting truth! To understand it, we need to note that Paul uses “law” in more than one sense here. We’ve earlier seen that “God’s Law” is God’s revelation of morally righteous standards. But here “law” is not only those standards, but also the impact of those standards on human nature. Paul is concerned not only with laws, but with the response God’s commandments stimulate within us. There’s also another use of “law” in this chapter. When Paul speaks of a “law at work” within him, as in verse 21, or the “law of my mind” and the “law of sin at work in the members” (v. 23), he means not standard, but “fundamental principle.” The “law of gravity” is a statement of a fundamental principle of our experience: things fall down toward earth. The “law of sin at work in my members” is also a statement of a fundamental principle of human experience: we do wrong, even when we don’t want to. In his talk about these “laws,” Paul is making statements about how human nature works and does not work. What Paul says is that God’s Law and human nature aren’t compatible, any more than a car designed to run on gasoline is compatible with diesel fuel. God’s Law may be great fuel for diesel engines. But human nature operates on gasoline. And this leads to the issue that Paul explores in Romans 7. What is the relationship of the Gospel to a divinely given Law that, however “good” and “right” it may be, has never been able to produce righteousness in a single human heart?

Overview

Christians are free from man’s obligation to keep the Law (7:1–3). We must be, if we are to live holy lives (vv. 4–6). To try to relate to God through His Law makes the Christian life a constant, losing struggle (vv. 7–20). But God in Christ rescues us from our native inability (vv. 21–25).

Understanding the Text

“The Law has authority over a man only as long as he lives” Rom. 7:1–4. The old Gospel hymn says, Free from the law, oh happy condition. Jesus has died, and there is remission. Cling to the cross, your burden will fall. Christ has redeemed us, once for all. But the Jewish reader of Romans is sure to object to that first line. How can a human being be “free from the law”? Paul’s argument was rooted in the fact of union with Christ, which he introduced in Romans 6. In a marriage the husband and wife are united as one, and as one are subject to the “law of marriage.” But if one spouse dies, the other is free from the marriage law. He or she is no longer obligated to be faithful to the deceased spouse. The Christian is united to Jesus, and as long as each lived, each was responsible to God’s Law. But Jesus died on Calvary, and we “died” with Him! As a dead person is released from obligation to keep God’s Law, so are we! Moreover, when Christ was raised, we became obligated to Him, not to the Law. Jesus is that “another” to whom we now belong. Paul never suggested that we Christians aren’t to live disciplined and righteous lives. He did, however, remind us that we respond, not to a written code, but to a Person. Our new and exciting obligation is to respond to Jesus, not to a list of do’s and don’ts, however fitting that list may be. “The sinful passions aroused by the Law” Rom. 7:5. This is a key to Paul’s exploration of the Law and the believer, and explains why the New Testament teaches that the Christian must be freed from the Law. Law arouses man’s sinful passions, and produces fruit unto death. The idea isn’t all that unfamiliar. Think of the mom who made chocolate chip cookies for a get-together with some friends. She says to her kids, “Don’t touch the cookies. They’re for my group, and I have just enough.” Now, any kid worth his salt is going to naturally want a chocolate chip cookie. The smell alone is enough to awaken the desire. But when Mom says, “Don’t touch,” somehow the odor becomes almost irresistible. Her law has even further aroused the children’s cookie passion. Law, Paul says, is like that. Somehow it stimulates man’s sinful nature. And we all know it. That’s why the old saying, “Forbidden fruit is sweeter,” hangs on in our culture. We all realize that, somehow, the saying is true. You just can’t motivate people to do what’s right and good by saying, “You ought to!” or “You must!” “We have been released from the Law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit” Rom. 7:6. In saying that we have “died” to the Law that once bound us, Paul was saying first that we’re legally free from obligation to the Law, and that Law is now irrelevant to our life in the Spirit. My children have suffered over the years as I’ve used their doings in illustration after illustration. I suspect all preacher’s kids have the same problem. But anyway, here I go again. My youngest son is seeing a lovely gal named Liz. I’ve noticed that no one tells him, “You have to phone Liz this evening.” Or, “You must take Liz out at least three times a week.” Somehow their relationship isn’t a matter of “have to’s” or “musts” at all! What happens is that Tim wants to call and see Liz. His growing love makes rules for such things in their relationship totally irrelevant. This is what Paul wants us to realize about our relationship with God. “Have to’s” and “musts” have no relevance! We love Jesus. And love for God will move us to do willingly what no rules could compel. “Fruit to God . . . fruit for death” Rom. 7:4–6. In a way, this paragraph is about horticulture. It describes two systems for growing fruit. And it says, you can’t mix systems. One system relies on the pronouncements of Law. But such pronouncements stimulate man’s sinful nature, and the fruit produced is sin “unto death.” The other relies on relationship, with the Spirit of Jesus taking the place of Law. The Spirit stimulates that resurrection life we received from Jesus, and produces fruit “to God.” That fruit is exhibited in righteous acts and godly character (Gal. 5:22–23). The sad thing is that all too many Christians try to fertilize their spiritual lives with liberal applications of Law. And then they can’t understand why their Christian life seems such a burden, and failure a constant companion. What you and I need to do is to focus our heart’s attention on our Lord, and hear what Scripture says to us as a loving invitation to walk with Him. When we do, our Christian life will seem exciting, and success will walk by our side. First-century seamen relied on heavy stone anchors like these to hold their vessels. These anchors were effective . . . except when the bottom was smooth and they could obtain no hold. This is what Paul said about God’s Law in Romans 7. The Law in itself is holy, righteous, and good (v. 12). But human nature is so hard and smooth the anchor could not hold. The fault is not in God’s Law, but in us! “I would not have known what sin was except through the Law” Rom. 7:7–13. Paul talked principle and concept. Now he talked experience. How does the believer experience God’s Law? First, Law makes us aware of sin. It puts a bright, bold label on things that are wrong. That label isn’t like the skull and crossbones on medicine bottles, which warns us away. It’s more like the two punctures in the skin, that inform us the snake that just bit us is poisonous. If you’re struck suddenly by a hiding snake, the quick way to tell if the bite is venomous is to look at it closely. If there’s a row of little marks, you’re safe. But if there is the mark of two fangs, venom has already been introduced into your system. That’s what God’s Law did for Paul. In labeling acts sin, it caused the apostle to realize that death had already been introduced into his system. The Law itself may be good. But it deals a fatal blow to our assumption that we are alive and well! Don’t be surprised if Law treats you this same way. It’s supposed to. If you and I could make it by ourselves, we wouldn’t need such reminders. By testifying to us of death, God’s Law grips us firmly by the shoulders, turns us around, and points us to Jesus. He is the source of life, for us, and for the world.

DEVOTIONAL

One Too Many(Rom. 7:14–25)

The other day I saw the TV interview of a woman who has multiple personalities. One personality is warm and loving, another childlike and petulant, a third angry and promiscuous. These personalities developed early in life and, as in all such cases, remained unaware of each other, though each controlled the woman’s actions at different times. In a way, Paul suggested that he too was a victim of multiple personalities. But he was all too aware of them! One “I” was his “sinful nature.” There was nothing good about this “I.” It not only kept on doing evil, it messed up the good Paul wanted and tried to do (vv. 19–20). Then there was another “I,” an “inner being” (v. 22) that passionately wanted to do good. This “I” delighted in God’s Law, and responded to it. What troubled Paul was that every time the “inner being” acted, the “sinful nature” jumped right in to corrupt and spoil the good. It’s as if a person with multiple sclerosis were writing a letter. In his mind’s eye he sees each word crisp and clear. But when he writes, the palsy in his hands forms almost unreadable letters, shaky and distorted. In just this way, Paul cried out in frustration; he as a believer wanted only to do good. But something inside kept spoiling his best efforts. The principle of sin and death was like another personality within him, at war with the personality that wanted honestly to serve God. We all have one personality too many. But we do have a wonderful source of comfort. The words we form as we seek to make our very lives a love letter to God may be shaky, but God sees and wel- comes our love. He knows it’s not the “I” of the inner man that makes our offerings imperfect, but the “I” of the sinful nature. Just as a parent welcomes with delight the first efforts of a toddler to write his name, so God welcomes our every effort to please Him. Someday that one personality too many will be gone. Only the “I” that delights in God and His Law will survive our resurrection. As Paul said, “Thanks be to God,” for Jesus “will rescue me from this body of death” (vv. 24–25). But until then, thanks be to God for another wonderful gift. God doesn’t demand that we be perfect as we seek to please Him. He only asks that we love Him—and that we try.

Personal Application

Don’t let failures dampen your love for God, or your eagerness to please Him.

Quotable

“God uses failure, sickness, breakdown, sin, personal tragedy, and sorrow to reduce His people to usefulness. Unless the servant of God learns to depend utterly on God and to forsake self-dependence of any kind, he or she remains too strong to be of much value.”—Robert C. Girard

OCTOBER 4

Reading 277

FREED FROM SIN Romans 6

“Count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires” (Rom. 6:11–12).The good news is we’re no longer captives of sin. We have a choice.

Background

Sin.

Romans 6–8 explores the impact of the Gospel on the individual. Paul portrayed this impact in respect to three vital issues, asking: What about sin? What about the Law? What about our mortality? In this chapter Paul announced the believer’s freedom from sin through union with Jesus. To understand Paul’s teaching we need to realize that the Bible makes a distinction between sin and sins. On the one hand, sin is a state or condition. It is the corruption of human nature; the warping of the human will, emotions, and understanding. On the other hand, sins are specific acts that intentionally or unintentionally fall short of God’s perfection because of our rebelliousness, our evil desires, or our failure to grasp what is right and good. The good news that Paul announced in this chapter is that through union with Jesus, we have within us the source of perfection! We no longer are limited to the choices, desires, or understanding of a corrupt nature! In Christ, we can at long last actually be, and do, good. Paul did not teach that the old corrupt nature that expressed itself in acts of sins is gone. Not at all. Sin is still with us. But so is Jesus. And because Jesus is with us, we need no longer commit sins.

Overview

Salvation by grace through faith is no license to sin (6:1–2). By our union with Christ we died to sin and were raised to new life (vv. 3–10). We are not to permit sin to reign in our lives (vv. 11–14), but instead to offer ourselves to God as His slaves, to live holy and righteous lives (vv. 15–23).

Understanding the Text

“Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?” Rom. 6:1 The question was sarcastic. It was not the honest doubt of a person who wonders why, if a person knows he is going to heaven, he or she would want to live a good life. That person, with significant insight into human nature, asks, “If I didn’t fear damnation, what would keep me from doing wrong?” The questioner of verse 1 said, “If God gets so much glory out of freely forgiving sinners, then maybe you’d better keep on sinning, so God can get even more glory!” Paul’s response was a shocked me genito, a phrase we might render “God forbid!” or “Unthinkable!” or “Never!” Shock is an appropriate response. God has no affinity with sin at all. He forgives sinners. But with forgiveness He calls each believer to live a holy and righteous life. The ultimate evidence of God’s grace is not seen in forgiveness of sin. It is displayed in the moral transformation of the sinner. Christians are called “trophies of grace.” God has won us in Christ. Up there, on His figurative shelf, we do bring Him glory. But no trophy if tarnished and dulled brings much glory to its owner. To truly reflect the glory of God’s grace, we need to live lives that are polished and pure. “[We] who were baptized into Christ” Rom. 6:2–4. Paul wasn’t thinking of water baptism here. Instead he was using the word baptizo as a metaphor: we have been immersed in Jesus. Unlike a piece of cloth immersed in dye that it might take on its color, we have by faith plunged into Jesus and become so completely united to Him that the death He died was our death, and the resurrection life He possesses now is our life too. Perhaps the closest modern analogy is found in “community property” states. Say a poverty-stricken young woman marries a multimillionaire. At the moment of marriage, the law considers half of all he owns hers. It is as if, legally, she had been a participant when he earned his millions. And now that they have been united in marriage she has his vast resources to draw on. This is what Paul said about you and Jesus. When you believed in Jesus, you were united to Christ. It is as if, theologically, you hung there on the cross with Him. When Jesus died, you died. And when Jesus was raised from the dead, you too were raised! Now that you have been united by faith to Jesus, you have His vast spiritual resources to draw on. And the result? “We too may live a new life.” Next time you’re tempted to sin, picture yourself immersed in Jesus. Draw freely on His resurrection power. Choose that new life that is yours! “So that the body of sin might be rendered powerless” Rom. 6:6. Immersed in Jesus, our old self was crucified with Him. This is the basis of our ultimate freedom from sin’s very presence at our resurrection. But until then, sin is all too present with us. We feel its pull; we sense it in thoughts that chase one another through our minds. But, thank God, sin though present is “rendered powerless.” At last we can ignore sin’s pull (see DEVOTIONAL). As Martin Luther said, “We can’t keep the birds from flying around our head. But we needn’t let them build a nest in our hair!” “Offer yourselves to God” Rom. 6:11–14. Freedom from sin has a price tag. The tag reads, “Offer yourselves to God.” From the beginning individuals have assumed that “freedom” is being able to do what a person wants to do, when he wants to do it, with no reference to anyone or anything. That idea has absolutely no correspondence with reality. The fact is that we human beings are creatures, and as creatures we always serve some master. The master may be sin, expressing itself as a passion for wealth or power, or merely as a selfish passion for one’s own way. Or the master may be God. But it is impossible for us to live without a master. I can think of many reasons why God is a better master than sin. But one of them surely is the thing Paul mentioned in verse 23. “The wages of sin is death.” Personally, I’d much rather offer the parts of my body to God as “instruments of righteousness.” “You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness” Rom. 6:18. In a way, the Christian life is one of extreme simplicity. In every situation, ask yourself, What is the righteous thing to do? Folks sometimes try to complicate this, and argue that they often don’t know the righteous thing to do. That may be. But we nearly always know when something is the wrong thing to do! What it boils down to is: Don’t do what you know or suspect is wrong. You may not be positive a particular course of action is best. But you surely will recognize actions that are wrong. “What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of?” Rom. 6:19–23 This is a fair question. What does any person get out of sin? A momentary thrill? An instant of satisfaction? A mercurial sense of power? This is what sin offers at best—and with sin comes a sense of guilt and deep dissatisfaction. When you add endless death to the list, sin doesn’t seem to pay well at all. Righteousness pays off in holiness. That isn’t highly valued by the world, but it can buy inner peace, freedom from guilt, joy, a sense of being right with God and yourself, and eternal life.

DEVOTIONAL

Just Don’t Jump(Rom. 6:1–14)

Donald Grey Barnhouse used to say about this passage, “When the old captain shouts, just don’t jump!” Dr. Barnhouse was a master at finding illustrations to make the most complex concepts simple and clear. We surely need that gift to help us with Romans 6. What’s all this about “the body of sin” being “rendered powerless”? And “death no longer having mastery” over us? How do we explain “count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God”? Barnhouse would say we’re like the crew of a ship at sea. We took orders from our captain, body of sin. But then one day while we were still at sea, that captain was replaced, and authority passed to a new captain, God. So body of sin was rendered powerless, with no right of mastery over us at all. God is the only One we have to obey. The trouble is, the old captain is still on board the ship, and even though he has no authority, he keeps on shouting orders. Because we’re so familiar with his voice, we all too often find ourselves jumping to obey him. What we have to do, Barnhouse said, is to “count yourselves dead” to the old captain’s orders, and just don’t jump to obey his commands. I always liked the illustration. Isn’t it great that we don’t have to jump when a sinful thought urges us on to sin? What fun to tell sin to go jump instead!

Personal Application

Resist the devil. And thumb your nose at sin.

Quotable

“We are too Christian really to enjoy sinning, and too fond of sinning really to enjoy Christianity. Most of us know perfectly well what we ought to do; our trouble is that we do not want to do it.”—Peter Marshall