Posts by reachchurch

Read This Week: Romans 10

How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. – Romans 10:14-17 NIV

We all learn in different ways. We collect, process, and apply information in a manner that is unique to our personalities and cognitive abilities. But one thing is the same across the board, our access to an abundance of information through multiple avenues.

We live in an unprecedented age where we can receive messages in an instant that teach us and contribute to our intellectual, mental, emotional, and spiritual growth. Not many people, even in the most remote places, lack the ability to send and receive messages that inform. Knowing this, Christians have an opportunity to use all available resources to share the good news of Jesus Christ like never before.

Although it was different in the ancient world, Paul makes a similar point in Romans 10 that the Israelites didn’t have an excuse for rejecting the message of Christ because they had heard it and had access to the messengers that delivered it including himself. He frames this with several questions about faith and belief coming through first hearing the gospel. He says in verse 14:

How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?

Paul’s intent in these questions is to counter the implication that Israel was not at fault in their failure to believe in God’s word because it lacked preachers and exposure to it. He quotes Isaiah 52:7 in verse 15 and Isaiah 53:1 in verse 16 to assert that God had been faithful in sending his messengers, but the message had not been received or embraced. Verse 16 says:

But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?” Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.

Paul was applying this truth from the Old Testament to the preaching of the gospel in the present day. He wanted to reiterate the sequence of events that leads to faith in Jesus. It starts with the good news being shared so that people can hear, receive, and believe. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the messenger to deliver the gospel and the responsibility of the person receiving the message to respond.

The focus of this passage is ultimately the message; the gospel of Jesus. It must be shared for people to have the opportunity to believe. Once it is shared, people then have the choice to reject or accept it. The good news is so important and so eternal that the messenger has no excuse not to tell it. And because of its power and vitality, when it is heard, there is no excuse not to do something with it.

Paul writes in verse 15 that beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news! This essentially means that in the Christian life, nothing is of greater value, more fulfilling, more worthy, or more impactful than sharing the gospel with our loved ones, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and the world. It is a beautiful message that changes everything.

Read This Week: Romans 9

I speak the truth in Christ — I am not lying, my conscience confirms it through the Holy Spirit — I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people, those of my own race, the people of Israel. – Romans 9:1-4 NIV

We often hear the word compassion as an expression of sympathy in contexts of caregiving professions, the judicial system, or helping the poor and marginalized in society. Compassion is taking pity and having concern for the sufferings and misfortunes of others. But a better definition of compassion is “to suffer together or the feeling that arises when you are confronted with another’s difficulties and feel motivated to relieve them.”

In other words, true compassion in life toward any individual or group doesn’t just stop with the emotion. When we are genuinely feeling compassion, it should move us to action. We should walk alongside others, get involved in their lives, and go beyond our own comfort to help alleviate their suffering.

This was the Apostle Paul’s heart and posture toward the people of Israel in Romans 9. Even though his letter is addressed to the believers in Rome and primarily a Gentile audience, it in no way leaves out his compassion and love for the Jews and the implications of the gospel for his own countrymen. In fact, at the beginning of the entire book, he says that the gospel is rooted in God’s dealings with Israel. Because of this, we not only see his compassion for the nation but his anguish at their unbelief in Christ.

We observe Paul’s intense concern in verse 3, “For I could wish that I, myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people, those of my own race.” When Paul thought of his people and their estrangement from God, he felt overwhelming grief. His compassion is so strong that he is ready to forfeit his own hope in Christ if it would benefit and save them. It would be hard to find a greater expression of love and an ultimate form of compassion than this. Paul is so desperate for the Jews to be saved that he would ask God to cut him off from Christ if that would bring their redemption.

Just imagine if this type of compassion, care, and effective love was felt and expressed in the hearts and lives of modern-day believers? That we would care so much for the suffering and lostness of those far from God, that we would be willing to go to any lengths to see them rescued from their sin, restored to a relationship with their heavenly Father, and experience the joy of eternal salvation.

As followers of Jesus, there is no such thing as caring too much. There is no such thing as having compassion without action. Our understanding of God’s sovereignty and what He has done for us should not lead to complacency or apathy about the spiritual and physical suffering of others, but to extraordinary empathy and burden for them. Our love for Christ and his gospel compels us beyond a feeling to a calling, a purpose, and a mission to care too much.

Read This Week: Romans 8

If Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. – Romans 8:10, 26-27 NIV

The Holy Spirit has been referred to at times as the “Forgotten God” because so many Christians neglect His presence in their lives. The Spirit is the member of the triune Godhead mentioned the least during Sunday gatherings and whose power we often fail to access in our daily journey. Some even substitute the gospel for the work of the Holy Spirit. But, His existence is undeniable, and His presence is what empowers the people of God to live out His purpose, accomplish His will, and be the Church in the world.

The Apostle Paul does not forget or neglect the Holy Spirit in the teachings of Romans 8. From the second verse to the end of the chapter, he asserts that it is not possible to be a Christian without the Spirit. We cannot separate the person and work of the Holy Spirit from the Father or from Jesus. Paul sets the tone for this in verses 2 and 5-6:

The law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires, but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.

Here, we see that the Spirit is the One who causes us to believe in and benefit from Christ’s finished work on the cross. He enables us to do God’s will and gives us the power over sin and death in the present as well as the ability to live victoriously apart from what our flesh wants to do. The Holy Spirit reminds us that we are justified before God and no longer condemned.

Paul also uses this opportunity to teach the Roman believers and us that the Holy Spirit is our Helper as Jesus said He would be in John 14:26. He helps by teaching us the deep things of God and how to obey the Lord’s commands. The Spirit helps us escape from and avoid sin. He stands in the gap for us in our weaknesses. And as Paul specifically points out, the Spirit prays for us and intercedes on our behalf. Verse 26 says:

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us.

In our new life with God, the Holy Spirit shows up in ways and at a point where we often need it most, in our prayers. Because of our weakness, we sometimes don’t know how to pray as we should. But the Spirit comes and ministers to us by assisting in our communion with God even when we can’t find the words to say. The Holy Spirit, however, understands our hearts and the meaning of our deep emotions, and through them, pleads to God for us. He is the ever-present help in time of need.

It is no wonder after Paul outlines this ministry of the Holy Spirit that he writes, We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. This verse is never more true or understood when we remember that we have the power of the Holy Spirit living in us, the same power that raised Christ from the dead. How could all things not work together for good when we know we have the Spirit of God with us at all times? May we never forget that beautiful and hopeful truth.

Read This Week: Romans 8

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 8:28, 37-39 NIV

The word conquer brings connotations and feelings of victory over something; the demolition of a worthy opponent or getting the better of someone on the way to ultimate triumph. It is a strong verb originally meant for kings and their adornment of praise after successfully overcoming and putting down an enemy. To conquer is to establish a lasting and permanent mark of defeat.

In chapter 8 of Romans, the Apostle Paul doubles down and gives new meaning to the word conquer. He says we are more than conquerors as Christians indicating that we’ve gone beyond a decisive win to something deeper and more profound. Through Jesus’ finished work on the cross, we have gained a conclusive advantage over sin and death once and for all time. Nothing is left unconquered in the power of Christ. It is a total victory over our present brokenness, suffering, and hardships.

Paul writes in verses 1-14 that this total victory comes through the power of the Holy Spirit living in us after salvation. He declares that we live in our bodies with the same Spirit’s power that raised Jesus from the dead. The power that not only overcame the stronghold of sin and death but completely obliterated it. A person with that capability and power capacity is not merely a conqueror but someone that ascends to new and never before seen heights of success. Verses 10-11 says:

But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. 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 because of his Spirit who lives in you.

The total victory in our lives made possible by the Holy Spirit first came to us through love – the complete love of God. In verses 28, 37, and 39, Paul references this love as the reason all things work together for our good. He says that love gives us the very purpose we long for on the journey and in our struggles. Paul points to love as the catalyst of victory over sin, weakness, and demise. The love of God in Christ Jesus laid the groundwork for us to win now and for eternity.

Our confidence and assurance in life culminate in God’s great love for us. This section affirms that nothing, in our full range of existence including the natural and supernatural forces around us, the uncertainties of time, and all reaches of space, can separate us from the love of God. Nothing can stop it, restrict it, or keep us from knowing and feeling His love in our best and darkest moments. It is a total victory in Jesus.

Read This Week: Romans 7

Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! – Romans 7:21-25 NIV

As we genuinely attempt to follow Christ, do good, and be faithful to God’s Word, we sometimes forget that in the middle of this pursuit is a warring agent that wants to knock us off-kilter and destroy us. We sometimes lose sight of the fact that we’re in a struggle of such magnitude that it is described as a war in the Bible.

Romans 7 begins with Paul building off of his assertions in chapter 6 that we’ve been rescued from God’s judgment and are no longer under the law that leads to sin and death. He writes in verse 6, Now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit.

This section indicates that we used to be controlled and governed by our rebellious hearts. We were dominated by our natural sin that leads to death. But through salvation in Christ, we have died to the power of sin and are delivered from the law to follow God by the power of the Holy Spirit. We no longer serve ourselves according to our sinful nature, but, in His grace, we serve the Lord Jesus. However, Paul points out that there is still tension between the sinful flesh and the Spirit that lives in our hearts:

I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

He says we have the desire to do what is good and right, but it is often difficult to do so. Difficult because of the conflict between our inner being that has been captured by God, and our flesh that wants to sin and do evil. Paul goes on to describe this conflict as a war waging against the law of our minds and trying to make us prisoners of the law of sin. While we are under the power and influence of grace and the Holy Spirit, we live in this fallen world and our flesh wants desperately to sin. It is a war.

But, there is good news – the war is winnable. In fact, the war has been won. As Christians, we know that our hearts and lives have been transformed by faith in Jesus, and we have been rescued (v.24), set free from the law and sin. And although we constantly struggle with what we want to do and what we should do, Christ has given us power and relief from that struggle. He has given us the ability to win the war; the power to do what is good and honors God while fighting off the desire to do the opposite.

This chapter ends with Paul’s joyous battle cry of victory: Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! Jesus neutralized and ultimately destroyed evil through His death, burial, and resurrection. He gives us victory over our flesh and empowers us to be successful amid the reality of our fallenness. With him on our side, we cannot lose.

Read This Week: Romans 6

Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
– Romans 6:8-11, 23 NIV

Stories of rescue and endurance seem to capture our imagination and attention. Because we understand and value our lives more in the shadow of death, we are fascinated by the pursuit to stay alive and by the things that threaten our existence. Our spirits naturally cling to life, and our hearts become moved by narratives that highlight survival, especially when we know from what someone has been saved. The rescue is always enhanced by the peril overcome.

In Romans chapter 6, Paul refers to death in different iterations 16 times and to life in various forms 14 times as he describes our salvation from sin through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Justification by faith in Christ’s finished work is the ultimate rescue story in human history. It is the meta-narrative; the conclusive triumph of life over death.

Without it, we were and are living under the threat and oppression of sin and death. Verse 23 tells us that the result or penalty for sin is death. Our only fate, apart from Jesus, was and is condemnation. But with Christ and faith in Him, a new life of freedom and redemption begins. We experience rescue from judgment. We can be made righteous before God, claim power over sin, and have eternal life. Paul writes in verses 8-11:

Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

In this passage, Paul describes how the rescue took place and what life is like on the other side of liberation. He makes it clear that what Jesus did was sufficient, permanent, and effective for a life with God in the present and for an eternal destination in His presence.

The gospel of Jesus Christ is the believer’s rescue story. It is the rescue story of all-time. When the Bible says in verses 6-7 that we know our old self was crucified with Christ so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, we see that something has been done for us that we couldn’t possibly do for ourselves.

When we count ourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ, we recognize that we’ve been rescued from the place of death to the place of life. From the place of sin to the place of grace. From the old self to the new self. From the old habits and patterns to new, healthy ones. From destructive actions to favorable ones that glorify God. We know that we’ve survived an imminent and powerful threat and live to tell about it.

Read This Week: Romans 5

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. – Romans 5:1-2 NIV

If there has ever been a time in our society that we need a large dose of peace and hope, it is now. We find ourselves in a pivotal moment where tension is high, strife is rampant, and fear is palpable.

Restlessness is more prevalent than calm, negativity is more abundant than confidence, and disunity seems to be the order of the day. These are perilous times that require peace and hope from a source far superior to us and far more powerful than anything we can produce on our own.

In the book of Romans, Paul is writing to believers living in a tumultuous culture amid a turbulent time as well. In chapter 5, he reminds them of their new status of peace with God through the justification of Christ. He says that those who claim faith in Jesus are no longer estranged from God and have peace in this new relationship even while uncertainty, confusion, and suffering persist.

This reconciliation with God brings more than an inward feeling of peace of mind. It is more than an emotional response that we try to tap into when we’re fearful or apprehensive. Paul writes in verses 1-2, “we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.” We have constant access to peace through faith in Christ; peace is a reality, not just a feeling. Jesus has enabled us to stand in grace and God’s favor no matter what is going on in our lives or the world.

Paul goes on to point out that hope is a result of the peace we experience with God. Hope is the clearest and grandest benefit of the believer. It is the Christian’s hallmark to have an eternal and hopeful perspective on the future. Paul writes that we boast, or better said, we celebrate “in the hope of the glory of God.” We look forward with expectation to our eternal future, and that allows for hope in the present. Paul writes in verse 5:

“Hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.“

We are not ashamed of the hope we feel in Christ when the events and experiences of the world suggest that hope is futile. We are not deceived by hope as if it is a pipe dream, and we are not naive in our hope as if it is just a good idea. We are confident in the hope of Christ that comes from the peace of Christ as a result of our restored relationship with God through salvation. Hope and peace rest firmly in our hearts.

Our peace and hope are internal, but such peace and hope cannot stay inside. Verse 12 and 18 tell us:

“Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people. Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people.”

The gospel message of hope and peace is exactly what our world in turmoil desperately needs to hear and experience. May we know it ourselves and share it with others.

Read This Week: Romans 4

To the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness. David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the one to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: “Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord will never count against them.” Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring. – Romans 4:5-8, 16 NIV

It is interesting about us as people when it comes to starting and cultivating a relationship with God. We would rather work instead of trust. Our natural tendency is to do before we believe; earn before we submit. We default to attempting things on our own. We want to acquire our way to heaven instead of placing our faith in the only way. We desire to be righteous by our good deeds instead of the all-encompassing sacrifice of Christ.

Paul addresses this age-old human problem of striving versus believing in Romans 4. He has already said in Chapter 3 that God justifies all people by faith and that no one, regardless of heritage, culture, or background, can boast about their works. The Apostle reiterates this truth in verse 8: “The one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness.”

It is humanly impossible to do anything that will justify us as righteous before God. That is only accomplished through faith in Jesus’ finished work on the cross. This passage goes on to teach that justification by faith alone goes back to Abraham in the Old Testament. Paul writes, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” So if Abraham was justified by his faith and not his great works, that means we are too.

If we are justified by faith and not works, that means salvation is not restricted to one group of people. Paul quotes David and says, “Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.” All those whose sins are forgiven, not just some of those. If we are justified by faith and not the law, that means we live by trusting in God’s perfect truth and promises, not a standard dictated by imperfect people.

The example of Abraham in this chapter shows that from the beginning, the Lord’s way of relating to human beings is by faith in Him rather than on works that could never be adequate to close the gap between the two. By faith is how God desires for us to be in relationship with Him.

This is the faith that works; faith that is key to a blessed life. Verse 6 beautifully says, “Blessed is the one to whom God credits righteousness apart from works.” We are blessed when our works are the outflow of our faith, not the replacement for it. We are blessed when we live and rest in the justification before God provided through Christ, instead of striving needlessly and without merit to take His place.

Read This Week: Romans 3

This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. – Romans 3:22-24 NIV

One of the most treasured things about doing life on earth is experiencing the diversity of its people. It is a privilege to be alive and see the different races, cultures, backgrounds, anthropologies, and persuasions come together to form the beautiful tapestry of the human race. Because of this, our differences should not be ignored or avoided but celebrated, and declared appealing, respectable, and valuable. 

In recognizing our differences, we should also be aware of our sameness. No matter where we are from, what language we speak, or custom we adhere to, we are all made in the image of God. We all have inherent worth and an eternal destination. But we all have the same problem too. We are all born sinners in need of salvation and restoration to God. We are different people with the same dilemma in need of the same solution.

So far in Romans, Paul has outlined our shared problem of sin and God’s judgment, and he continues this in chapter 3. He writes in verses 9-10:

“We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin. As it is written: ‘There is no one righteous, not even one. No one understands; no one seeks God.'”

Paul makes it clear that there is no distinction between people in this. Everyone, despite their heritage, origin, or effort, shares the same fate. He continues to expound on this in verse 20 by saying that “no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law.” But in the next verse, Paul turns away from our shared problem and begins to focus on God’s solution for all – the gospel.

Paul affirms that God has made available to all people the right relationship to Himself through faith in Jesus Christ. Since “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” all people must repent and believe in Christ for salvation. Just as all are separate from God because of sin, all are declared righteous through grace that comes through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. Just as we are all subject to death and God’s judgment, we are all likewise beneficiaries of His mercy and eternal life through the resurrection of Christ. It is the same gift of redemption for all different people.

We experience the same difference as human beings. We are unique and different people who have the same natural predicament. Yet, in our differences, we have the same hope in the same gospel. It comes through the one, true God who loves all, and sent His Son to save all who believe.

Read This Week: Romans 2

You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment?
– Romans 2:1-3 NIV

At the end of Romans 1, Paul writes the most detailed, ominous, and graphic description of what happens to human beings when we continuously and willingly deny God and His truth. It is a sobering picture of lostness and man’s potential for evil when there is blatant defiance toward the Lord and no fear of consequences. He also notes that rebellion against God does not come from being unaware of Him, but being aware and choosing still to refuse and oppose Him.

Paul begins the second chapter talking about another form of lostness and unawareness that has a religious appearance. He turns his attention from culture and people far from Jesus to his Jewish people and those claiming a relationship with God. He noticed that the Jews were judging and condemning the Gentiles for their behavior and lifestyles. But Paul is not about to let this go without addressing the hypocritical and damaging nature of it. He writes in verse 1:

“You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.”

Here, the Scriptures warn those living in the 1st century and modern believers that expecting God to look the other way at our sin but punish the sins of others is to invite God’s judgment on us. Paul asserts that we are all subject to God’s perfect judgment and that He is the only worthy and righteous judge.

Therefore, those who know God should share the truth and hope of Christ with the lost while alerting them to the consequences of sin. What we are not to do is replace God as the adjudicator of people and pretend our sins are not under the same judgment. Essentially Paul is saying to check yourself before you feel tempted to elevate yourself above other people. Just because you agree with God’s law doesn’t mean you don’t also have to obey it. No one will escape God’s judgment.

This is a great checkpoint for us who claim a relationship with Jesus, especially in these troubled times. May the Holy Spirit empower us in obedience to His truth and law and not the judgment of others. May our hearts break for our sin as much as it does for the visible sin in our culture. May we not expect God to condone our unrepentant sin while punishing the same in the world. May our salvation from God’s wrath propel us to see others rescued and not condemned. Let’s check ourselves daily.