QT 28 Dec 11, The body of Christ is important, but does our involvement in the body indicate that we disagree

Num 9:4-11 (NIV) So Moses told the Israelites to celebrate the Passover, 5 and they did so in the Desert of Sinai at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month. The Israelites did everything just as the Lord commanded Moses.

6 But some of them could not celebrate the Passover on that day because they were ceremonially unclean on account of a dead body. So they came to Moses and Aaron that same day 7 and said to Moses, "We have become unclean because of a dead body, but why should we be kept from presenting the Lord's offering with the other Israelites at the appointed time?"

8 Moses answered them, "Wait until I find out what the Lord commands concerning you."

9 Then the Lord said to Moses, 10 "Tell the Israelites: 'When any of you or your descendants are unclean because of a dead body or are away on a journey, they may still celebrate the Lord's Passover. 11 They are to celebrate it on the fourteenth day of the second month at twilight. They are to eat the lamb, together with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.

NOTE: While the passage refers to those under the law, some interesting principles can be derived. A literal reading of the law would exclude those who were ceremonially unclean, such as those who had a relative recently die and touched the body. The celebration of the Passover was an important enough event that God commands those who can't celebrate to then celebrate one month later. A critic might reply that God responds to a situation as opposed to stating this rule from the beginning. Additionally, there is a further admonition that if a person does not celebrate the Passover when they are able, that person is to be cutoff from the assembly (9:13). We know that God is not "caught off guard" by the situation. In fact, this is the first-ever Passover, and there has been a lot revealed to the people over the last year. It probably makes sense to reveal the caveats and addendum in real life situations as opposed to earlier for the good of the people. But going back to "principles," certain celebrations are so important that there is no excuse for a lack of involvement.  Of course, we are not under the law, but I wonder if we see celebrations, such as baptism, communion, even weekly worship, as important community events. Or are they good things to do if we have the time. The body of Christ is an important aspect of our lives, yet for many Christians, the fact that they are an important member of the body is not take very seriously. If one part is absent, the whole suffers. Yet that doesn't seem to affect many church believers. God, forgive us for how we treat the body of Christ, the church.

QT 26 Dec 11, Jesus is a sufficient sacrifice

Num 8:15-19 (NIV) "After you have purified the Levites and presented them as a wave offering, they are to come to do their work at the Tent of Meeting. 16 They are the Israelites who are to be given wholly to me. I have taken them as my own in place of the firstborn, the first male offspring from every Israelite woman. 17 Every firstborn male in Israel, whether man or animal, is mine. When I struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, I set them apart for myself. 18 And I have taken the Levites in place of all the firstborn sons in Israel. 19 Of all the Israelites, I have given the Levites as gifts to Aaron and his sons to do the work at the Tent of Meeting on behalf of the Israelites and to make atonement for them so that no plague will strike the Israelites when they go near the sanctuary."

NOTE: In the OT, many of the lessons show a price paid.  In fact, most of the law requires a price to be paid.  Very little is free, although at times, the price is changed according to the income of the worshipper (such as the two doves used in dedication).  At first the NT would seem to contrast itself from the OT in this regard, but in reality it does not.  The difference is that in the NT, a price was paid, but this time God himself paid the price, making the results free to the worshipper.  Jesus' death on the cross satisfied all the offering requirements and was a "once for all" action, because it was a sufficient action.  All the offerings of the NT were not sufficient.  Their effect was temporary and had to be repeated time and again.  Because Jesus is God, his sacrifice was eternal and will never be repeated.  This is another reason to rejoice on this the day that we celebrate his birth into our world of flesh and blood -- his sacrifice was sufficient to completely pay for my sins and for every offering or sacrifice required of God for service to him.  Jesus is all sufficient.

QT 22 Dec 11, God speaks to us as a friend

Num 7:89 (NIV) When Moses entered the Tent of Meeting to speak with the Lord, he heard the voice speaking to him from between the two cherubim above the atonement cover on the ark of the Testimony. And he spoke with him.

NOTE: There is some debate exactly what "tent of meeting" Moses used to speak with the Lord.  This clearly indicates that is what the tabernacle.  Also, it does not appear that Moses was in the Holy of Holies, but rather in the Most Holy Place.  It says he heard God speak from between the two cherubims as opposed to seeing God speak.  Also, when another passage says that "God spoke with Moses as a man speaks with another man, face to face" it would suggest that it was the manner they spoke, that is conversational, as opposed to literally face to face.  Really, this is the way God speaks to us today.  It is not one-directional, it is not subordinate, it is not literally "seeing," but it is as one friend speaks to another.  It is conversation and loving.  God desires our company.  That is the amazing truth of a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.  It is not about rules and religion, but it is about truly knowing God.

QT 3 Dec 2011, Ministry is not for our pleasure

Num 4:15 (NIV) "After Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy furnishings and all the holy articles, and when the camp is ready to move, the Kohathites are to come to do the carrying. But they must not touch the holy things or they will die. The Kohathites are to carry those things that are in the Tent of Meeting.

NOTE: This is a very unique ministry, as are some of the other ones listed in Numbers 4.  The Gershonites and the Merarites also had carry duties which required them to be 30 years old.  What I find interesting about all these jobs, especially the choosing of the Levites for God's work and Aaron's sons as priests, is that nobody chose their occupation.  We make such a big deal about finding our gifts or our calling.  But these men were chosen by parentage.  This was their job (or at least ministry), whether or not they had an interest in it.  Many had other occupations as well outside of these tasks but at least from a ministry perspective, this is what they were told to do.  I wonder if we make too much of an issue of feeling fulfilled when involved in ministry.  Maybe we need to have more of the attitude of a servant.  It is not for my pleasure that I serve but it is for the pleasure of the one I serve.

QT 1 Dec 11, God will accomplish his purpose in history

Num 1:44-46 (NIV) These were the men counted by Moses and Aaron and the twelve leaders of Israel, each one representing his family. 45 All the Israelites twenty years old or more who were able to serve in Israel's army were counted according to their families. 46 The total number was 603,550.

NOTE: The 603K does not include the Levites which number 22K (Num 3).  That would place the number at about 625K.  Since this only includes men, the number would at least double to include women, or about 1.25M.  And finally, children are excluded which would at a minimum double the number to 2.5M, and probably closer to 3 million (since most nations have a greater than 2.0 ration of children to parents).  So, 3 million people wandered in a desert for 4o years.  God fed them with manna, and at times with quail.  God provided water, although sometimes with a wait.  This is an incredible miracle, which is why so many don't believe the story in the bible.  The writer relates the story in a passive tone.  There is no attempt to make the story any more than it was, which was a simple fact.  Only at the end of the story does Moses add some more details, such as the shoes and clothes not wearing out.  This story did happen, there is too much to it to deny as a myth.  It carries none of the characteristics of a myth.  It is a historical narrative that was carried on in the story of Judges and the other historical documents without any suggestion of its factual nature.  What does it say to us?  God is powerful enough to do whatever it takes to bring history to its ultimate conclusion.  A day of tribulation is coming, a day when God pours out his wrath on all the earth.  While God does not promise rescue from suffering or tribulation caused by the world toward the believer( but rather a promise of a better future), he does specifically promise rescue (rapture) from the tribulation which he brings upon the earth.  But he only promises that to the person who has been born again.  After the tribulation starts, it will be too late.  Not too late for salvation, but too late for rescue from that time of great sorrow.

QT 29 Nov 11, Integrity and skill in work honor God

Num 1:1-5 (NIV) The Lord spoke to Moses in the Tent of Meeting in the Desert of Sinai on the first day of the second month of the second year after the Israelites came out of Egypt. He said: 2 "Take a census of the whole Israelite community by their clans and families, listing every man by name, one by one. 3 You and Aaron are to number by their divisions all the men in Israel twenty years old or more who are able to serve in the army. 4 One man from each tribe, each the head of his family, is to help you. 5 These are the names of the men who are to assist you:

from Reuben, Elizur son of Shedeur; ...

NOTE: Numbers begins and ends with a census.  Why does God specify by name the men who were  to do the counting, rather than just let Moses choose anyone? I think the men were men of integrity who would provide an accurate accounting. The men were from each tribe so that no tribe could argue that they were unfairly counted. The job was an exceeding large task. It is not an easy thing to count from 30 to 75 thousand people and to record their ancestry by clan and family. It would take some organization as well. So, these men not only exhibited integrity but were skilled for the accomplishment of the job. It is a good thing for a man to pursue his vocation with integrity and with skill. I can't think of a better way to define the requirements of work than those two words.

QT 25 Nov 11, Our arguments about non-essentials ruin our witness

Rom 14:19-23 (NIV) Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. 20 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. 21 It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall.

22 So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves. 23 But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.

NOTE: It is very clear from the previous verses that the commands of the OT laws have no authority over the Christian.  But, some believers think that they do and their faith is effected by other's actions.  In these case, the overriding principle of grace, love for your neighbor, takes precedence.  To allow oneself to be under another's convictions shows love, it does not mean that one agrees with the other person's convictions.  Unfortunately, too many people make issues of things that are really not important.  The arguments and disagreements hurt the witness of believers in the world.  We have a wonderful message of freedom, of peace, of true joy that the world can't even begin to understand without our witness -- and to think we muddy the waters with issues that have no importance.  Jesus Christ changes lives, and makes people whole again -- not perfect, but whole.  And he begins a process of sanctifying an individual to become more and more like the savior.  We can have a strong and vibrant witness, but we must let go of these petty selfish interests and seek to know the Savior through the word of God.  There is power in the word that can transform and renew our mind, so that we just don't talk these ideas, but we live them.

QT 24 Nov 11, Conviction replaces OT law

Rom 14:5-8 (NIV) One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. 8 If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.

NOTE: These verses are very clearly aimed at the OT law, feasts, Sabbaths, and kosher food.  Under grace, these are all a matter of conscience.  And not another conscience, but the individual's conscience.  Others do not determine what is right or wrong for a person, but the individual does that between himself and God.  Even in the case of the weaker brother, it is not the weaker brother determining what is right or wrong, but rather the individual conscience before his Lord that causes him to abstain in the presence of a weaker brother.  Right and wrong is defined by one's relationship to God.  Sensitivity to another's convictions is a matter of service but does not change the rightness or wrongness of the action.

QT 21 Nov 11, Weak faith is associated with observance of OT laws

Rom 14:1-4 (NIV) Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. 2 One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3 The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. 4 Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

NOTE: Paul talks about accepting the person whose faith is weak and to not pass judgment in disputable manners.  Then he gives an example of a person whose faith is weak and an area to not pass judgment: a Christian vegetarian. There is a command going back to Adam which forbids the eating of animals.  In Paul's example, the weak-faith person believes he is under this law, and the strong-faith person believes you can eat anything.  But even if we know that we can eat anything, because Jesus declared all food clean, and because we are not under the law, we should not use that knowledge to hurt people who think differently. The worst thing to do would be to judge the believer for his conscience.  God will judge believers in disputable matters, but it won't be based on rules or laws, but rather on the person's conscience.  Every believer is the Lord's servant and in issues of conscience, they stand before God and not other believers.  The exception would be areas of clear disobedience to a command in the new testament, such as in the area of sexual immorality, theft, gossip, lying, etc. In these cases, we are to judge other believers and we are to confront sin.

QT 9 Nov 11, I am undeserving of God's grace

Rom 11:13-21 (NIV) I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I make much of my ministry 14 in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them. 15 For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? 16 If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches.

17 If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, 18 do not boast over those branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. 19 You will say then, "Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in." 20 Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.

NOTE: Again, the idea of sovereignty, "branches broken off," and free will, "their rejection … arouse to envy … because of unbelief," stand side by side in Paul's explanation of God's work in salvation.  Rather than arguing over Calvinism and Armenian-ism, we should accept the truth that God in his sovereignty has shown grace to people according to his choice but that man must respond to that grace by a free choice of his own will.  I am thankful for the mercy shown to me.  I did not deserve grace, I will never deserve God's grace.

QT 8 Nov 11, God's sovereignty, man's free fit in God's scheme

Rom 11:7-12 (NIV) What then? What Israel sought so earnestly it did not obtain, but the elect did. The others were hardened, 8 as it is written:

"God gave them a spirit of stupor,

eyes so that they could not see

and ears so that they could not hear,

to this very day."  9 And David says:

"May their table become a snare and a trap,

a stumbling block and a retribution for them.

10 May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see,

and their backs be bent forever."

11 Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious. 12 But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their fullness bring!

NOTE: Again we see the strong interconnection of God's sovereignty and man's choice.  It says God gave them a spirit of stupor, but then says, did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery?  In one case, God blinds them, but in another they stumble.  Also Paul answers his question with a very emphatic "not at all!"  Still later it says that salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious.  If there is no choice, what good is envy of salvation.  There is clearly a connection between God's control and man's choice which is entirely consistent to Paul, but is difficult for us to understand.  Both fit together without any grammatical gymnastics, they just fit together.  And who am I with my finite mind to understand the infinite mind of God?  How foolish can man be!

QT 7 Nov 11, Election does not negate choice

Rom 11:1-6 (NIV) I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. Don't you know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah — how he appealed to God against Israel: 3 "Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me"?  4 And what was God's answer to him? "I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal."  5 So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. 6 And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.

NOTE: Paul says that God did not reject his people because Paul himself is a believer.  In fact, the entire early church were all Jewish.  It was only during Paul's missionary endeavors that it slowly began to become more and more Gentile.  Paul, like many other Jews, represent the remnant, the group of true believers that have existed even in the worst of times for Israel.  This group is not defined by works but by grace.  But less we suggest that God's sovereignty chose the group, we should not miss the reference to the seven thousand who did not bend the knee to Baal.  Yes, it is by grace, but yes also, a person needs to choose who he bends his knee to.  Bending the knee represents the "will" and is not salvation by works.  God sends mercy upon who he "wills," but we need to "will" to accept his  grace.

QT 2 Nov 2011, There are blessings to the NT believer

Rom 10:12-13 (NIV) For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile — the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

NOTE: Someone that I respect highly says that the NT does not have promises of blessings, and by that I think he means material blessings.  The OT law is built around the curses and blessings, which are all material.  The NT focus is on spiritual blessings, but I think he might be overstating the difference between the OT and NT.  God does richly bless all who call upon him.  I also think it is primarily spiritual for the NT believer, and clearly salvation is the greatest blessing, but there are other verses which seem to suggest even material blessings.  Proverbs which are not really part of the OT law suggests following certain principles of life will bring blessing.  Another is Jesus' admonition to give up all to follow him with a promise to receive 100 times more in this life and the age to come.  And also the passage that describes how the rich believer is to use what God has given him is another inference.  But whatever the truth here, for me two things are paramount, be thankful and use blessings wisely.

QT 31 Oct 2011, The law ended with Jesus

Rom 10:1-4 (NIV) Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. 2 For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge.   3 Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. 4 Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.

NOTE:  Verse 4 says that Christ is the end of the law, but Jesus said not one iota would pass away, so how does that fit?  The Greek word for "end," telos, means, a definite point or goal, the conclusion of an act or state, the result.  The law does not pass away, rather it is fulfilled, brought to a conclusion by Christ.  In this way it still exists still, but fulfilled and without the demands any longer.  Jesus says in Matt 5:17 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them."  In this case the Greek word for "fulfill," pleeroosai, can be translated as, to finish, complete, end, fill up.  He is not saying that the law remains valid, rather that Jesus completes the law and its requirements on our life.  The law was against us, but our new life of grace is for us.  We are under a new law completely, it is called the law of Christ, the law of grace, and the law of righteousness.  It measures the heart and not obedience to a set of rules.  Why oh why, do some Christians insist on laying a burden upon themselves that Jesus and Paul said, even their fore-fathers found overwhelming?  Why can we not choose peace and grace?  Oh the subtle tricks of the old nature to keep us in bondage ...

QT 27 Oct 11, God's sovereignty, man's free will -- it makes sense to God

Rom 9:30-33 (NIV) What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; 31 but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it. 32 Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the "stumbling stone." 33 As it is written:

"See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble

and a rock that makes them fall,

and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame."

NOTE: For a chapter of scripture that clearly emphasizes the sovereignty of God, there are numerous references to the actions of individuals or groups: "did not pursue … have obtained … pursued … has not attained … works … stumbled ...one who trusts in him will never be put to shame."  So, both aspects, God's control and men's free will, are taught in the passage.  Of course, reconciling both ideas is difficult for the finite mind.  I know that for God, it is crystal clear, but for us, it is a little like explaining quantum mechanics to a five year old, the infinite mind cannot express truths to the finite mind other than to assert that certain statements are true.  God shows his mercy to whoever he will, and man must respond to the message in faith and not in works.   I need to live under both truths.

QT 25 Oct 11, God's mercy does not cancel our free will

Rom 9:10-16 (NIV) Not only that, but Rebekah's children had one and the same father, our father Isaac. 11 Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad — in order that God's purpose in election might stand: 12 not by works but by him who calls — she was told, "The older will serve the younger."  13 Just as it is written: "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated."

14 What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! 15 For he says to Moses,

"I will have mercy on whom I have mercy,

and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion."

16 It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy.

NOTE: The point of election is to disprove any thought that works is involved in salvation.  God's showing of mercy has nothing to do with us, that is, how we lived, what good works we have done, or anything that would make us acceptable to God.  God chose freely to shower his mercy upon us.  And yet nothing here says that free will is still not involved.  I do not believe that the fact that God's mercy was shown to me saved me.  I had to respond to that mercy.  God showed mercy to Israel by selecting them from among all nation groups, and yet many are not nor will be saved.  In fact, verse 32 says that many stumble over a stone of "salvation by works," and hence are not saved.  So, the question is then, "is everyone shown mercy or not?"  Everyone I know or have met has been shown mercy.  And millions of others are taking the gospel to faraway places so that others might hear of God's mercy.  Everyone on earth has seen God's creative works.  But if some are not shown mercy, there is no fault on God's part, since he could have chosen not to create them as well.  Does his mercy diminish because he chose to create someone or he chose not to create that person?  I say "no."

QT 24 Oct 11, Is our creator unjust if we are not shown mercy?

Rom 9:1-15 (NIV) I speak the truth in Christ — I am not lying, my conscience confirms it in the Holy Spirit— 2 I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race, 4 the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. 5 Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen.

6 It is not as though God's word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. 7 Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham's children. On the contrary, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned."  8 In other words, it is not the natural children who are God's children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham's offspring. 9 For this was how the promise was stated: "At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son."

10 Not only that, but Rebekah's children had one and the same father, our father Isaac. 11 Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad — in order that God's purpose in election might stand: 12 not by works but by him who calls — she was told, "The older will serve the younger."  13 Just as it is written: "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated."

14 What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! 15 For he says to Moses,

"I will have mercy on whom I have mercy,

and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion."

NOTE: This chapter of Romans has some very powerful statements in regards to election, predestination, and choice. On one hand, Abraham's offspring are the promised people with tremendous privileges, but that alone did not make them all God's children, even being born of Isaac, as in the case of Esau's descendants.  Later, Paul argues that only a remnant of the entire people will be saved (vs. 27).  So the question, why Jacob and not Esau?  Neither were particularly godly growing up.  It says that God shows mercy to one, and implied, but not to the other.  And later Paul will state: who are we to argue since God did not even need to create us, let alone to have to show mercy to us.  It is a tough section and it violates our human sense of right. Does showing mercy to one group but not to another make God unjust?  In a garden, often multiple seeds are planted but then thinned out later.  Is it unjust to destroy the other plants, or to choose one plant over another?  Of course, as far as we know, plants aren't sentient.  But what right do we even have to exist, let alone to argue what justice is to our creator?  But of course, the other side of the argument is that no one is without mercy, even if there weren't born into special privilege, like Israel, since Romans 1:18-20 has already argued that all men are without excuse anyway (the evidence of creation is a form of mercy).  I need to think about chapter 9 in relationship to the entire argument up to this point.  But I also just need to be thankful that God had mercy on me.

QT 21 Oct 11, Our hope is based on Jesus' life and resurrection

Rom 8:22-25 (NIV) We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

NOTE: How do we understand evil, pain, and suffering in this world?  It is our hope of a better future.  We are awaiting the evidence of our adoption as sons.  Paul has already called us heirs with Christ, but the actual adoption is consummated when our bodies our redeemed with a new body, that will be free of the sinful nature.  Then we can stand in the presence of God without the stain of sin.  For now we can enter into prayer because of Jesus' blood, but we cannot enter heaven with our sinful nature.  That will need to be removed and we will need a new body to stand before the Father.  We don't see it now, and the world thinks we are fools to have such a hope, but we wait patiently for it.  I'm not sure what the world hopes for--nothingness seems somewhat empty; ceasing to exist in thought is futileness--but what can you hope for when you are the product of random processes.  Our hope does have a basis though.  It is based on the life Jesus lived on earth, on the sayings that Jesus gave, and on the resurrection that Jesus proved to so many eyewitnesses.  These eyewitnesses were not second generation believers convinced of a lie.  They were the true eyewitnesses who would rather die than deny their savior.  They weren't rich on earth and gained little by their faith, but they kept the faith nonetheless.

QT 20 Oct 11, Someday there will be no natural disasters

Rom 8:18-21 (NIV) I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19 The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.

NOTE: Why are there natural disasters?  God never intend life to be this way, but we rebelled from his way.  In the garden, weeds were decreed such that work would be frustrating, rather than what was intended.  Likewise, creation itself was subject to frustration, not just weeds, but bondage to decay.  The planet is decaying and falling apart because of the rebellion which started in the garden, but also continues in every human being who sins by obeying his sinful nature rather than what he knows in his heart is the right thing.  But God has given hope even to creation.  Someday, when the sons of God are revealed, that is all those whose lives have been reborn by the Spirit of God, creation itself will be freed.  The planet will no longer experience natural disasters, but once again will flourish and be protected from sin.  And so, while we suffer now due to the rebellion, someday everything will change, and we won't even compare one day to the other.  Every injustice of life will seem as naught because we will see what God really intended to give us.

QT 19 Oct 11, Not slaves--now heirs

Rom 8:11-17 (NIV) 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.

12 Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation — but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, 14 because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs — heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

NOTE: Paul says that "if you live according to the sinful nature you will die." But Paul has already said that the gift of God is eternal life with an emphasis that the gift is different from the trespass.  The difference while immeasurable in the results has more to do with the foundations (wages versus gift).  The results of the trespass are earned while the results of the gift are by definition, given (where there is no boasting).  So what is the death then of verse 13? I think it is a death that occurs here on earth, primarily physical but also with spiritual effects.  Living for the sinful nature will not bring about our sanctification, and it will deprive us of rewards that we do earn by our Christian life (we can't earn salvation, but we can earn rewards).  It does not change our status as sons or as heirs.  Spiritually, our life will fail to show much power or effect in other's lives.  At the end of time, when we cast our crowns (our rewards) toward the savior in thankfulness for our salvation, we will be empty handed with no gift to offer.  Therefore it is of the utmost importance that we are led by the Spirit and not by the sinful nature.

QT 18 Oct 11, Legally, my status as a slave to sin has changed

Rom 8:8-11 (NIV) Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.

9 You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11 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.

NOTE: We are not controlled by the sinful nature nor are we slaves to sins.  We are legally (spiritually) freed from the hold over us.  We have a new owner.  And while is was not possible to please God, not matter what we did, now it is possible, because the stain of sin has been removed, and our minds have been renewed.  In olden days, when slavery was practiced, a person was a slave with little ability to change his status.  For some, slavery was forced, and for some it was entered voluntarily.  This picture is one of forced slavery.  In slavery, one is not completely controlled, and maybe that is the picture here.  We want to get out but we can't, because sin has a stranglehold on us.  Jesus death, and our faith, breaks sin's claim upon us.  We are free to serve God.  In a sense, this a legal picture.  Except for the Spirit living within us, and beginning to renew our mind, many things remain the same.  I still live in a sinful body, just as before when I was a slave to sin.  I still have the same choices.  I still choose wrongly, and at times I choose correctly, which I also did when I was a slave to sin.  But the good news is that legally I am no longer owned by sin or a slave to sin.  Jesus gives me life, and I'm being changed to become more like my savior.

QT 17 Oct 11, Those who truly know Christ will be identified by a changed life

Rom 8:1-8 (NIV) Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,  2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man,  4 in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.

5 Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; 7 the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. 8 Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.

NOTE: Paul's thesis is that we are no longer under condemnation, at least those who are in Christ -- also further nullify inerrant views of universalism.  The law condemn us, which was good in the sense of helping us see our sin but it could not save us.  The sinful nature took the law of God and rebelled more, so that each of us are no different from Adam, who took God's one law and rebelled against it.  The law of the Spirit of life sets me free from the law of sin and death (a reference to the OT law).  I live according to a new law with the Holy Spirit (HS) living within me.  The HS gives me a new desire, a new heart, a new life, and peace with God.  I could not please God trying to live according the OT law, but I can please God by living according to the Spirit.  Jesus summed up the law of the Spirit when he told us to love God and to love others.  Naturally, there are many implications to those two commands.  And while we will fail, because we still own a sinful flesh, we will also change, and as we submit to the Spirit, we will become more and more like Christ.  Many today call themselves Christians but are not experiencing the life-changing power of Jesus Christ in their lives.  I don't know why that is so.  Maybe they don't really know my Savior, and only claim allegiance in word.  But to those who know God, their lives are naturally transformed by the knowledge of Christ.  They are not perfect, but none can deny that they are not changing into a better person with the passing of time.

QT 6 Oct 11, We represent Christ to a world who desperately needs him

1 Peter 2:1-5 (NIV) Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. 2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

4 As you come to him, the living Stone — rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him— 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

NOTE: I am a living stone.  I'm part of a spiritual building.  I am a priest in the new covenant.  A priest is a mediator between God and man.  In the new covenant, all believers are part of the priesthood.  We have access to our Father because of Jesus' death.  We are mediators because we represent God to the world around us.  They do not have access to God because they do not have faith.  We can tell them about God.  We can appeal to God for them.  We can them how to have a relationship with God.  Paul calls us ambassadors for Christ.  As priests and ambassadors, many who carry the name of Christ, do a poor job of representing him.  At times, it would seem that God would be better off without many of his priests and ambassadors.  Father, forgive me for my failures to represent you to those around me.  Empower me to live in a manner that pleases you and rightly represents you to those around me who so desperately need you.

QT 4 Oct 11, Baptism identifies us with Christ, but it does not save us

Rom 6:5-10 (NIV) If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7 because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.

8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.

NOTE: The first thing to note is the use of the word "if."  In other words, not everyone is united with him in his death, even though he died for the whole world.  But if we have been united -- in reference to our baptism in the previous verses, which is a public identification of our belief in Christ -- then we are also united with him in his resurrection.  Baptism does not save us or resurrect us, our faith in Christ' work does that.  Baptism is an outward declaration of what God has done inwardly.  And so, because we believed, our old self is crucified with him.  The purpose (vs 6) is to do away with our body of sin.  But the use of the word 'might' suggests that it is not immediate or necessarily assured.  And the phrase 'should no longer' tells us that we have a response in order to free ourselves from sin.  We cannot affect our ultimate salvation, but we can affect our lives on earth.  Our belief in Christ assures us that we will live with him and like him we no longer need to fear death.  But as for how his death affects our lives today, the next group of verses will show that we have a responsibility for our sanctification.  Belief saves us for all eternity, but how we live our lives now will have consequences today and tomorrow (and incidentally beyond death as well).

QT 3 Oct 11, Our recognition of our depravity helps us to appreciate God's Grace

Rom 6:1-4 (NIV) What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

Rom 5:20-21 (NIV)  The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, 21 so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

NOTE: I think verse 6:1 is in response to repeated misunderstandings to Paul's teaching (as characterized in verses 5:20-21).  Paul is saying that the value of the OT law is in making us more aware of our problem, as defined in chapter 1 and 2, and that problem is sin.  As we understand the depth of our depravity and separation from God, we begin to truly understand the depth of God's grace.  More sin doesn't make for more grace, but our realization of our "more sin" is what allows us to truly understand God's gift of grace.  Our sin is what required Christ's death.  And we have identified with that death in baptism.  What's more, the symbol of baptism, not only highlights Christ's death for us, but also our future rising from the dead in which we hope.  The more I realize how far apart and separated I was from God, the more I can appreciate the immensity of God's grace.

QT 30 Sep 11, The law added sin so that we might see ourselves as sinners

Rom 5:20-21 (NIV) The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, 21 so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

NOTE: It seems like a strange thing, to add the law so that sin would increase.  Why would God want sin to increase?  I think this is really evidence of God's mercy.  Our sin is what reveals to us our need for a savior.  The more evidence of sin, the more realization that we cannot be perfect before God.  Additionally, some things, like giving to God, coveting, filthy language, selfishness, and others, might not have been recognized as sin without the law, leaving the individual with a sense that they were not that bad after all.  The knowledge of our sin is a mercy to us.  Jesus' further definition of lust and murder, into our thought life and words, increased our understanding even more of the powerful influence of sin upon our life.  God does not desire sin--God desires that we see our sin.  And when we see our sin, that brings us to repentance and into a right relationship with God.

QT 28 Sep 11, The gift is not like the trespass

Rom 5:15a, 18-21 (NIV) But the gift is not like the trespass. . . .

18 Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. 19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.

20 The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, 21 so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

NOTE: If taken out of context, verses 18 and 19 would argue for universalism.  The structure, key words, and verbs are all the same, with the exception of verb tense.  But verse 15 says that the gift is not like the trespass.  There is something distinctly different.  The difference is not in the cause and effect, i.e., one man's actions led to many men's consequence.  Because the parallelism argues for similarity in that sense.  No, I believe the gift is not like the trespass because the trespass infected us, although technically we all sinned, so we can't blame Adam.  But the gift is not like an infection.  It offers hope, but does not demand it.  Adam's sin demanded death of everyone.  And we earned it by our actions.  But grace is a gift, it is not earned, nor is it forced upon a person.  A gift can be rejected.  A gift gives a choice to the recipient.  The gift is not a wage as Rom 3:23 describes sin.  Finally, verse 21 concludes the section and clarifies the thought by the introduction of "grace might reign through righteousness."  Here the parallelism is broken just enough.  Verse 21 says that sin reigned in death but grace "might" reign through righteousness.  Not everyone is saved, only those who respond to the  gift of grace offered to them.  Why should anyone reject that gift?  Why do people reject God's rule over their lives now?  Man wants to be his own god, he does not want to submit to his creator.

QT 27 Sep 2011, Rob Bell is wrong, it is not true that all will be saved

Rom 5:15-17 (NIV) But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! 16 Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man's sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. 17 For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.

NOTE: There is some current thought in American evangelical circles, that all will be saved.  It is a variation of universalism, but is essentially the same.  Some of these verses might seem to support that idea, but there is just enough qualification to dismiss it.  Verse 15 uses "the many" to describe the result of Adam's trespass, and the result of Jesus's grace.  Verse 16 says "judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation" and in a parallel form says "the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification."  Here a slight differentiation is observed.  Judgment is for every single man, and is repeated elsewhere in scripture.  The gift, though, has to be accepted (by definition of the term gift).  Judgment is earned, i.e., the wages of sin is death.  But a gift is free and only realized when accepted or taken.  Verse 17 makes it even more clear when it says "death reigned through the one man," but "God's abundant provision of grace" to "those who receive."  In other words, all mankind is affected by death, but grace is only to those who receive it.  The parallelism is useful in comparison, but there is a difference in the population that is affected.  You don't get a choice about death (unless you never sin), but you do get a choice about receiving God's grace.  While it is not possible to not sin, one could argue that both have a choice attached.  We willfully disobeyed God--we chose to sin.  We willfully choose to receive God's gift.  Otherwise, unlike the new theology of the day, we will go to hell.

QT 25 Sep 11, We don't need the law to know we have sinne

Rom 5:12-13 (NIV) Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned— 13 for before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account when there is no law.

NOTE: What does it mean that "sin is not taken into account when there is no law?" Paul has just concluded that sin was in the world, and that it had entered the world through one man. And that death came to all men, not just because of Adam's sin, but because each person sinned. So clearly it is taken into account. I think I see it. What happened to man was not their failure to obey the law. The law did not exist. Their punishment was strictly due to their sin prior to the law's definition of sin and consequences. So the law was not necessary to condemn man. What a person knew in his hearts was sufficient to condemn him. The only thing the law did was to add additional clarity to the idea of sin.

I don't need the law to know right and wrong. It helps, but I know in my heart most sin without the confirmation of the word. The word gives me insight and teaches me about things that I might not even think are sin. But for most things in my life, my conscience tells me where I have sinned.

QT 16 Sep 11, Abraham's faith was evidenced by a belief in creation and in raising the dead

Rom 4:17 (Complete Jewish Bible) Avraham is our father in God’s sight because he trusted God as the one who gives life to the dead and calls nonexistent things into existence.

NOTE: The scriptures point out two aspects of Abraham's faith.  One, he believed that God could give life to the dead.  He had a chance to prove that many years later in his life when God called him to a sacrifice at Mount Moriah.  He also believed that God could call nonexistent things into existence.  This is the very essence of creation.  How God created man can be debated, but Abraham could not deny that the very universe itself was created out of nothing.  Paul exalts Abrahams faith on these two points: God is our creator, and God raised Jesus to life as a precursor to everyone who believes.  Of course, with power to call into existence out of non-existence, there really is nothing too hard for God.  What is a miracle?  It is beyond all silliness, the simplest of things for God.  To the atheist, if God exists, the question of miracles are the least of their problems.  And yet there is a constant theme in scripture of amazing miracles.  But the real problem for the atheist remains, where did everything come from, and how could it be so incredibly complex?

QT 15 Sep 11, Legalism is a great danger to trust

Rom 4:13-14 (Complete Jewish Bible) For the promise to Avraham and his seed that he would inherit the world did not come through legalism but through the righteousness that trust produces. 14 For if the heirs are produced by legalism, then trust is pointless and the promise worthless.

NOTE: I like the way CJB translates theses verses.  The issue is legalism toward the OT law and it is contrary to trust.  In my opinion, it is not possible to live by faith (trust) and also live legalistically to the OT law.  I grant that a believer who is legalistic to the OT law may argue that his salvation is not dependent on the law, but that he proves his devotion to God by keeping the OT law.  There is a certain truth in that statement, since John 14:21 says something similar.  But how does one know that keeping the entire OT law is correct? And if you do not keep the entire law (which most adherents of that view don’t), why do you keep any of it?  If one can pick and choose how he shows his love for God, why can't he choose none of it (the OT law)?  But you might reply, what of the moral laws (although the OT Law makes not distinction itself)?  And I would agree, because Jesus himself taught those laws and they are what we count as the law of Christ (Gal 6:2) and the law of the spirit of life (Rom 8:2).  And so my focus is on what the NT teaches as law,  not what the OT says.  The OT provides principles and lessons to teach us (Rom 15:4).  But am I not under the burden of the OT law, I have taken on a lighter burden (Matt 11:28-30) of Jesus' commands, for his yoke is easy and his burden is light.

QT 14 Sep 11, Wavering in faith is exhibited by a lack of prayer

Rom 4:20-22 (NIV) Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. 22 This is why "it was credited to him as righteousness."

NOTE: There are a lot of good definitions for the word waver.  I think the one that most fits the usage here is "pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness." Abraham was certain of God's word and he was willing to obey.  Consequently, he did not pause or hold back.  In applying this to our own lives, it can be difficult to find a promise of God that is specific to ourselves and our situation.  I'm not referring to moral commands of God, but to the larger will of God issues that are not a point (only one course of action) but are represented by a circle (many possible options none of which are sinful).  On the other hand, even within the circle of God's will, we are told not to worry, not to fear, to pray, and to act prudently.  These are things I can do without pause or holding back.  And in fact, my faith is shown by my willingness to obey God in these tasks.  So, if I am exercising faith, am I praying?  If not, I am wavering.  Am I worried or fearful about the future?  Then I am wavering.  Am I acting not planning and acting prudently?  Then I am also wavering.  The latter actions, planning and prudent decisions, are usually not where we struggle, but rather with the former actions, praying and trusting (not worrying or fearing).  Lord, forgive my for my wavering.  I am certain you know what my future holds and you will bring good out of it.

QT 13 Sep 11, Nothing we can do will ever merit salvation

Rom 4:13-15 (NIV) It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. 14 For if those who live by law are heirs, faith has no value and the promise is worthless, 15 because law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression.

NOTE: Abraham was declared righteous long before he was circumcised and more than 400 years before the law was given.  It was with Abraham that God established the Abrahamic covenant which guaranteed that out of Abraham's seed, the entire world would be blessed.  Abraham was also declared righteous, not on the basis of anything he did, but on the basis of faith.  He believed in God and so God declares him righteous.  And as a result Abraham becomes a symbol for all people of how one gains righteousness before God--it is based only upon one's faith.  There still remains the issue of justice, the payment for sins, but Jesus would later satisfy God's judgment against sin by taking all of mankind's sin upon himself at the cross. 

There is a tendency in man to believe he has to earn something to claim it.  And most of the time, that is a right way to feel.  But when it comes to salvation and righteousness before God, it is not possible to earn it.  And the desire to earn it becomes the very barrier to achieving it.  To receive righteousness, we must come to God humbly and admit that there is nothing we can ever do to merit his favor to counteract the sins we have done.  The only answer is to humbly accept the free gift offered in faith, believing that God did all the work necessary for our salvation.  Oh how freeing, to be completely accepted and never to worry about where we stand.  Thank you God!

QT 9 Sep 11, Homosexuality is the second stage in the descent into the pit

Rom 1:24-27 (NIV) Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator — who is forever praised. Amen.

26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.

NOTE: Verse 26 is the second of three "God gave them over" phrases and describe the descent into the gutter--greater and greater degrees of sin.  In this case, sexual lust and permissiveness (verse 24), and the passion for things they create (verse 25), causes God to give them over to shameful lusts.  It is not just 'lust,' as seen in the preceding verses, but shameful lusts.  Shameful means to give offense to our moral sensibilities and to injure our reputation (thefreedictionary.com).  We call these shameful acts, homosexuality.  It was not the way God created us.  And by the way, the research that we are born this way is very questionable.  None of the studies have been repeated.  But, actually, it would make sense that our DNA structure would have a same-sex gene, since sin has caused a decay in God's originally perfect creation (Rom 8:20, 21 (NIV) For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.)  Our rebellion in the garden started a process that has not only destroyed ourselves but destroyed the very world created for us.  We were not created to die; we were not create to live without God; and we are not served by our rebellion to God.  The hope, for those who repent and turned to God through Jesus Christ, is the liberation from our bondage and decay.  We think we are free because we can choose to sin, but we don't even know what real freedom feels like, because we are so much in bondage to our sin.

QT 7 Sep 11, Evil is our lot for choosing sin over God

Rom 1:24-25 (NIV) Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator — who is forever praised. Amen.

NOTE: This is the first of the three "God gave them over" phrases that describe the downward cycle of sin.  This first usage follows the worship of images despite evidence to the contrary.  The Greek word for "gave up" is paredooken and is an intensified form of the word "give," suggesting a person in possession of something, transferring it to another.  God, who has a personal interest in our well-being and protection transfers his possession to what we wanted, which was the sinful desires of our heart.  The result of this new phase (second stage) is no longer just giving thanks and worship to images, but worshipping and serving create things.  Our lusts become our gods.  In this stage, men also exchange truth about God for a lie.  Today, our land is full of lies about God because we do not want to know the truth.  We are our own enemies.  Rather than shaking our fists at God for not protecting us from evil or disaster, we should realize that it was our own rebellion that causes God to give us over to what we truly wanted.  God is very good.  The evil in the world does nothing to dispel that truth.  It only amplifies our poor choice!

QT 6 Sep 11, A refusal to acknowledge God is the first step in futility

Rom 1:21-25 (NIV) For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator — who is forever praised. Amen.

NOTE: Paul writes that men knew God.  I wonder if that was during the time after Adam and before Noah.  I'm not sure how they knew or when they knew, but they did know God.  And even though they knew him, the first two mistakes was not to glorify him or give him thanks.  For the believer, this is the heart of worship, and based on this verse alone would seem to be our primary purpose in life.  Because when we fail to worship God, it starts a chain of effects that are disastrous for us.  Worship is for our good, and when we do not worship, the first area affected is our thinking, the second area is our emotions.  Their thinking became futile.  A definition for futile, is that it serves no purpose, and it is occupied with trifles.  Secondly, our foolish hearts were darkened.  That which should have captured our attention and emotions was obscured and unclear.  And so, we no longer knew God, because we couldn't see him anymore.  And it all started because we refused to worship.  We didn't exalt God for who he is and we did not thank him for what he has done.  And as the passage will continue, we are the recipients of our own choice.

QT 5 Sep 11, All men are without excuse for not recognizing God's existence

Rom 1:17-20 (NIV) For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."

18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities — his eternal power and divine nature — have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

NOTE: God has revealed two things to us, verse 17 purports of  "a righteousness from God" and verse 18 of "the wrath of God."  A righteousness appears as a gift since it is from God.  It is obtained by faith in all cases.  The phrase "first to last" could mean status or could be referencing the two major covenants, but the phrase is still quite clear.  The only way to obtain "a righteousness from God" is by faith.

The wrath of God, also revealed to us (verse 18), suggests a trait, since it is of God.  It is not necessarily a gift since it is being revealed against men who are godless, wicked, and suppress the truth.  God says that what may be known about him is plain.  God says that he has made it plain.  Plain has a number of meanings, but here the meaning is that it is obvious and clear.  What is plain are God's invisible qualities--those which would seem to be not clear since they are invisible--his eternal power and divine nature.  God says they are clear from creation and are understood from creation.  Therefore, at judgment time, God will tell men that they are without excuse.  Apparently those who argue that what is clear to them--random process of nature to create life out of immaterial matter--will be an insufficient argument in God's eyes.  They will be charged with suppressing truth, because creation is obvious and clear.

God seems to be using the teleological argument or argument by design.  The complexity of life argues against creation by random forces.  Mathematically, the probability for even the simplest cell to form by random forces is astronomically low.  But, men would prefer to believe in chaotic elements than to believe in God, and so they suppress the truth and are without excuse.

QT 31 Aug 11, Having a desire to do something is not an indication of God's will

Rom 1:13 (NIV) I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles.

NOTE: Paul had planned to come to Rome many times.  Obviously, it was a desire on his heart. But, for whatever reason, God or circumstances (which God allowed) had prevented his fulfilling this desire.  So, the first point is this: having a desire to do something does not mean that it is God's will for your life.  I have heard people argue the opposite point many times.  They are convinced that God has placed a certain desire in their heart and they make foolish decisions to fulfill that desire.  Paul had a desire to go to Rome.  It appears he tried, but he also did not become obsessed with the idea or desire.  He submitted to God's "no."  He let God use him where he was.  At certain times, he appears to try again to fulfill the desire, but every time, he submitted to God.  He did not do foolish things and blame God for the desire on his heart.  Now, he is about ready to start the journey to Rome.  And while he is only a month or two, journey-wise, away from Rome, it will take a number of years to arrive in Rome.  He will spend two years in a jail in Caesarea awaiting a trial.  He does not let his desire for a certain ministry overwhelm him, but patiently waits for God to bring it about in his time.  This is a good lesson for me.  I may have a desire to do something, and it is okay to take steps toward that goal, but if / when God says "no," I need to continue in what he has given me to do now.

QT 30 Aug 11, Sometimes success is a sign that it is time to change

Rom 1:11-13 (NIV) I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong— 12 that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith. 13 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles.

NOTE: Paul was successful.  His ministry was seeing spiritual fruit.  Paul was making an impact among the Greek Gentiles.  But, Paul also saw his ministry as mobile.  There were things he could impart to others which God had gifted him.  There was also a point where his ministry probably had diminishing returns.  Sometimes change can give a spark to ministry, as Paul says, "mutually encouraged."  What is that point in ministry where it is time to move on, to reach out to a new place, to start something new?  In discipleship, three years seems to be my personal limit.  At that point, there really is little that I can teach that I have not already taught and it is time for the person to get training from someone else, or hopefully be training others.  And, we learn so much more when we teach others.  That is another reason to move on, sometimes other individuals need the opportunity to step up and minister, and that won't happen if the "master-teacher" is still there.  God, what are you doing in my life?  Where do I need to move on?  Where do I need to do something new?  Help me to see your plan for my life.

QT 29 Aug 11, Obedience comes from faith

Rom 1:5 (NIV) Through him and for his name's sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith.

NOTE:  Paul's mission was to call people from among all Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith.  The call is not exactly to obedience but to faith, because obedience comes from faith.  So, how might I express this differently?  We are not called, just to be obedient, because then it would depend completely on our own strength, and in that case, the new covenant wouldn't be any different from the old covenant.  No, we are called to an obedience that comes from faith, or in other words, we are called to a faith where obedience is the result.  While it may not always seem like it (down in the trees), our obedience or reflection of Jesus Christ grows as our faith in Christ grows (from the perspective of the forest).  Maturity in Christ does make us different.  But there is one warning.  Growing in faith is different from growing in knowledge, yet both use some similar means.  The word of God is indispensable in both.  Christian fellowship is an absolute necessity.  Witnessing is a natural byproduct.  But prayer may be the difference between the person whose (false) maturity is characterized by knowledge only, versus the person whose (real) maturity is characterized by faith.  Prayer expresses our dependence on God.  And as we grow in dependence, we grow in faith, and as we grow in faith, we mature, and as we mature, we grow in obedience.

QT 24 Aug 11, Seek God in good times and bad

Lam 3:17-18, 25-26, 38 (NIV) I have been deprived of peace;

I have forgotten what prosperity is.

18 So I say, "My splendor is gone

and all that I had hoped from the Lord."

. . .

25 The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,

to the one who seeks him;

26 it is good to wait quietly

for the salvation of the Lord.

. . .

38 Is it not from the mouth of the Most High

that both calamities and good things come?

NOTE: We much rather quote verses 25-26 than 17-18.  And yet, Lam 3:32a says "Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, …." God brings or allows--it doesn't really matter, the result is the same--both pain and good.  I personally prefer "allows" since we were the ones who chose to rebel against God in the garden--we have what we thought we wanted.  Yet in the midst of the mess that we chose, God works.  In Romans, Paul writes that "we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him." So while my situation may not be directly from God, I am assured that he is working to bring good out of it--at least to those who know him personally and love him.  Now, my situation may in fact be directly from God, especially when God sees a need to discipline me. In which case, verse 40 tells me to examine my ways, test them, and return to the Lord.  If I am in sin or living in rebellion, I need to repent.  But in any case, I must seek God.  And even more importantly, I need to seek God in the good times as well as the hard times, because that is the most important thing to do, and often times the bad times are to remind me that I wasn't seeking God as I should in the good times.

QT 23 Aug 11, Tell people not what they want, but what they need

Lam 2:13-14 (NIV) What can I say for you?

With what can I compare you,

O Daughter of Jerusalem?

To what can I liken you,

that I may comfort you,

O Virgin Daughter of Zion?

Your wound is as deep as the sea.

Who can heal you?

14 The visions of your prophets

were false and worthless;

they did not expose your sin

to ward off your captivity.

The oracles they gave you

were false and misleading.

NOTE: The persons whose job it was to heal and protect the nation, the prophets, priests, and leaders, failed the nation.  The prophets' visions were worthless.  They provided people what they wanted to hear but not what they needed to hear.  They offered hope (a false hope), and instead they should have exposed sin.  If they had exposed sin, maybe captivity might have been warded off, but their messages misled those who were entrusted to them.

This is a warning to teachers as well.  Our job is to speak the word of God clearly and not hold back for fear of hurting someone's feelings or making someone fearful of their actions.  We are not to tear others down purposefully.  We are called to exhort people to obedience and to a right understanding of the word.  It can be done respectfully and gently and also without holding punches back.  Sometimes the word of God is brutal in its honesty.  We need to preach it clearly.  We don't have to single people out, we can let the Holy Spirit do that, but we should not hold back out of fear of offending someone with the message.  Lord, I don't want to be remembered as one who taught "worthless" things or one who "did not expose sin."  Give me grace to comfort, encourage, exhort, and expose where needed.

QT 22 Aug 11, The only remedy for sin is still repentance

Lam 1:12, 14 (NIV) "Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by?

Look around and see.

Is any suffering like my suffering

that was inflicted on me,

that the Lord brought on me

in the day of his fierce anger?

. . .

14 "My sins have been bound into a yoke;

by his hands they were woven together.

They have come upon my neck

and the Lord has sapped my strength.

He has handed me over

to those I cannot withstand.

NOTE: The Mosaic covenant was very clear in its blessings and curses.  There should be no surprise at the severity of the punishment.  In fact, the most surprising aspect is how long God delayed.  From 1375 BC to 586 BC, 790 years, Israel has gone back and forth in its relationship with God, alternating between disobedience and obedience, between good rulers and evil rulers.  And now, 20 generations later, God finally judges her sin. 

We all desire mercy.  We appreciate God's long suffering.  In the NT, there is no longer specific curses for failures, but there are warnings for backsliding and of discipline (the book of Hebrews).  These do not take away our salvation, just as those who walked through the Red Sea did not lose their salvation at Kadesh Barnea.  But they did suffer in not reaching the earthly rest promised in the promised land.

Father, as believers we all fail in many ways.  Forgive us and have mercy on us.  We repent of our sin and ask that you will again help us to live in a manner that pleases you.