Homily on Romans 7:15-25a Delivered to St. Christopher's Church New Carrollton - July 5, 2026

 

Wretched man that I am! 
Who will save me from this body of death?

Father, what we know not, teach us; and what we have not, give us; and what we are not make us. For the sake of your Son, Jesus in whose Name we pray.  Amen.

A very devout woman who posted comedic skits on FB to convey a clear Bible doctrine, would in a sobering post declare that she was a saved and born again Christian, and since her baptism, she was no longer a sinner. Friends, she is not the only one who has been taught this untruth. Jesus’ blood cleanses us of our sin guilt – all of the sins we have committed -  so we’re no longer guilty before Holy God. At the very nanosecond following our cleansing, God’s Holy Spirit comes into us giving us new life in Christ; He regenerates us so that we are no longer spiritually dead before God, but rather raised to new life in Christ. *So we have all of this going for us, right? You got the blood that cleanses us. We have had our sin guilt removed. And the Holy Spirit God comes to live in us to begin the work of sanctification, which is a big word that means being transformed into the image of Christ, and the Father puts Christ’s righteousness into us so when He looks on us He sees Christ. So we got all this going for us. Why do we still sin? Why do we still mess up? Before we answer that question, let's identify God's definition of sin – anybody knows that? It's a very simple answer.  God's definition of sin is breaking the law: it's as simple as that.

Let’s look to the Bible for confirmation. In James 2:1-10 the Spirit speaks about loving one’s neighbor – a law, and the different ways that law could be broken. He says that if you claimed to keep the whole law, but chose to ignore one of them, you have broken all of the law. From a practical viewpoint: So if the community ordinances say to pick up after your dog when he relieves himself and you choose not to, you have broken the law, you have sinned. If God says do not lie, and you try to work around that by painting it white to make it a “little white lie” – “it’s just a little lie”-no one needs to know right? ha! God knows - you have broken His law, you have sinned. If the speed limit says 25 and you are doing 45 because you’re late, you have broken the law and potentially placed someone else in danger because of your poor choice; you have sinned.

So the question comes again. Why do we still sin? Because we choose to. But the overarching reason is that we still retain the falleness of humanity from Adam's act of sin. Paul, in his letter in Romans 7, transparently confesses that he is of the flesh – that is, the remaining fallen humanity is still in him – still in us. Never once does he say that the devil made him do it!…This is Paul, the super apostle, telling us he was still a sinner! Like him, we cannot free ourselves from our falleness. Although we have been converted, we have not been relieved of our fallen humanity. The converted side of our being wants to honor the Lord, to obey Him, express our devotion to Him, but sin dwells still in us. We are a new creation, a new life, have new longings and new aspirations, new impulses - that are incarcerated in redeemed humanity. Working toward all that is right, good, and holy is a challenge because it has to penetrate through our fallen humanity and our humanity must war against that. Paul is in anguish; he cries out for rescue from this body of death! 

What is the body of death Paul is referring to? Some suggest it is the fallen humanity; another view is based on a judgment practice in ancient times for one who has murdered another. The murderer is forced to have the dead body – the corpse of the person murdered -- strapped to his back to die a slow death because the decaying body would infest the healthy body and eat him to death. Paul saw the presence of his fallen humanity as a corpse strapped to him – that’s why he cries out – wretched man that I am! Who will free me from this body of death!!?? Paul concludes as we all should conclude: Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! Amen? So in God’s grace we must battle continuously with the sinful fallen humanity per Philippians 2:12-13 – working out with the Holy Spirit our salvation (this is not working for our salvation, this is once we are saved working in tandem with the Holy Spirit's guidance and counsel), removing the old self and putting on the new, following the Spirit’s lead in our transformation - walking that path that He has designed for us.

So, we come back to the whole “am I still a sinner after being saved” question. 1 John 1 clearly answers that question. After affirming God’s salvation plan in Christ, John speaks to the churchgoers at verses 5 to 10 where he clarifies that we still sin after we are saved. He says if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us; we make Christ a liar and God’s word is not in us. But - in good news there is always a "But God": If we confess our sins, He who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and His blood continues to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Does our sinful nature – our fallen humanity that we still carry in us and the battle we daily wage against our flesh, our fallen humanity -- does it make us weary and tired (it certainly makes me tired!), does it make us feel heavy laden? What does Jesus tell us in our Gospel lesson today? Yes, Come to Me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I willgive your rest. That rest is a place in our relationship with Jesus where we can experience His peace and His joy, His rest - even in the battle.

All of us can point to an act of sin or law breaking that we have done since our salvation – we all have whether we accept it or not. Jeremiah 17 says "The heart is devious above all else; it is perverse, so who can understand it?" (often in the Bible the reference to "heart" is not speaking about our physical hearts but, rather, the center of our desires and wills). We must repent and seek God’s forgiveness. One of the more devastating things we do in our fallen humanity is hold onto anger with a death-grip, which becomes bitterness over time to the point where it poisons our relationships with each other, and alienates us from God. It becomes an idol. We choose not to forgive others, Jesus says, then God will not forgive us. We can try to cite our reasons for being bitter – because so and so did this or that, and God just looks at us and asks us do you want me to put the shoe on the other foot? Do you want Me to remember all of your sins and choose not to forgive you?  

In His love and omniscience, God will choose the proper discipline for each of us; discipline - in this instance - being a disciple or one who is learning to live a certain way, a way that focuses on Jesus. God may allow us to feel the consequences of our wrongdoing, giving us a reckoning that we are not progressing in our thinking and doing - showing indications of a maturing faith. He trains us to confess and repent, teaches us the proper fear of the Lord so that we can be forgiven. Isn’t that good news? We are sinners who repent and God forgives us without any condemnation! That we will sin isn’t good news but God’s provision for addressing that is! One of God’s promises is to discipline us in the way He has designed for us; we mess up, commit a sin because our fallen wills and desires that stem from the mind and heart cause us to trip up. Friends:  God loves us too much to let us live in a lie. Hebrews 12:6 tells us He will discipline us; again, discipline doesn't mean beating us over the head with a 2 by 4, even though I make a joke about that sometimes. It is a training in righteousness and godliness. The Spirit uses the instrument of grace – God’s word – to train us. Disciplining may also mean that He sometimes will allow things to happen as a result of our choices influenced by our fallen hearts or wills. He will allow us to feel the consequences of that error so that we may realize we must continue to obey Him even when we don’t want to. Yes, you heard me right – even when we don’t want to. That’s called faith and trust that God’s way is the only way through this battle. And this is true for any Christian who’s born of God. And so when we choose to do it our way instead of God's way, we will suffer the consequences, but God does not condemn us because we who are saved are continually cleansed by the blood of Christ, and restored to the path of righteousness.

So I am going to cite some scriptures that urge us to seek God’s mercy, advises us how to protect ourselves from the world, the flesh, the devil – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride in riches. Part of the godliness training is our accepting & wearing our spiritual armor that God has provided us for defensive and offensive purposes. In Ephesians 6:10-18 the Spirit directs us in putting the armor on; we are fighting spiritual battles so spiritual armor is a necessity. Every day God wakes us up we must put on that armor. Every vulnerable part of our faith walk is to be protected, lest we get lured back into sin. The parts of this spiritual armor are: the breastplate of righteousness, shield of faith, truth girded about our loins, feet ready to share the good news, helmet of salvation, sword of the Spirit, and praying in the Spirit – the last two items being critical to the effectiveness of the rest of the armor.  We cannot do this apart from the Holy Spirit and God’s Word. If you think that you can be transformed and protected in your walk without God’s Word and His Holy Spirit, then you have been deceived in a mortal way. Because we cannot. Peter tells us,in his first letter 5:8-9, that the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking to devour someone. Who is he looking to devour? Not the people he already has in his control. He's looking to devour us. Those who have been chosen by God. Because he does not want to see us have that victory that Zechariah talks about in our first lesson where we are rejoicing in God. The devil does not want us to rejoice in God: he wants us to hate God as much as he does. As we commit to the effort of the Spirit’s work in us, we will see ourselves beginning to mature to the extent that our sin acts begin to dwindle. 

In addition to armor, we have an advocate in this struggle: 1 John 2 identifies our intercessor as none other than our high Priest Jesus Christ, who continually intercedes for us. Also see Romans 8:34. As we wrap up I want to refer you to a small handful of scriptures about what else God provides for us in our battle: His amazing love and mercy.  While we don’t have the time today to read them through I'll give you the cite and you can check your Bible or BibleGateway and search forgiveness of sins – long list of scriptures!     The scriptures I will share are just a glimpse of what God is doing. This instrument of grace that He gives us is powerful. But do not abuse God’s grace by sinning on purpose. You open yourself up to the devil. Jot these down: Psalm 32:1,3,5,11. Psalm 103:11-14; Isaiah 44:21-22. They all confirm to us God’s mercy and love in the act of forgiveness of our sins, blotting out our mess-ups, intentional or unintentional. Remember, though, not to take God’s grace in vain like Israel did; the Old Testament is filled with accounts of their sin which led to their utter destruction. An even closer to home example: last summer we began praying as a church for the church without a script seeking God’s face, direction, grace and mercy and His provisions. Each week I looked forward to the prayer group growing; however, each week the prayer group lost a member, until after a month of that we were down to 3, sometimes 4 people. And then, it ceased altogether. Shortly thereafter, a brick gets thrown at the upstairs kitchen window, and through the window in our sanctuary. Not too long after that, a brick is hurled at the front door and then thrown through a sanctuary window. Then the man goes around to the chapel window, kicks it in, and once inside he trashes the chapel. A coincidence – I think not. God’s ways and discipline are sometimes to allow the negative in order to produce the positive in us. Do not abuse God’s grace, but rather rejoice that He has loved you and I before we were a little twinkle in our daddy's eye - from before the beginning of time, that He has given us everything we need to fulfill our calling. That He extends us mercy and grace – things we do not deserve in the least bit. Friends - Is God good to us? Can we praise Him again for all He has done and is doing for us individually and what He desires to do for St. Christopher’s to keep our hearts open and our church doors open. Let’s end with the 1^st verse and Refrain we sang at the beginning of the service and Rejoice– Amen? Waving our scarves lifting our hands: let’s give Him praise and honor - maestro.  

ENDING – Brothers and Sisters – In all our battles, may we cling to the Rock who is Christ as we move thru battle against the world, the flesh, the devil, the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of riches, so that when we are finished with this life and this body of death, our reward will be total bliss, no more tears, only complete joy to the glory of God. Amen?

There on The Hill of The Lord

There is bright joy and singin'
  on the hill of the Lord!
There is bright joy and singin'
  on the hill of the Lord!
There is bright joy and singin'
  on the hill of the Lord!
Where pain will be no more.

There is praisin' and dancin'
  on the hill of the Lord!
There is praisin' and dancin' 
  on the hill of the Lord!
There is praisin' and dancin'
  on the hill of the Lord!
Where sorrow will be no more.

There is feastin' and laughin'
  on the hill of the Lord!
There is feastin' and laughin'
  on the hill of the Lord!
There is feastin' and laughin'
  on the hill of the Lord!
Where tears will be no more!     

My Jesus is waitin'
  on the hill of the Lord!
My Jesus is waitin'
  on the hill of the Lord!
My Jesus is waitin'
  on the hill of the Lord!
To love me forever more!

Amen. Hallelujah. Glory to The Glory!

   (c) Hymn by jo 2024

Special Mid-Summer Bible Conversation on Hard Sayings in the Bible (Reserve Question D - Love God with Whole Heart, Mind, Soul)

 

Reserve question D. What does Jesus mean when He says: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’”? This passage can be found in part or in whole in the Gospels at Matthew 22:37, Mark 12:30, and Luke 10:27. 

Actually, Jesus means just what He said. Compare to answers at B & E. Our love for God must be as a child’s love for a Loving Father. It must also mean that we love ourselves less, that is, we step down from our self-made thrones to never re-occupy them. An example: would you seek treatment for a serious disease from a doctor whose heart is no longer engaged with healing? Would a marriage be happy if one of the spouse's heart feelings are for someone else who is not the spouse, and who would reaffirm his or her divided heart daily? Jesus states at Matthew 6:24, that a divided heart is not acceptable to God, saying "You cannot serve God and mammon/wealth at the same time. You will love the one and hate the other." Thus, our whole self, our whole heart, our whole minds must be primarily focused on God; dividing our affections with God and satan's world will not work; you cannot have one foot in and one foot out. Part of the perspective of satan's world is making a job, a career, a hobby, a source of pleasure, a chiild or spouse, a famous person the most important thing in our life; to elevate that person or thing to an idol, giving it prime attention over things of God.

We are to grow continuously in love with the Lord; one of the best ways is meditating on His Word and communing with Him in prayer informed by scripture. Our actions towards others must reflect love of God. Jesus said we – the Church – would be known for the love we have for one another. That agape love and philia affection are to be the highlights of the Church. 

Ten Questions to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health - Dr. Donald S. Whitney Study, Question 5

 

“Ten Questions to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health,” Donald S. Whitney. 2001. NavPress
Question 5:  Do You Have a Growing Concern for the Spiritual and Temporal Needs of Others? (Notes, Excerpts and Highlights from Chapter 5)

Some may ask “what does this have to do with being spiritually healthy? Besides, isn’t having growing concern for the spiritual needs of others what priests and elders are supposed to do?” 

Although at one time it was not the case, in the last decade or two, some persons who are members of denominations that are more conservative find that financially supporting Christian charities is the answer to Question 5. And they need it. Recent reports show that financial contributions to charities are down – when so much help is needed most – due to the changes emanating from the U.S. 2017 tax law, which significantly impacted lower and middle class taxpayers by essentially eliminating charity deductions. The deductions allowed for a better return on taxes, which money became a donation vehicle to continue supporting multiple charities. It always has, but now more than before, it requires more faith and reliance on God’s provision to maintain or at least approach the levels of giving in light of the diminishing returns that previously helped to supplement sacrificial giving.  

But, even so, is financial giving the end all and be all of meeting temporal needs? One theologian opined that this is where our gospel practice falls short, and actually wrote a book on this topic entitled, “The Hole in Our Gospel.” There are parts of Christendom for whom direct engagement with the community is less popular than providing funds or supplies to the charities within the communities and parishes of their church building. Yet, how else will we show visibly who we are and whose we are?  

The Church – the universal body of Christ – during its earlier days was distinctive in doing just that. Even though it was dangerous in some places to openly worship and be identified with Christ, nevertheless, note this observation by Greek philosopher Aristides, who became Christian, when defending the Christian faith: “They love one another. The widow’s needs are not ignored, and they rescue the orphan from the person who does him violence. He who has gives to him who has not, ungrudgingly and without boasting.” In the early Church, members of local assemblies or congregations or local churches made as a part of how they worshiped God and imitated Christ the ministry of sharing to meet the needs of others as seen in Acts 4:32-35. The increasing size of The Church in those earliest years would require a more structured assurance of care and charity to be instituted per Acts 6:1-7, to ensure that meeting the temporal needs of others was to be the norm. In that earliest time, a cadre of believers, under the direction of the apostles, formed the first formal group of the Church’s social ministry overseen by faithful and ardent believers who would come to be recognized as deacons; this motif would be replicated in other local churches as the gospel continued to reach others. But that approach did not rule out anyone else – even preachers and elders – from showing the same concern. (see Paul’s report at Galatians 2:9-10) James, noted leader of the first century Church and brother of the Lord, would be inspired to write in his letter at chapter 1, verses 22 and 27: “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” For some centuries after the apostles went on to be with Jesus, The Church was the primary source of organized hands-on charitable programs within their communities – including supporting the establishment of or establishing its own hospitals and medical societies, widows and orphan charities and homes, and programs to address the needs of the poor.   

Within the last century or so (per my preliminary research), some of the societies became independent of the Church either due to lack of funding or lack of consistent assistance and hands-on support from members and worship communities for whatever reason. Yet, there are still denominations whose members provide either financially, hands-on (or both) support to the charitable work in the communities through organizations like Daughters of the King, Catholic Charities, United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), Islamic Relief and Jewish Coalition for Relief (JCR), National Episcopal Church Women, Episcopal Development, the Protestant Church’s Salvation Army, Baptist Charities, to name a few. Smaller churches in smaller communities may also cooperate in ecumenical or interfaith activities for the purpose of providing hands-on charitable help and disaster relief. Recent studies show, per the author that, nevertheless, evangelicals as a whole typically tend to put more time, money, and prayers into labors of missions and evangelism than in social ministries. Sometimes, he notes, just the opposite happens – more concern is shown for physical and material needs, while the gospel goes unshared. James, again, writing to the Jewish people in the Diaspora as brothers and sisters: “If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,’ but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?” In other words, sharing the gospel -- written or oral -- without meeting an urgent physical need profits no one, especially the one on the receiving end. Preaching to persons who haven’t eaten much of anything for days and expecting from them a focused response to your sermon, or even worse, telling them that if they sit still for a sermon or become a member of that church then you will be rewarded with a meal or help, is a form of extortion and does not match up with how Jesus served those who came to Him.  

The author of “Ten Questions” states: “Christianity is a religion of concern for others.” When this book was published, it was said that, of all the religions of the world, Christianity has no parallel when it comes to demonstrating concern for people and for their needs.[i] When we look at the accounts of Jesus’ ministry to the crowds, we read stories like the one at Mark 6:34-44. His preaching was feeding their souls and His grace fed their bellies. Look also at how Jesus responds to others who were not necessarily committed to Him, but who were created by Him: Luke 7:1-15.  

Followers of Christ know the words of Jesus in describing His greater mission in the Incarnation: “I have come that they may have life.” His primary concern was the permanent healing and restoration that could only be accomplished through Him providing Himself as a perfect sacrifice to redeem the lives of those lost due to the “sin estate” inherited from Adam. And we, His followers, are to have the same concern for those enslaved by sin, whether they know they are or not, by sharing compassion and kindness through the gospel transformation of our own hearts and soul. There is hurt in every heart and home (a saying is that if we live long enough, we’ll see or experience several hurts, and even grief).  

Putting on the “gospel lenses” of Christ, notes Mr. Whitney, we have the opportunity to look around us – in our neighborhoods, workplace, our classrooms, our church, our families, with the filter of “What are his/her/their spiritual needs?” Then, “What are his/her/their temporal needs?” By looking with these filters, we may be able to see the needs with sharper focus, and which – by God’s grace and our willingness – we may be able to address or meet. We must individually and corporately ask God, “What can we do?” Sometimes the needs are very obvious – people who need yard work done, transportation to doctor’s appointments and shopping, snow removal, meals, and who would benefit from a call where you may share Bible readings with one another, or when it is safe, to bring communion to shut-ins, or – like in our worship community – to take the communion sets to shut-ins so that they may participate in Holy Communion during the remote service. Or the needs may be “invisible”; as we continue to offer ourselves to God to be Christ for others, God will direct us to those who need to hear from or be helped by us. Do not sit passively waiting for someone to ask us to help in a ministry or to support efforts to help others within the greater community of the church’s building. As we grow more like Jesus, we will see ministry to temporal needs not as competing with but as complementing, the meeting of spiritual needs! No one indwelt by the Holy Spirit can remain unfeeling towards either the temporal or spiritual needs of others. Therefore, as persons indwelt by God’s Spirit, desire deeply to be more Christ-like in this area of our lives. One of the things we will experience is an incomparable soul joy and assurance that we have been Christ to someone. As is recorded at Matthew 25:31-46, with our gospel lenses, let us look for Christ in others and ask God to direct us to help others through His enabling power in us. 

*The foregoing represents my personal reflections on a study by Dr. Donald S. Whitney, Ten Questions to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health. (2001. By Donald S. Whitney. NAVPRESS. ISBN 978-1-61747-187-2) Quotations and excerpts are from that source, unless otherwise identified. For the 2023 Lenten season I provided these thoughts to my local congregation's Bible study group. The questions are not, however, constrained by a particular liturgical season, holiday, or age group: these are questions every Christian may find useful in fulfilling God's command at 2 Corinthians 13:5, "Examine yourselves to see whether you are living in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not realize that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless, indeed, you fail to meet the test!" The church at Corinth looked a lot like many of our churches today. 

 

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[i] The author, Mr. Whitney, includes in this chapter examples of “need-meeters” that included the Swiss reformer Huldreich (Ulrich) Zwingli who worked to turn monasteries into orphanages in the 16^th century; George Whitefield, who in the 18^th century devoted much of his income to the development of an orphanage in colonial Georgia, and William Wilberforce in the late 18^th to early 19^th century who persevered for decades in the British Parliament to begin the modern movement to end slavery. William Carey, an English missionary in the late 18^th to early 19^th centuries, was responsible for outlawing the centuries-old practices of child sacrifice and widow burning in India. George Muller in the 19^th century, who was a great champion of prayer and faith, recorded more than 50,000 specific answers to prayer in his journals, which focused on glorifying God by providing the means to feed, clothe, house, and educate up to 2,000 orphans in Bristol, England. “The Lord was pleased to channel tens of millions of dollars through Muller’s hands, though he never made known his own needs to anyone but God. Charles H. Spurgeon, also 19^th century, built more than 17 homes for elderly widows and an orphanage for hundreds of children of all races and backgrounds, and eventually started and/or presided over 66 ministry organizations which served the poorer parts of London – many of which were funded directly by Spurgeon. 

Mr. Whitney states that the missionary work by Christians will most often include not only teaching the gospel but also living the gospel by establishing medical, educational and relief for the poor.

Well-known organizations of today that benefit from the models set through the persons mentioned above include: World Vision, Food For The Poor, Doctors Without Borders and Mercy Ships, Compassion International, Catholic Relief Services, the United Methodist Comm. On Relief, the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, Samaritan’s Purse, and locally, Central Union Mission.

 

Our Jealous God

"Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God."
(Exodus 34:14)

As humans, we often experience a jealousy that is tainted with an unreasonable and suffocating expression of emotion by another over our self/person. Or, we may be the one who obsesses to a level of madness that grips us like a spell that cannot be broken. We have read about so-called 'love' relationships where a partner says he or she loves the other but it is a selfish, obsessive driving emotion that seeks to control and dominate in such a way that it edges onto or crosses the border of sanity. While we would like to think that this is 'love' at its most passionate expression, it is not. The One who created love says this about what true love is: "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." (1 Corinthians 13:4-8a)

Too often, this jealous madness that is obsessed with controlling and dominating the other person results in harm to the other and/or to those perceived to be encroaching on the jealous one's turf - a harm that potentially becomes deadly. The song of the jealous is, "if I can't have you no one will." 

I have been in such a relationship. 

My then husband more than once threatened my life at gunpoint and took our children hundreds of miles away as leverage. When a person is victimized to such an extent, you experience your own type of madness; your reasoning becomes warped. You walk in fear and shame - especially when the outbursts and threats become public and/or on your job. I was asked to leave my employment because of the risk to other employees. I felt like less than nothing at that point. While he claimed to be religious, and put on a religious face when attending services or around members of the church, his obsessive jealousy and need for control over me was exhibited behind closed doors. He had no fear of God in his heart. His kidnapping of the children, and unrelenting search to find me after I escaped his terror shattered every aspect of my life, estranged me from my family as I did not want to put them in jeopardy. Yet, ironically, they would distance themselves from me because of the shame I had brought on them, as I became known in all our circles as the one being chased from place to place by a crazed husband.  One day he found a way to contact me because he had won the lottery but, due to state law, had to share it with me as we were still legally married. I bargained with him for the children, telling him to keep the money and let me have the children. He signed them over to me for money. We fled immediately hundreds of miles in the other direction. Jealousy clothed with the label of  "Love" was spiritually, emotionally, and psychologically damaging so much so that only a merciful God could repair what was broken, distorted, and restore my scarred my relationship with Him. He had to teach me to forgive. He had to teach me perfect love.

Jealousy that leads to strong desire to control and manipulate others is a product of our sinful nature that we inherited from Adam. God created humankind in His image; our sin mars that image, damages our personhoods, minds, souls, bodies. Sin destroys relationship with God. Our inherited sin - aided and abetted by the evil one and the moral and spiritual darkness of his evil world system - impairs our ability to perfectly express anger or jealousy. We have no pure starting point within our natural selves to provide the perfect expression of such powerful emotion. Our human anger and jealousy has no righteousness attached to it because it emanates from a place of damage and brokeness. Within our human power, we cannot even love as we ought. Within our natural selves, this lack is a critical and chronic disability that is also self-deceiving - it permeates all we do. Because our natural selves suffer in that way, when we come across a scripture like the Exodus passage quoted above, or Deuteronomy 4:24, or 1 Corinthians 10:22, we are challenged in our sin-shaped hearts and minds to understand this jealousy of God - which is a perfect expression and sovereign right.

To be honest, from a spiritual standpoint, I know for a certainty that God's jealousy is beyond my comprehension. There was a time when that lack of 'sight' was a struggle because I lived by logic. Logic can sometimes get in the way of faith, as I had to learn. Awareness of God those aspects and attributes of God's character that I cannot fully comprehend is a reason to rejoice because why would I want a God I can control and manipulate? No, instead of dampening my faith, I more and more desire for it to be stronger so that even though I cannot comprehend every iota of knowledge about our Almighty God, my growing faith becomes growing trust in Him, gratitude for His perfect jealousy over what belongs to Him. That includes me.

How must we look at this part of God's character from a Biblical viewpoint - how He has revealed Himself in scripture?

• God's perfect jealousy is based in His holiness. He is Adonai ha'Elohim Hakkadosh - the Lord the Holy One. As sinful humans, we are unable to fully grasp the Holiness of God. It is like asking a person blind from birth to describe the sunrise or sunset, or the colors of the rainbow. -Joshua 24:19; 1 Samuel 2:2
• God's perfect jealousy is based in His justice - no jurist in the flesh can render up decisions in their repertoire of law and principle that can compare to the depths of God's justice. He is Yahweh Tsidkenu - LORD our Righteousness and Elohei Misphat (God of Just/Righteous Law). His law is perfect, His judgments are always right. -Deuteronomy 10:17-19; Isaiah 5:16
• God's perfect jealousy is based in His being El Olam - the Everlasting God. the Ever-Present God Who Dwells in the Eternal Present. He owns time. As owner and Creator of time, God has the sole right to use it as He sees fit. -Psalm 90; Colossians 1:15-17
• God's perfect jealousy is based in His being a Creator God, Elohim, The Hashem - the Great I AM WHO I AM. God owns all that He created, He has invested in us beyond our comprehension. He is our El Shaddai - our All-Sufficient Sustainer God. He has always been the Potter to our being the clay - what say do we have in what He does? -Exodus 3:14; Romans 9:20-22; Psalm 104
• God's perfect jealousy is based in His Almighty Power and Wisdom. There is no God of Power like our God. His Wisdom exceeds all the brightest 'geniuses' ever born all together. In His perfect expression of jealousy for His people, God will execute His wrath against those who desire to harm them.  -Daniel 2:20; Jeremiah 10:6; Revelation 1:7-8; Jeremiah 51:15
• God's perfect jealousy is based in His perfect love - a covenant love (Hesed) that is also sacrificial (Ahavah, Agape).  -Psalm 103:17; John 3:16-17; 1 John 4:9-10  This is not a love that we can grasp because that was destroyed by Adam's sin in us: we cannot grasp it nor express it in our human capacity. We must let the Holy Spirit create within us the love reflective of God.
• Finally (at least on this list instant), God's perfect jealousy is based in His Sovereignty. He owns all things. He controls the heavens and the earth, yet He has given His created beings the freedom to choose between His Sovereignty or theirs. (And we so deceive ourselves into thinking our choice of self-lordship is going to have a different result than it had for a perfect man and woman.) He is the author of all things, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. We cannot live for a moment if God removed all oxygen from us, and yet we presume to know better than He. As Sovereign, God has the right to act, choose, give or take away, create or destroy. This perfect rightness can often ring unfair in a nonbeliever's ear, for he or she has never known a righteous, perfect Creator and Owner; his or her experience and knowledge, or lack thereof, cannot bring him or her to comprehend that kind of Sovereignty that emanates from the love described above. He has the right to set destinies, to save whom He chooses, and allow the hearts of others to harden against Him. This question of Sovereignty has been raised against God for eons, and this challenge is eloquently described in Isaiah 40-44 and elsewhere in God's testimony as recorded in Isaiah. The book opens with a declaration of Sovereignty in chapter 1 of Isaiah where the LORD God describes the wickedness and rebellion of the people against His Lordship, in verses 23-24 He says: "Your princes are rebels and companions of thieves. Everyone loves a bribe and runs after gifts. They do not defend the orphan, and the widow’s cause does not come before them. Therefore says the Sovereign, the Lord of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel: Ah, I will pour out my wrath on my enemies, and avenge myself on my foes!" God our Sovereign reserves the exclusive, absolute right to be worshiped - on this point there is no gray area. -Psalm 8:1, 9; Daniel 4:2-3; 1 Timothy 6:15; Psalm 24:1-2; Isaiah 66:1; Deuteronomy 5:9; Deuteronomy 10:20; Romans 1:18-25  

The foregoing is but a glimpse into the perfect holiness and righteousness of the Only True God, a perfection that is expressed through a jealousy that we cannot understand, but which acts in agape love - a sacrificial love - for those who love God and are called according to His purpose. He desires the best for His people, and places a guardrail and hedge of jealousy around them. He has vowed to never leave nor forsake them, to not let them be snatched from His hand by the enemy. God's people are His possession because He created them to become His people through the poured-out sacrificial blood of Jesus. (Ephesians 1:6-7; Ephesians 2:12-14)

Our God of love, of Might, our Wise and All Knowing God wants our complete devotion - He deserves it! He is jealous for it! When our God Incarnate - the Son of God - walked on this earth, He constantly spoke to and taught such allegiance to God. "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind." That we can serve only One master; that our God supplies all our needs when we put Him first in our lives. His beloved Sermon on the Mount overflows with admonition of relationship with God and how He would have us live. (Matthew 5-7) The parable of the prodigal recorded in Luke 15:11-32 illustrates God's love for us - that He does not force us into relationship with Him, that He is forgiving beyond our capacity to understand, that He desires our heart worship - our whole lives to be lived in Him and with Him; that to do so brings an inner joy unimaginable. His final earthly hours were filled with prayer and pleadings for all who would believe and obey, whose hearts were to be tied to His and to the Father, who would be one with Him and with the Father. (John 14 to 17) In Matthew 10, we hear Christ's strong implication of God's sovereign right of worship and devotion - His jealousy over His human creation - without using the word jealous. He spoke to the desire of the Father for our worship to be exclusive - not divided among other interests or gods. Christ's very presence as God in human form was to begin the gathering of those whom the Father, in His sovereign will, would set aside for salvation: His coming would set a sword, a plumb line, a line in the sand to separate those who would receive Christ and thus receive the Father and those who would choose to be their own lord or to worship the devil (as noted in scripture above - there are only 2 masters: God and the devil). He would anoint and appoint those that the Father would choose to serve Him and to carry out the work He began. In His last week on earth He foretold that there would come a time when He would, in God's righteous jealousy, His perfect love demonstrated, return for those whom He had chosen, who love Him with all their whole heart, mind, and soul, whose lives are committed to Him and are awaiting His return. That He would make known to all in an astounding set of events and acts His fierce love for those who love Him. (Matthew 24-25) O what a God! Isn't He wonderful! -Isaiah 25:19; Psalm 9:1.

Hallelujah! Praise our Jealous God who loves us with a fierce love of protection, of blessing, of provision of all things good and enduring. Who loves us forever and will never abandon those He loves. Who walks with us and lives in us. May we all cling to Him in this life and rejoice in His glorious and righteous jealousy in the life to come. Amen.

"Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the Glory of God?"

Did you know that we have been given the opportunity to serve a God Who, because of His own Glory, was willing to rescue us from an eternal spiritual death by sending His own Son to die for us? (Psalm 79:9) 

John 11:1-45

When someone is spiritually dead, that means that even though they walk and talk and go about their business, they have no belief in God, do not recognize God, they cannot see His Glory through eyes of faith. The sin which controls them - their attitudes, their behavior, all that they are, makes them incapable of recognizing and submitting to God the Father and God the Son, and there is no relationship with God the Holy Spirit - the Giver of Life. (1 John 1:6)

Ezekiel 37 calls out those who have stopped believing in God - even those who were supposed to be God's people. They are dead spiritually - dead and dry. "They say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.’" But for His Glory, so that they will know that He is the LORD God who created them, He promises to restore them by giving them His Spirit to make them alive, so that they can worship Him and live fully.

Romans 8:5-9 echos a similar warning. "To set the mind on the flesh is death." [the flesh as described here refers to being cut off from God spiritually because of our sinful nature--the Adamic inheritance all humans have and which blocks us from seeing God's Glory because we cannot believe (Psalm 51:5)]. That is explained in the next sentence: "For this reason the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God's law-- indeed it cannot, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God." God tells us, warns in His words at Ephesians 2:1-3 about the nature of spiritual death and how it keeps us from God. But look at the promise echoed in the Romans 8 reading, as well as in verses 4-10 of Ephesians 2, and the harmony of these promises with the promise in Ezekiel 37. 

Because of His own Glory, God wants to bring His people to life - to put His life into us - so that we can see Him and believe. While we exist in our bodies today, God spiritually restores us to live His life through us. To see God is to see His Glory and reflect it so that we become light for others. To believe God is to glorify Him - as Jesus is saying in the subject line above, and in the Gospel reading in John 11 at the opening link. His resurrection of Lazarus gives us a glimpse into what He will do in our lives now by creating new life in us; He rescues us from death! A saving faith comes from hearing and acting on the words of Christ. He calls us to come out of our spiritual graves, and to remove the bindings of sin through our obedience to Him. Then He calls us to glorify God in our lives and in our bodies. I invite you to read the scriptures herein and seek to understand the message God is giving to us all. To hear in our own ears, and see in our own hearts of faith Jesus say to us those startling words, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the Glory of God? ...I Am the Resurrection and the Life. Those who believe in me, though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" Do you believe?  

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Shaped by God

(This was a message given to Bible students recently. It was shared in part to impart encouragement to the students, and to honor the memory of Dr. R. C. Sproul and his faithful ministry. Hope you find this as meaningful as I have.)

Dear students,

A while back, we were treated to a study published by R.C. Sproul on the spiritual disciplines every Christian should adopt – the little green 5 Things book. It packs a wallop of theology for Christians to help us submit to the shaping and molding that the Holy Spirit must do in our lives. A key focus of Pastor Sproul’s, and all grounded-in-Christ ministers is theology. Simply put, theology is a study of God and His ways, thinking, actions, Word. It is the grounding that all followers of Christ must have. You cannot be a Christian without knowing the Triune God and believing in the authority of His Word – His transformative Gospel – in which He reveals Himself to us.

One of the chapters in the Bible which we are told that Pastor Sproul found exceptionally valuable because of the total of theology it expresses is Romans 8. Here is what he and others of us who are Bible students know - as excerpted from Derek Thomas’ new teaching series on Romans 8:

      "Romans 8 has almost everything. It begins with our justification by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone (vv. 1–4), continues with sanctification and the work of the Holy Spirit (vv. 5–13), and then speaks about our adopted sonship with the Father (vv. 14–17), the significance of suffering (vv. 17–18), the prospect of glory (vv. 17–18), the final redemption of our bodies (vv. 17–25), and the restoration of all creation (vv. 19–21). It reassures us that as we wait for our resurrection and final transformation (vv. 23–24), the Spirit helps us in our weakness (v. 26) and intercedes for us (vv. 26–27).

      It teaches us about the good and sovereign providence of God in our lives (v. 28), and that His goal is to transform us into the likeness of Christ (v. 29). Indeed, Paul says, nothing can stop God from bringing that to pass (v. 30). No one can successfully oppose us, bring any charge against us, condemn us, or finally separate us from God’s love for us in Christ (vv. 31–39).

      This is breathtaking theology!

      That is the point, isn’t it? Romans 8 is not merely breathtaking eloquence. It is the theology of these verses that puts backbone into Paul’s life—and it can put backbone into our lives too."

Doesn't the above reaffirmation make you want to grab your Bible and read Romans 8? And grab your Bible journals and write your reactions as you read!

In our next Bible Study, we will have an opportunity to learn and be reminded of all God the Holy Spirit is and what He does in our lives to accomplish all God’s purpose in us. We will use the publication by Dr. Charles Stanley, Relying on the Holy Spirit. . . .

... Be blessed with the joy of the Lord today!

The Mystery of Salvation

Romans 10:9 “…if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”                                    

Ephesians 1:3-5 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,  just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.”

Ephesians 2:8 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”                       

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The Mystery of Salvation. At first glance, these scriptures appear at odds with one another. Yet when we consider the work of the Holy Spirit, His deliberate involvement in our lives before we have fully formed or have been fully informed, it makes sense – yet it is still a Divine mystery. John 16 tells us that the Helper, the Holy Spirit, will convict the world of sin and of righteousness, and that when He comes, He will guide those predestined by God into all truth, speaking on the authority of the Father. Through God the Holy Spirit’s work in us as the truth speaker, and the author of the gospel of our salvation, we are sanctified – set apart for God’s use. (2 Peter 1:21; John 17)

By God’s plan, the Holy Spirit convicts our hearts (that is, those who God has predestined for salvation) and makes us ready to receive the gospel of truth, the gospel of our salvation (Romans 1:16). And by His grace implants the seed of faith within us and moves in such a way that we can declare with our mouths, or the better word, confess with our mouths Christ as Savior and Lord, since we are regretting our sinful lives and desire to repent or turn around from that life. Part of the mystery is that with each individual who has been saved, there is a uniqueness in each instance of salvation. We don’t all experience that moment of salvation at the same age, in the same place or circumstance, etc. Salvation does not result from a confirmation or catechism class, or even a baptism, but by God’s will. Otherwise, it is a human intervention or effort -- not God -- doing the saving. And, yet, in His grace and goodness, He allows us to choose or affirm what He has worked in us. He allows us to covenant with Him. In the very best sense, we put ‘skin in the game’, that is, we surrender ourselves to His sovereignty and Lordship over us in our confession. We are allowed to make ourselves a living sacrifice to God, based on the work of the Cross – Christ’s sacrifice that covers us. (Romans 12:1; Ephesians 2:15-17)

The greatest mystery in salvation is that God has chosen us – as the Spirit has Paul write so well at Ephesians 2, we who “were dead in [our] transgressions and sins,  in which [we] used to live when [we] followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.  All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.” I cannot comprehend that, but accept by faith what He has done in me, what He has done in all of us whom He has called. A great mystery, indeed.

God's Ultimate Blessing

What is the Ultimate Blessing of God? Many within and without Christianity surmise that such a blessing is riches, power, big houses and fleets of vehicles. Others say the ultimate blessing is nonstop good health, food and pleasure. 

A person viewing God’s ultimate blessing in those terms may be disappointed by Jesus’ statements at Matthew 5:1-12. There Jesus shows us that the ultimate blessing is about relationship with God.

In Psalm 24, David expresses his confidence in who God is and the ultimate blessing God imparts: an intimate relationship with Himself, the Most High God, Sovereign over all! That blessing comprises His saving grace, a right standing before Him, and His desire for us to live into His moral will. Ephesians describes that relationship with God as “in Christ;” in Him we are bathed in an outpouring of all spiritual blessings from His hand. (Ephesians 1) From those blessings come provision for all our needs. (Phil 4:19). 

In this ultimate blessing, we are drawn into His spiritual family and made joint heirs with Christ. We come to know God in that ultimate blessing as Father, and the more intimate Abba Father. Do we truly comprehend what God offers us – a blessing beyond anything we can ever imagine? (Ephesians 3:20-21; Colossians 1:9-14; 2:2) Too often, though, we short-shrift God’s blessing, His promised presence in our lives, because we don’t get what we want from Him. Brothers and sisters, God does not promise to satisfy our every fleshly desire and whim; His promise is to be always present with those who love Him, guiding us to His best for our lives. (Psalm 23; 139:1-6, 16-18)

As we live into God’s ultimate blessing, are we not filled with the desire to praise Him with our words and behavior, to be His living gospel, to not embarrass Him? We are His children, Christ’s siblings! Should we not pray and listen to Him, obey His Word? Jesus declares that obedience to God’s will and Word is the essence of worship. (John 14:15, 23-24) We are embraced in that relationship by the full Godhead, and there is nothing or no one – not even ourselves – that can separate us from that love. (John 10:28-29; Romans 8:35, 38-39) Are we living into God’s blessing? Do we understand that an intimate relationship with God and to glorify Him and enjoy Him forever is His greatest desire for us? Everything else flows from there. (Habakkuk 3:17-19; Philippians 4:4-7)

By contrast, the psalmist clearly admonishes in Psalm 24 that those who reject the LORD as Sovereign, and pursue a lifestyle contrary to His moral law, cannot enjoy that ultimate blessing of intimacy with Him. Let us never spurn God’s ultimate blessing, but continually seek His presence and learn His will! (Hebrews 6:1-6; Isaiah 44:22; 55:7; Psalm 32; Ephesians1:17-19)

Invitation to Dinner

When a person hosts a special dinner for a close friend or two, he or she takes time to set the table, making it inviting and comfortable, a delight to the eyes as well as to the palate. The best dinnerware is brought out, the chairs are clean and comfortable, the table dressed in the best linens or covers and perhaps have a ‘tablescape’ that complements the event. Such care is taken because the person loves his or her guests, wants them to be encouraged, to feel valued, and to thoroughly enjoy the fellowship to which they have been invited. The person is especially inclined to be intentional in setting the table when those friends are enduring difficult times. The fellowship time generates enhanced relationships, a tighter bond.

When what we know as Psalm 23 was being penned by David under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he was moved to write in the midst of great challenge – people were seeking his death. David was running for his life. In the entire circumstance of challenge, sadness, and despair experienced by David (the person who had wanted David killed was the King of Israel, and one whom David had drawn close to with a fondness seeing in the king a father-like figure). Can you imagine the rollercoaster emotions David had to be experiencing?

David turned to his Heavenly Father for comfort, companionship, and encouragement in such times of discouragement. When we experience difficulties and trials, a key impact is the opportunity for increased intimacy with our Heavenly Father. David describes the intimacy and blessing of a special time of fellowship with his Heavenly Father: “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.” Can we picture just what David is writing? Can we see the circumstance through his eyes? God the Father set the table and invites David. Although David was the servant and God the host, David’s Father God arranged a unique and special time of sweet communion and intimate fellowship in the midst of David’s severe troubles. God carved out special times of communion with David, and was committed to fellowship with him. God Himself sets the tablescape, bringing all the perfect accoutrements required.

Do we aspire to that kind of intimacy with God as David did? When we are facing trials so much bigger than us, and possibly in deep pain, do we thank God that He is always present and so willing to share intimate time with us? Do we find the grace of God in the tablescape of His desire to enjoy the opportunity to ‘sit’ with us and bring us the peace and contentment of a relationship with the Prince of Peace, God of Love? (compare Luke 24:13-15, 28-32) Don’t put the opportunity aside, saying you will get around to spending time with God; RSVP now to God’s invitation to fellowship with Him. The table is set just for you.

Partnering with Christ

When you think of it, that seems a bold, presumptuous statement for a human to say, that “we are partners with Christ”. However, it did not originate with humans, but from the Holy Spirit. Hebrews 3:12-14 (NRSV) tells us: “ ¹² Take care, brothers and sisters, that none of you may have an evil, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. ¹³ But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” so that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. ¹⁴ For we have become partners of Christ, if only we hold our first confidence firm to the end.” (compare Revelation chapters 2 and 3).

For those of us who are partners with Christ, we did not become so because we went out of our way to do this. No – the Holy Spirit came to us seeking us out to join in this unique relationship with Christ. In John's Gospel, chapter 4, Jesus reminds us that our relationship is a spiritual one, and that our lives should be lives of worship in spirit and truth (not just a thing we do once a week in a building).

Ephesians 2:1-10 outlines how we become partners with Christ. In fact, a description of that partnership is also in chapter 1, and in chapter 4. We are partners in Christ to do good works, as stated chapter 2, verse 10. Such works are defined by God in His Word so that we do not have to guess. Paul, through the Holy Spirit, also received the word at Romans 8 and 12 – which is a follower of Christ’s foundational doctrine for knowing one’s identity in Christ. Being in Christ conveys an immersion - a place of oneness. These verses also speak to those ‘good works’ that God has preordained for those followers and partners of Christ.

Just like wearing a badge does not make someone a policeman, neither does wearing the moniker of “Christian” necessarily convey that we are partnering with Christ. (see Jesus’ admonition at Matthew 7:21-23) Knowing God’s will for our ownselves by examining His Word and seeking His direction in prayer and, then, with His help, doing it is therefore very important towards growing in this unique relationship (John 15:1-5).  

Jesus encourages us throughout the scriptures that our partnership with Him is of high value to Him and the Father. That God moves us from death (what we deserve) to life in Christ (God’s unmerited grace), is a cause for celebration and a motivation to continue to build on our relationship in Christ. How can you not exult in knowing that you have been given the gift of eternal life, that God through the provision of the blood of Christ, has rescued you from darkness and an eternal death separated from God? Did you not know that God sees you as dead if you have not been saved by his grace? (p.s. baptism does not save you!!! Communion does not save you!!!! despite what many traditions teach - reread Ephesians 2:1-10!)

Choosing to accept God's invitation to partner with Christ is not limited to an age - older children through to old age have the same opportunity to walk in the spirit with Christ. God desires all persons to accept His invitation as He declares in John 3:16, yet as he notes in verses 18-20, there will be those who reject this life-saving gift: ¹⁶ “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.  ¹⁸ He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. ¹⁹ This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. ²⁰ For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed."

Consider today, while it is still today, this free invitation to share in Christ and enter into this unique relationship. The rewards are tremendous! 

I leave you with this prayer and blessing Ephesians chapter 1 given to those whom God has called and who has been brought into His spiritual family:

^“3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, ⁴ just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. ⁵ He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, ⁶ to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. ⁷ In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace ⁸ that he lavished on us.” Amen

“If we are the body, why aren’t His arms reaching, why aren’t His hands healing, why aren’t His words teaching…”