Romans 12:3-16 Our Relationship to Other Believers

Paul discusses our relationship to other believers next in these verses.  My commentary said, "Each believer is a living part of Christ's body, and each one has a spiritual function to perform.  Each believer has a gift or gifts to be used for the building up of the body and the perfecting of the other members of the body."

It also discussed essentials for spiritual ministry and growth in the body of Christ, and the first is honest evaluation.  "Each Christian must know what his spiritual gifts are and what ministry or ministries he is to have in the local church.  It is not wrong for a Christian to recognize gifts in his own life and in the lives of others.  What is wrong is the tendency to have a false evaluation of ourselves.  Nothing causes more damage in a local church than a believer who overrates himself and tries to perform a ministry that he cannot do.  (Sometimes the opposite is true, and people undervalue themselves.  Both attitudes are wrong.)  The gifts that we have came because of God's grace.  They must be accepted and exercised by faith ... Since our gifts are from God, we cannot take credit for them.  All we can do is accept them and use them to honor His name ... When the individual believers in a church know their gifts, accept them by faith, and use them for God's glory, then God can bless in a wonderful way."

Another essential is faithful cooperation.  My commentary said, "Each believer has a different gift, and God has bestowed these gifts so the local body can grow in a balanced way.  But each Christian must exercise his or her gift by faith.  We may not see the result of our ministry, but the Lord sees it and He blesses ... Whatever gift we have must be dedicated to God and used for the good of the whole church ... Spiritual gifts are tools to build with, not toys to play with or weapons to fight with."

A third essential is loving participation.  "Here the emphasis is on the attitudes of those who exercise the spiritual gifts.  It is possible to use a spiritual gift in an unspiritual way ...  Serving Christ usually means satanic opposition and days of discouragement... When life becomes difficult, the Christian cannot permit his zeal to grow cold."  It says in these verses, "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer."

"Finally, Paul reminded them that they must enter into the feelings of others ... that means sharing the burdens and the blessings of others so that we all grow together and glorify the Lord.  If Christians cannot get along with one another, how can they ever face their enemies?  A humble attitude and a willingness to share are the marks of a Christian who truly ministers to the body."

Father, please continue to help me honestly evaluate and discover the spiritual gifts You have given me.  Don't allow me to overrate myself or undervalue myself.  Keep me faithful in my cooperation with others, and them with me.  Use me as You see fit, according to Your great plan.  Help me to show Your love in all that I do.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Romans 12:1-2 A Lot Packed Into Just Two Verses

These two verses say a lot:

"Since God has shown us great mercy, I beg you to offer your lives as a living sacrifice to Him.  Your offering must be only for God and pleasing to Him, which is the spiritual way for you to worship.  Do not change yourselves to be like the people of this world, but be changed within by a new way of thinking.  Then you will be able to decide what God wants for you; you will know what is good and pleasing to Him and what is perfect."

My commentary says this contains "the therefore of dedication, and it is this dedication that is the basis for the other relationships that Paul discussed in this section ... Christian dedication involves three steps:"

"1)  You give God your body -- Isaac became a living sacrifice after willingly putting himself on the altar ... he died to self and willingly yielded himself to the will of God ... Jesus Christ is the perfect illustration of a living sacrifice, because He actually died and rose again ... Every day is a worship experience when your body is yielded to the Lord."

"2)  You give Him your mind -- The world wants to control your mind, but God wants to transform your mind ... The world wants to change your mind, so it exerts pressure from without.  But the Holy Spirit changes your mind by releasing power from within."

"3)  You give Him your will -- Your mind controls your body, and your will controls your mind.  Many people think they can control their will by willpower, but usually they fail.  It is only when we yield to the will of God that His power can take over and give us the willpower (and the won't power!) that we need to be victorious Christians.  We surrender our wills to God through disciplined prayer, praying 'Not my will, but thy will be done.'"

Father God, I need Your willpower (and Your won't power).  Please continue to help me to discipline my mind.  Change me from within.

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Romans 11:25-36 Saving The Best Witness For Last

"Paul saved his best witness for the last," my commentary said.  God Himself.  "His very character and work were involved in the future of Israel."

God's timing:  "This present age is primarily a time when God is visiting the Gentiles and building His church.  When this present age has run its course, and the fullness of the Gentiles has come in, then God will once more deal with the nation of Israel."

God's promise:  "God has promised to save His people and He will keep His promise."  My commentary believes the prophet had national conversion in mind.

God's covenant:  "God chose Israel in His grace and not because of any merit in it.  If the nation was not chosen because of its goodness, can it be rejected because of its sin? ... God will not break His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob."

God's nature:  "'I am the Lord.  I change not.'  God's gifts to Israel and God's calling of Israel, cannot be taken back or changed, or God would cease to be true to His own perfect nature.  The fact that Israel may not enjoy her gifts or live up to her privileges as an elect nation, does not affect this fact one bit.  God will be consistent with Himself and true to His Word, no matter what men do."

God's grace:  Paul said, "Now, may it be that through your salvation Israel will come to know Christ."  "God has included all in unbelief -- Jews and Gentiles -- so that all might have the opportunity to be saved by grace."

God's wisdom:  "Only a God as wise as our God could take the fall of Israel and turn it into salvation for the world!  His plan will not be aborted, nor will His purposes lack fulfillment ... God is too wise to make plans that will not be fulfilled."

Father, with You as a witness, how can any man doubt that what You say won't come true!

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Romans 11:16-24 The Witness Of The Patriarchs

Paul takes up the patriarchs as witnesses that God is not done with Israel.  In Numbers 15, we read "a lump of dough was offered to God as a symbol that the entire lump belonged to Him ... The basic idea is that when God accepts the part, He sanctifies the whole ... God accepted the founder of the nation, Abraham, and in so doing set apart His descendants as well.  God also accepted the other patriarchs, Isaac and Jacob, in spite of their sins or failings.  This means that God must accept the 'rest of the lump' -- the nation of Israel," my commentary said.

There is also an illustration of grafting a branch from a wild olive tree onto a domesticated olive tree.  Usually, it's the other way around.  The branches get their sustenance and support from the root.  Israel is the root and the Gentiles are represented by that wild branch, now being supported by those same roots.  Those Jews who failed to believe were branches broken off the tree.

My commentary noted particularly that "Paul was not discussing the relationship of individual believers to God, but the place of Israel in the plan of God."

The church is not part of this illustration, it says, because "in the church, there is no difference; believers are all one in Christ Jesus."

As to Israel, "No matter how far Israel may stray from the truth of God, the roots are still good.  God is still 'the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.  He will keep His promises to the patriarchs.  This means that the olive tree will flourish again!"

Father, thank You for Your wisdom and Your promisekeeping.  Continue to show me more about Yourself!

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Romans 11:1-15 God Is Not Through With Israel

Paul spends chapter 11 letting us be reassured that God has not given up on Israel and He's not through with them.  He is a promisekeeper who never reneges.  My commentary says, "We must not apply this chapter to the church today, because Paul is discussing a literal future for a literal nation.  He called five witnesses to prove there was a future in God's plan for the Jews."  The section I read today covers three of those witnesses:

1)  Paul himself -- "Paul includes the reminder of his own conversion as an illustration of the future conversion of the nation of Israel.  Paul called himself one born out of due time.  In 1 Timothy 1:16 he stated that God saved him 'that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all long suffering, for a pattern to them who should hereafter believe on Him to life everlasting ... Paul's conversion is a picture of how the nation of Israel will be saved when Jesus Christ returns to establish His kingdom on earth ... It will be an experience similar to that of Saul of Tarsus when he was on his way to Damascus ... what is important is the way he was saved."

2)  The Prophet Elijah -- "Israel is God's elect nation:  He foreknew them, or chose them, and they are His.  The fact that most of the nation has rejected Christ is no proof that God has finished with His people.  In his day, Elijah thought the nation had totally departed from God.  But Elijah discovered that there was yet a remnant of true believers ... There were 7,000 more."

3)  The Gentiles -- "He used the Gentiles to assure Israel of a future restoration.  His logic here is beautiful.  When the Jews rejected the Gospel, God sent it to the Gentiles and they believed and were saved.  Three tragedies occurred in Israel:  the nation fell, was lost, and was cast away.  None of these words suggests a final judgment on Israel.  But the amazing thing is that through Israel's fall, salvation came to the Gentiles.  God promised that the Gentiles would be saved, and He kept His promise.  Will He not also keep His promise to the Jews? ... There is a future for Israel.  Paul calls it their fullness and their receiving (11:12-15).  Today, Israel is fallen spiritually, but when Christ returns, the nation will rise again.  Today, Israel is cast away from God, but one day they shall be received again.  God will never break His covenant with His people, and He has promised to restore them."

Father, I don't know what I'd do if You weren't a promisekeeper.  you've given me faith to hold on in the darkest times, because I know that I can trust Your promises!

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Romans 10:14-21 What's Next For Israel?

"The remedy for the Jews' rejection of Christ was discussed in verses 14-17, followed by the results of their rejection in 18-21," my commentary said.

Paul said the remedy was messengers or missionaries taking the good news to the Jewish people.  During this time individual Jews can be saved, but the Jewish nation itself is stayed from believing.  "Individual Jews must believe that Jesus Christ of Nazareth truly is the Son of God and the Messiah of Israel.  It also meant believing in His death and resurrection.  But in order to believe, they must hear the Word ... a herald must be sent, and it is the Lord doing the sending."

Paul uses a quote from Isaiah 52:7 and Nahum 1:15.  "The peace spoken of is peace with God and the peace Christ has effected between Jews and Gentiles by forming one body, the church," my commentary says.  The remedy for Israel's rejection is in hearing the Word of the gospel and believing on Jesus Christ."

"Note that trusting Christ is not only a matter of believing, but also obeying.  Not to believe on Christ is to disobey God ... True faith must touch the will and result in a changed life."

The result of Israel's rejection?  Israel is guilty ... Israel heard, but she would not heed ... The message goes to the Gentiles that they might be saved.  This was predicted by Moses in Deut. 32:21 ... One reason why God sent the gospel to the Gentiles was that they might provoke the Jews to jealousy.  It was an act of grace both to the Jews and to the Gentiles.  The prophet Isaiah predicted too that God would save the Gentiles in Isaiah 65:1 ... Finally, God still yearns for His people ... While Israel as a nation has been set aside, individual Jewish people can be saved and are being saved ... God's favor to the Gentiles did not change His love for the Jews.  Jesus Christ wept over Jerusalem and longed to gather His people in His arms.  Instead, those arms were stretched out on a cross where He willingly died for Jews and Gentiles alike."

Father, thank You for showing me Your love for all, and my part in helping show that love to others to bring them to eternal life in You.  Help me to be used to gather Your children into Your arms.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Romans 10:1-13 The Reasons For Israel's Rejection

Paul now explains the reasons for Israel's rejection:

1)  They did not feel a need for salvation -- "They considered the Gentiles in need of salvation, but certainly not the Jews."

2)  They were zealous for God -- "Only the true God was worshiped and served, and only the true law was taught.  So zealous were the Jews that they even improved upon God's law and added their own traditions, making them equal to the law."

3)  They were proud and self-righteous -- "They were proud of their own good works and religious self-righteousness, and would not admit their sins and trust the Savior."

4)  They misunderstood their own law -- "They worshiped their law and rejected their Savior.

Father, I once had become just as sure of myself and just as stubborn.  Please help me never to allow anyone or anything to convince me to return to that point again.  Keep me sheltered in Your arms.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Romans 9:30-33 God's Grace

My commentary says here is the place where Paul moved from divine sovereignty to human responsibility.  Here, he didn't use "elect" and "non-elect".  He emphasized faith.

"The Jews sought for righteousness but did not find it, while the Gentiles, who were not searching for it, found it.  The reason?  Israel tried to be save by works and not by faith.  They rejected grace righteousness and tried to please God with law righteousness ... We need to decide what kind of righteousness we are seeking, whether we are depending on good works and character, or trusting Christ alone for salvation ... It is not a question of whether or not we are among God's elect.  That is a mystery known only to God.  He offers us His salvation by faith.  The offer is made to whosoever will.  After we have trusted Christ, then we have the witness and evidence that we are among His elect.  But first we must trust Him and receive by faith His righteousness that alone can guarantee heaven."

It ends with, "Romans 9 does not negate Romans 8.  God is still faithful, righteous, just, and gracious, and He can be depended on to accomplish His purposes and keep His promises."

Father, as it say, the fact that we cannot fully understand how divine sovereignty and human responsibility work together does not deny the fact that they do.  I'm so glad that You are so wise and put it all together to work for our good!

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Romans 9:19-29 God's Justice

"We know that God by nature is perfectly just.  It is unthinkable that God would will an unjust purpose or perform an unjust act.  But at times it seems He does just that ... Paul gives three answers why it seems that way:

1)  Who are we to argue with God?  -  "God is wiser than we are, and we are foolish to question His will or to resist it ... It is God who determines whether a man will be a Moses or a Pharaoh.  Neither Moses, nor Pharaoh, nor anyone else, could choose his parents, his genetic structure, or his time and place of birth.  We have to believe that these matters are in the hands of God.  However, this does not excuse us from responsibility," my commentary began.

2)  God has His purposes  -  "We must never think that God enjoyed watching a tyrant like Pharaoh.  He endured it ... God prepares men for glory, but sinners prepare themselves for judgment.  In Moses and Israel, God revealed His power and wrath.  Since neither deserve ANY mercy, God cannot be charge with injustice."

3)  All of this was prophesied  -  "Paul quoted Hosea 2:23, a statement declaring that God would turn from the Jews and call the Gentiles.  Then he cited Hosea 1:10 to prove that this new people being called would be God's people and children of the living God.  He then quoted Isaiah 10:22-23 to show that only a remnant of Israel would be saved, while the greater part of the nation would suffer judgment ... Now what does all this prove?  That God was not unjust in saving some and judging others, because He was only fulfilling the Old Testament prophecies given centuries ago.  He would be unjust if He did not keep His own Word.  But even more than that, these prophecies show that God's election has made possible the salvation of the Gentiles.  This is the grace of God."

Father, God, when I don't understand, I'm thankful that years ago You taught me to trust Your heart, Your goodness, Your wisdom, and Your love.  Our minds are not like Yours, so this side of heaven we often face doubts.  When I can't see Your hand, help me trust Your heart.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Romans 9:14-18 God's Righteousness

Our human minds have trouble grasping the fact that God can choose someone over someone else and still be righteous.  Yet we can in no way ever accuse God of being unrighteous.  If He was, then He wouldn't be God.  His method of choosing is wholly a matter of grace.

"If God acted only on the basis of righteousness, nobody would ever be saved ... All of us deserve condemnation, not mercy," my commentary said.

Paul also looks at Moses versus Pharaoh.  "Moses was a Jew; Pharaoh was a Gentile, yet both were sinners.  In fact, both were murderers!  Both saw God's wonders.  Yet Moses was saved and Pharaoh was lost.  God raised up Pharaoh that He might reveal His glory and power, and He had mercy on Moses that He might use him to deliver the people of Israel ... God willed it that way ... It was not a matter of righteousness but of the sovereign will of God."

"God is holy and must punish sin, but God is loving and desires to save sinners.  If everybody is saved, it would deny His holiness, but if everybody is lost, it would deny His love.  The solution to the problem is God's sovereign election ... Nobody can condemn God for the way He extends His mercy because God is righteous."

"By declaring His Word and revealing His power, God gave Pharaoh opportunity to repent, but instead, Pharaoh resisted God and hardened his heart.  The fault lay not with God but Pharaoh.  The same sunlight that melts the ice also hardens the clay.  God was not unrighteous in His dealings with Pharaoh because He gave him many opportunities to repent and believe."

Father, help me never to doubt Your love for me and Your righteousness.  Lead me to know that Your decisions are always right and perfect and to understand how little my human mind can grasp of Your workings.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Romans 9:1-13 God's Faithfulness

Paul uses Jewish history to show us a necessary part of his argument for justification by faith.  In the last chapter, he'd argued that "the believer is secure in Jesus Christ and that God's election would stand."  Some might see the failure of the Jews to recognize the Messiah and ask if God had failed to keep His promises to Israel.  That would put the very character of God at stake.  Now Paul is going to address God's faithfulness, righteousness, justice, and grace.  These verses describe His faithfulness.

"Does Israel's failure mean that God's Word has failed?  The answer is, 'No!  God is faithful no matter what men may do with His Word.'  Paul explains the basis for Israel's election.  It was not of natural descent ... Abraham had two sons ... But it was Isaac, the younger of the two, whom God chose.  Isaac and Rebekah had twin sons, Esau and Jacob.  As the firstborn, Esau should have been chosen, but it was Jacob that God chose ... God did not base His election on the physical.  Therefore, if the nation of Israel -- Abraham's physical descendants -- has rejected God's Word, this does not nullify God's elective purposes at all."

"It is not of human merit.  God chose Jacob before the babies were born.  The twin boys had done neither good nor evil, so God's choice was not based on their character or conduct ... God does not hate sinners.  John 3:16 makes it clear that He loves sinners.  The statement here has to do with national election, not individual.  Since God's election of Israel does not depend on human merit, their disobedience cannot nullify the elective purposes of God.  God is faithful even though His people are unfaithful."

Father God, thank You for choosing me.  Thank You for Your faithfulness to me despite my own disobedience.  Help me to be faithful to You and keep me in Your will.  Remind me often that I am Yours!

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Romans 8:22-39 And Another Thing...

"Freedom from Fear - No Separation" is what my commentary entitled this part.  We don't ever have to be afraid of getting separated from God eternally for our sin, because there is no condemnation since we share the righteousness of God, Paul tells us.  "We do not need to fear the past, present, or future because we are secure in the love of Christ."

"The Father, the Son, and the Spirit are all for us.  God is making all things work for us ... Sometimes, like Jacob, we lament, 'All these things are against me,' when actually everything is working for us.  The believer needs to enter each new day realizing that God is for him ... Christ died for us ... God has justified us ... and Christ loves us ... Nothing can separate us from His love!"

"God does not shelter us from the difficulties of life because we need them for our spiritual growth.  In Romans 8:28, God assures us that the difficulties of life are only for us and not against us.  God permits trials to come that we might use them for our good and His glory.  We endure trials for his sake, and since we do, do you think He will desert us?  Of course not.  Instead, He is closer to us when we go through the difficulties of life."

Father, thank You for Your reassurances this morning.  Lead me to never let go of these truths for the rest of my life!

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Romans 8:18-21 (one more time) The Groans

"Freedom from Discouragement -- No Frustration" is what my commentary titled this section, and we are told to note the three groans that are discussed.

Creation groans -- "When God finished His creation, it was a good creation, but today it is a groaning creation ... the result of Adam's sin ... not the fault of creation ... However, this groaning is not a useless thing ... One day creation will be delivered and the groaning creation will become a glorious creation.  The believer does not focus on today's sufferings ... he looks forward to tomorrow's glory."

We believers groan -- "...because we have experienced the firstfruits of the Spirit, a foretaste of the glory to come ... we  Christians have tasted the blessings of heaven through the ministry of the Spirit.  This makes us want to see the Lord, receive a new body, and live with Him and serve Him forever.  We are waiting for the adoption, which is the redemption of the body when Christ returns.  This is the thrilling climax to the adoption that took place at conversion when the Spirit of adoption gave us an adult standing in God's family.  When Christ returns, we shall enter into our full inheritance.  Meanwhile, we wait and hope.  The best is yet to come!  The believer does not get frustrated as he sees and experiences suffering and pain in this world.  He knows that the temporary suffering will one day give way to eternal glory."

The Holy Spirit groans -- "Jesus groaned when He saw what sin was doing to mankind.  Today, the Holy Spirit groans with us and feels the burdens of our weaknesses and suffering.  But the Spirit does more than groan.  He prays for us in His groaning so that we might be led into the will of God.  We do not always know God's will.  We do not always know how to pray, but the Spirit intercedes so that we might live in the will of God in spite of suffering.  The Spirit shares the burden."

"God is at work in the world... He has a perfect plan ... with two purposes -- our good and His glory.  Ultimately, He will make us like Jesus Christ."  The plan is going to succeed!

Father, thank You for this reassurance.  Thank You that the Holy Spirit feels the burden of my weaknesses and prays for me to You!

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Romans 8:18-21 Camping Out On These Verses Again

Such perfect timing, Father:

"The sufferings we have now ..."     (Man, that describes yesterday)

"... are nothing compared to the great glory that will be shown to us.  Everything God made..."     (us, rocks, trees, animals)

"... is waiting with excitement for God to show ..."     (anything He shows us should make us as excited as a kid waking up on Christmas morning!)

"... His children's glory completely ..."  (My glory!?  All creation is excited to see that!?)

"...Everything God made was changed to become useless, not by its own wish but because God wanted it ..."     (in order to reveal to us the great depths of our sinfulness)

"... and because all along there was this hope ...     (that's what I need to hear, Father -- that there is hope)

"... that everything God made would be set free from ruin to have the freedom and glory that belongs to God's children."     (creation will be restored and with that incredible move we will see the earth as God first created it, with rocks crying out to Him and mountains dancing, only now the glory God places on us will add to the cause for celebration!)

Father, I needed this.  I need to camp out another day on these verses.  Thank You for Your incredible wisdom and Your love for me, despite my sinfulness!

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Romans 8:18-21 Just What I Needed Today!

Wow!  I needed to hear this, Father!

In the margin of my Bible, I'd written something I'd read about these verses:

1)  God is still in control.

2)  The best is yet to come.

3)  The victory is secure, so it doesn't matter what's happening around us.

4)  We and God are inseparable.

I don't have time to write this morning, but wanted to note this.  I can't wait for tomorrow so I can flesh these verses out more!  Thanks, Father!

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Romans 8:1-17 The Christian's Declaration of Freedom

My commentary said this chapter is "the Christian's Declaration of Freedom where Paul declares the four spiritual freedoms we enjoy because of our union with Jesus Christ."  Two of them appear in these verses.

Freedom from Judgment -- No condemnation:  "Romans 8:1 does not say no mistakes or no failures or even no sins.  Christians do fail and make mistakes, and they do sin....they suffer consequences because of their sins, but they do not suffer condemnation ... The law cannot claim you.  You have been made free from the law of sin and death.  You now have life in the Spirit ... The law cannot condemn you.... Because Christ has already suffered that condemnation for you on the cross ... Since Jesus Christ paid the penalty for your sins and since you are in Christ, God will not condemn you ... The law cannot control you ... the law does not have the power to produce holiness; it can only reveal and condemn sin.  But the indwelling Holy Spirit enables you to walk in obedience to God's will."

Freedom from Defeat -- No obligation:  "There is no obligation to the old nature.  The believer can live in victory ... Paul describes life on three different levels, and encourages us to live on the highest level.  1)  Those who have not the Spirit.  He is contrasting the saved and the unsaved -- In the flesh vs In the Spirit, Death vs life, War with God vs peace with God, Pleasing self vs pleasing God."  2)  Those who have the Spirit.  The evidence of conversion is the presence of the Holy Spirit within, witnessing that you are a child of God.  Your body becomes the very temple of the Holy Spirit... What a difference it makes in your body when the Holy Spirit lives within.  You experience new life, and even your physical faculties take on a new dimension of experience.  3) Those who the Spirit HAS:  It is not enough for us to have the Spirit; the Spirit must have us!  Only then can He share with us the abundant, victorious life that can be ours in Christ ... Because H is the Spirit of life, He can empower us to obey Christ, and He can enable us to be more like Christ.  But He is also the Spirit of death.  He can enable us to put to death the sinful deeds of the body ... He is also the Spirit of adoption, which in the New Testament means being placed as an adult son."

"There is no need for the believer to be defeated.  He can yield his body to the Spirit and by faith overcome the old nature.  The Spirit of life will empower him.  The Spirit of death will enable him to overcome the flesh.  And the Spirit of adoption will enrich him and lead him into the will of God."

Father, please continue to empower me to live according to Your will.  Help me to overcome the flesh, and remind me daily that I am Your adult son whom You adopted because of my older brother Jesus Christ and what He did for me.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Romans 7:14-25 What We Can't Do Ourselves

Paul now shows us the inability of the Law -- what it cannot do.

It can't change us:  "The law cannot transform the old nature; it can only reveal how sinful that old nature is.  The believer who tries to live under law will only activate the old nature; he will not eradicate it," my commentary said.

It can't enable us to do good:  "The believer's mind, will, and body can be controlled either by the old nature or the new nature, either by the flesh or the Spirit ... The believer has two serious problems:  he cannot do the good he wants to do, and he does the evil that he does not want to do ... Paul was saying that of himself he could not obey God's law, and that even when he did, evil was still present with him.  No matter what he did, his deeds were tainted by sin."

It can't set us free:  "The believer has an old nature that wants to keep him in bondage ... Often we try to overcome our old nature with the law, and the law cannot deliver us from the old nature.  When we move under the law, we are only making the old nature stronger ... Instead of being a dynamo that gives us power to overcome, the law is a magnet that draws out of us all kinds of sin and corruption."

"The flesh will never serve the law of God because the flesh is at war with God.  But the Spirit can only obey the law of God.  Therefore, the secret of doing good is to yield to the Holy Spirit."

Father, on my own, I am nothing and I can do nothing good.  I need Your Holy Spirit to direct and guide me.  Keep Him close to me, Father, and cause me to trust and listen.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Romans 7:1-13 Not a Mistake or Weakness, But Sin

Here, Paul answers those who would ask, "Since we're not under the law, then it's okay to sin, right?"

He uses an example of a married couple where the husband dies.  The law of Moses permitted the wife to remarry in that case.  She couldn't do it otherwise.  "Death broke the marriage relationship and set her free [from that provision of the law]."

In the same way, we died to the law when we trusted Christ and were united with Him.  We died to the law, just as we died to the flesh ... In Christ, we arose from the dead and now are married (united) to Christ to live a new kind of life," my commentary continued.

"To be dead to the law does not mean that we lead lawless lives.  It simply means that the motivation  and dynamic of our lives does not come from the law; it comes from God's grace through our union with Christ."

He also discusses the ministry of the law.  It reveals sin.  But it also arouses sin," the way a magnet draws steel," my commentary said.  "Something in human nature wants to rebel whenever a law is given ... Believers who try to live by rules and regulations discover that their legalistic system only arouses more sin and creates more problems."

The law also kills - "It cannot give life:  it can only show the sinner that he is guilty and condemned... The law shows the sinfulness of sin ... We excuse our sins with words like mistakes or weaknesses, but God condemns our sins and tries to get us to see that they are exceedingly sinful."

"Paul's argument here is tremendous:  The law is not sinful -- it is holy, just, and good; but the law reveals sin, arouses sin, and then uses sin to slay us ... See how sinful sin is when it can use something good like the law to produce such tragic results ... The problem is with our sinful nature."

Father, thank You again for reminding me of the terrible sinfulness of any sin I commit.  Don't let me minimize it by using words like mistake or weakness.  It is an affront to You.

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Romans 6: 12-23 Know, Reckon, Then Yield

Paul had said he was giving us three instructions.  In the first half of the chapter, they were:  Know that you have been crucified with Christ and are dead to sin; and reckon this fact to be true in your own life.  Now he finishes with, "Yield your body to the Lord to be used for His glory."

"He asks all of us to live for Him, sacrificing our bodies in holy living ... How are we to yield?  As an act of the will based on the knowledge we have of what Christ has done for us.  It's an intelligent act, not an impulsive decision of the moment."  My commentary said to carefully notice the tenses of the verbs:  "Do not constantly allow sin to reign in your mortal body so that you are constantly obeying its lusts.  Neither constantly yield your members of your body as weapons or tools of unrighteousness to sin; but once and for all yield yourselves to God.  There must be in the believer's life that final and complete surrender of the BODY to Jesus Christ.  This does not mean there will be no further steps of surrender, because there will be .... To be sure, we daily surrender afresh to Him, but even that is based on a final and complete surrender.  

"Why does God want your body?  To begin with, the believer's body is God's temple, and He wants to use it for His glory.  But Paul wrote that the body is also God's tool and God's weapon in verse 13.  God wants to use the members of the body as tools for building His kingdom and weapons for fighting His enemies."

"Why are we to yield?  Favor, freedom, and fruit.  Favor because of God's grace, which gives us a reason to obey.  Freedom?  Whatever you yield to becomes your master.  Before you were saved, so were the slave of sin.  Now that you belong to Christ, you are freed from that old slavery and made a servant of Christ.  Fruit?  In the old life we produced fruit that made us ashamed.  In the new life in Christ, we produce fruit that glorifies God and brings joy to our lives."

"Now that you know these truths, reckon them to be true in your life, and then yield yourself to God."

Father, I needed this refresher.  Thank You for stating it so clearly for me.

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Romans 6:1-11 The Reckoning

"Paul anticipated three objections to what he'd written in chapter 5."  The objectors would go to extremes ranging from, "If God's grace abounds when we sin, then let's continue sinning so we might experience more grace!" to "If we are no longer under the law, then we are free to live as we please!" to "You have made God's law sinful!"

"When Paul defended justification, he also explained sanctification ... He explained the relationship to the flesh, the law, and the Holy Spirit, and gave three instructions for attaining victory over sin," my commentary explained.

The first was know:  "Christian living depends on Christian learning ... If Satan can keep a Christian ignorant, he can keep him impotent ... At Romans 5:12, Paul made a transition from discussing 'sins' to discussing 'sin' -- from the actions to the principle, from the fruit to the root ... Justification is not simply a legal matter between me and God; it is a living relationship ... Because of the living union with Christ, the believer has a totally new relationship to sin:  He is dead to sin and he should not serve sin."

"Paul uses the word reckon 41 times in the New Testament and 19 times in Romans alone."  It's not the "I suppose...." we're used to in Texas, but rather it means to "take into account" or "to calculate or estimate", but maybe the best is "to put to one's account," my commentary said.  "It simply means to believe that what God says in His Word is really true in your life.  Paul didn't tell his readers to feel as if they were dead to sin, or ever to understand it fully, but to act on God's Word and claim it for themselves.  Reckoning is a matter of faith that issues in action.  It's like endorsing a check:  if we really believe that the money is in the checking account, we will sign our name and collect the money.  Reckoning is not claiming a promise, but acting on a fact."

Father, help me to fully understand and accept that Your promises are indeed facts in my life!

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Romans 5:11-21 God's Wisdom

Paul answered the question, "How did Christ take our place on the cross?  How was such a substitution possible?"

My commentary said, "Because you and I were lost in Adam, the head of our human race, we can be saved in Christ, the Head of the new creation.  So how do we know that we are human-racially united to Adam?  We know that all men die.  But death is the result of disobeying the law.  There was no law from Adam to Moses, but men still died... What is that cause?  It can be only one thing -- the disobedience of Adam.  When Adam sinned, he ultimately died.  All of his descendants died, yet the law had not yet been given (until Moses).  Conclusion:  they died because of Adam's sin.  Romans 5:12 means 'all have sinned in Adam's sin.'  Men do not die because of their own acts of sin; otherwise, babies would not die.  Men die because they are united human-racially to Adam."

"Skeptics sometimes ask whether it was fair for God to condemn the whole world just because of one man's disobedience.  The answer, of course, is that it was not only fair, but it was also wise and gracious.  If God had tested each human being individually, the result would have been the same:  disobedience.  But even more important, by condemning the human race through one man (Adam), God was then able to save the human race through one Man (Jesus Christ)."

Father, thank You for knowing us so well and yet loving us anyway!

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Romans 5:1-11 Seven Spiritual Blessings

Paul listed seven spiritual blessings that assure us that we cannot be lost once we are saved, my commentary said.

Peace with God - "The unsaved person is at enmity with God because he cannot obey God's law or fulfill God's will.  Condemnation means that God declares us sinners, which is a declaration of war.  Justification declares us righteous which is a declaration of peace."

Access to God - "When Jesus died, He tore the veil and broke down the wall ... Justification has to do with our standing; sanctification has to do with our state.  The child of a king can enter his father's presence no matter how the child looks."

Glorious hope - "Peace with God takes care of our past; He will no longer hold our sins against us.  Access to God takes care of the present -- we can come to Him at any time for the help we need.  Hope of the glory of God takes care of the future;  one day we shall share in His glory."

Christian character - "Justification is no escape from the trials of life ... But for the believer, trails work for him and not against him ... trials bring us closer to the Lord and make us more like the Lord.  Suffering builds Christian character."

God's love within - "As we wait for this hope to be fulfilled, the love of God is poured out into our hearts ... It is the inner experience of this love through the Spirit that sustains us as we go through tribulations."

Salvation from future wrath - "God saved us when we were enemies ... He will keep on saving us now that we are His children.  There is a wrath to come, but no true believer will experience it."

Reconciliation with God - "Paul explained how men declared war on God, and because of this, deserved to be condemned eternally.  But God did not declare war on man.  Instead, He sent His Son as the Peacemaker, that men might be reconciled to God (Eph. 2:11-18)."

Father, thank You for these spiritual blessings which I in no way deserve, but which You have given to me as Your child.  I love You!

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Romans 3:21-4:25 An Explanation of Justification

My commentary described possible questions that Jewish Christians might have raised after Paul's statements about all people needing to be saved by faith.  One was "What about Abraham?"

"Paul stated three important facts about Abraham's salvation that prove that the patriarch's spiritual experience was like that of believers today.  He was justified by faith, not works ... God told him to look at the stars...'So shall your descendants be!'  God promised and Abraham believed God's promise ... It was this faith that counted for righteousness."

"He was justified by grace, not law ...The Jews gloried in circumcision and the law.  If a Jew was to become righteous before God, he would have to be circumcised and obey the law... But Abraham was declared righteous when he was still in the state of uncircumcision.  From the Jewish point of view, Abraham was a Gentile ... Abraham was 99 years old when he was circumcised.  This was more than 14 years after the events in Genesis 15.  The conclusion is obvious:  circumcision had nothing to do with his justification."

"He was justified by resurrection power, not human efforts...Verse 14 mentioned, '...who quickens the dead.'  Paul saw the rejuvenation of Abraham's body as a picture of resurrection from the dead, and then he related it to the resurrection of Christ ... God had permitted Abraham and Sarah's natural strength to decline and then disappear... From a reproductive point of view, both of them were dead ... But what God promises, He performs ... It was Abraham's faith that gave him strength to beget a son in his old age."

I noticed in verse 5 it said, "God justifies the ungodly."  My commentary explained, "But God justifies the ungodly -- because there are no godly for Him to justify! ... Once we are justified, our record contains Christ's perfect righteousness and can never again contain our sins.  Christians do sin, and these sins need to be forgiven if we are to have fellowship with God, but these sins are not held against us.  God does keep a record of our works, so that He might reward us when Jesus comes, but He is not keeping a record of our sins!"

Father, thank You for giving Paul the insight we need today to understand this.  Thank You for Your faithfulness and Your grace!

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Romans 3:1-20 It All Started With Man Saying No To God

Paul declared that all men were sinners and proved it with several quotations from the Old Testament.  Psalm 14:1-3 - "The fool hath said in his heart, 'No, God!'  It all started with man saying no to God ... The whole of man's inner being is controlled by sin:  his mind (none that understand), his heart (none that seek after God), and his will (none that does good).  Measured by God's perfect righteousness, no human being is sinless.  No sinner seeks after God.  Therefore, God must seek the sinner."

Verses 13-14 emphasize human speech ... The sinner is spiritually dead by nature, therefore only death can come out of his mouth ... Verses 15-16 pictured the sinner's feet ... His ways are destructive ... Verse 17 deals with the sinner's mind:  he does not know the way of God's peace ... he prefers to believe Satan's lie ... Verse 18 describes the sinner's arrogant pride -- 'There is no fear of God before their eyes.' ... No flesh can obey God's law and be justified ... This inability is one way that men know they are sinners.  When they try to obey the law, the fail miserably and need to cry out for God's mercy."

"It is only when we stand silent before Him as sinners that He can save us.  As long as we defend ourselves and command ourselves, we cannot be saved by God's grace."

Father, thank You for helping me see all those years ago that my raging at You and defending myself was nothing more than what is described here.  I'm so glad You finally brought me to see that all I can do is stand silent before You and accept Your grace.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Romans 2 - Paul Tells The Jews That They Are Guilty, Too

After confirming to his Jewish readers that the Gentile world was guilty, Paul really surprised them by saying that the Jewish world was just as guilty!  "It would not be an easy task to find the Jews guilty since disobedience to God was one sin they did not want to confess," my commentary said.  "Paul summoned four witnesses to prove the guilt of the Jewish nation."

The Gentiles:  Jews called them Gentile dogs and despised them.  "Paul used this judgmental attitude to prove the guilt of the Jews, for the very thing they condemned in the Gentiles, they themselves were practicing!  They thought they were free from judgment because they were God's chosen people.  But Paul affirmed that God's election of the Jews made their responsibility and accountability even greater."

God's blessing:  "Instead of giving the Jews special treatment from God, the blessings they received from Him gave them greater responsibility to obey Him and glorify Him ... Even after Israel crucified Christ, God gave the nation nearly 40 years of grace and withheld His judgment.  It is not the judgment of God that leads men to repentance, but the goodness of God -- but Israel did not repent.

God's law:  "The Jews boasted in the law ... But Paul made it clear that it was not the possession of the law that counted, but the practice of the law.  The Jews looked on the Gentiles as blind, in the dark, foolish, immature, and ignorant!  But if God found the deprived Gentiles guilty, how much more guilty were the privileged Jews! ... The Jewish people had a religion of outward action, not inward attitude."

Circumcision:  "The tragedy is that the Jews depended on this physical mark instead of the spiritual reality it represented!  A true Jew is one who has had an inward spiritual experience in the heart, and not merely an outward physical operation.  People today make the same mistake with reference to baptism..."

Paul has certainly gotten everyone's attention and pretty much knocked the props out from under any haughty attitudes, readying them to hear what God has told him to say next.

Father, I need my own props knocked out every now and them to remind me of Your grace and of my own connection with You.  I would be nothing without You and would have no hope in this life or the next if You hadn't called me to Yourself and saved me.  Thank You!

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Romans 1:16-27 The Gentile World Is Guilty

Paul affirmed his confidence in his message:  "Any message that was handed down from Caesar would immediately get the attention of the Romans.  But the message of the gospel is from and about the very Son of God! ... How could Paul be ashamed of such a message, when it cam from God and centered on His Son, Jesus Christ?" my commentary said.

It originated with God, operated through the power of God, and its outcome was the power of God unto salvation.  It's outreach was to everyone who believed, my commentary added.

"God does not ask men to behave in order to be saved, but to believe.  It is faith in Christ that saves the sinner ... In the death of Christ, God revealed His righteousness by punishing sin; and in the resurrection of Christ, He revealed His righteousness by making salvation available to the believing sinner.  The problem 'How can a holy God ever forgive sinners and still be holy?' is answered in the gospel.  Through the death and resurrection of Christ, God is seen to be both just and justifier."

"In the next section, God makes three declarations that together prove that all men are sinners and need Jesus Christ," it said.  The first was:  "The Gentile world is guilty:  Devolution is taught -- that man started high and, because of sin, sank lower than the beasts," moving from intelligence to ignorance, to indulgence, and to impenitence.

"Human history began with man knowing God, but man turned from the truth and rejected God ... They suppressed this truth in order that they might live their own lives and not be convicted by God's truth ... Man knew God, but man did not want to know God or honor Him as God.  Man refused to thank God or give Him the glory He deserves.  Man was willing to use God's gifts, but he was not willing to worship and praise God for His gifts."

"Man was left without a god, and man is so constituted that he must worship something.  If he will not worship the true God, he will worship a false god, the first of which is man ... If man is his own god, then he can do whatever he pleases and fulfill his desires without fear of judgment ... man exchanges the truth of God for the lie and abandons truth completely."

"When man began to feel the tragic consequences of his sins, you would think he would repent and seek God, but just the opposite was true ... 'God gave them over' this time to a depraved mind -- a mind that cannot form right judgments.  They now abandoned themselves to sin ... But the worst is yet to come.  Men not only committed these sins in open defiance of God but encouraged others and applauded them when they sinned."

Father, how it must have broken Your heart to see Your children in such open defiance after all You have given us, including life itself.  I am sickened that I, too, succumbed to sin, yet I am eternally grateful that You sought me out, helped me to believe, and saved me by the death and resurrection of Your Son.  What a gift to me!  Thank You for not giving up on me!

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Romans 1: 1-15 What Brought Martin Luther Out Of Mere Religion

My commentary said, "The one Scripture above all others that brought Martin Luther out of mere religion into the joy of salvation by grace through faith, was Romans 1:17 - 'The just shall live by faith.' ... Imagine!  You and I can read and study the same inspired letter that brought life and power to Luther and Wesley!  And the same Holy Spirit who taught them can teach us!"

Paul presented his credentials:  He was a servant or slave of Jesus Christ, he was an apostle, he was a preacher of the gospel, and he was a missionary to the Gentiles.  "He then proceeded to forge a second link between himself and the believers in Rome.  He expressed his concern:  He was thankful for them, he prayed for them, he loved them, he was in debt to them (he could not be free from his debt until he had told as many people as possible the good news of salvation in Christ), and he was eager to visit them."  Next he will affirm his confidence.

Father, I thank You for those You have charged with loving me and praying for me.  Without them and their prayers, I don't know where I'd be right now, but I sure don't want to find out!  Keep them praying for me, loving me, and lifting me up!

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Daniel 12 -- The End Of The Book

Daniel was told about the Tribulation period and that the last three and a half years would usher in a time of terrible suffering.  But my commentary said, "God's elect people will be preserved ... God will keep His covenant with Abraham and see to it that the Jewish remnant will enter into their promised kingdom."

"Nations will submit to the rule of Antichrist, but there will be growing dissent and opposition even though his work is energized by Satan."  Then the battle at Armageddon occurs, and "the sign of the returning Son of Man will appear in the heavens and the opposing armies will unite to fight Jesus Christ.  But the Lord will descend from heaven with His armies, defeat both armies, and take captive Satan, Antichrist, and the false prophet and cast them into the lake of fire ... Jesus will stand on the Mount of Olives, and be king over all the earth and will establish His glorious kingdom for a thousand years ... The Father has promised a kingdom to His Son, and He will keep His promise.  One day Jesus will deliver that promised kingdom up to the Father."

"Daniel humbly asked God for the wisdom that he needed.  But He may not tell us.  He knows how much we need to know and how much we can take."

"I shall be satisfied, when I awake with thy likeness."

I'm looking forward to the end, Father!

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Daniel 11 -- God Knows

The prophecy comes fast and heavy in this chapter, and my commentary nailed down the ones which have already been fulfilled.  "Only an omniscient God can know future events accurately and direct His servants to write them down."  Speaking of one of the fulfilled prophecies, it said, "In spite of the deception on both sides, the Lord was still in control and was watching the calendar.  He has His appointed times and He is always on time."

Regarding the desecration of the Temple, this isn't just an event that will someday occur.  My commentary said, "On December 14, 168, Antiochus desecrated the temple by erecting an altar to Zeus and by offering a pig as a sacrifice ... The future Antichrist will put his own image in the Jewish temple when he breaks his covenant with the Jews ..."

"Daniel knew that his people would endure great suffering for their faith, that some would apostatize and join the enemy, and that others would trust the Lord and do exploits.  No matter how difficult the times, God has always had His faithful remnant, and He will keep His covenant with His people to the very end."

Let me be one of Your faithful remnant, Father.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford