GOD – SOFT ON SIN?

‘Propitiation’ was to show God’s righteousness, because in his forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time.  Romans 3:25-26

            When Nathan confronted David over his relationship with Bathsheba, and David acknowledged the gravity of his sin, Nathan said something that is related to these words from Paul.  He said, “The Lord has put away your sin.”  Or, passed over.  The world is outraged when any judge just passes over sin.  Doesn’t that diminish His glory and put His righteous standing at stake?  Is God forever regarded as someone soft on sin, not to be taken seriously?  If He passes over sin, doesn’t that encourage us to pass over it too? Continue reading “God ~ Soft On Sin?” →

MOVED BY A WORD

..Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.  Romans 3:25

            “Propitiation” is a word we usually pass over quickly when reading through Romans.  Someone once said that it means “substitute”.  Knowing that, I pass over it quickly, thinking that I understand and don’t need to linger on it.  What a mistake.

            Worshippers in the ancient world knew the word well.  They would bring their sacrifices; animals, even new-born babies, and kill them at the altar, all for the purpose of appeasing angry gods.  While they faith was misplaced, their conscience was right in knowing that a ‘god’ who bore wrath needed to be appeased.  The one, true God sent Jesus to be the sacrifice.  He bore our wrath so we could appear guiltless before Him. Continue reading “Moved By A Word” →

MEASURING THE ATONEMENT

For there is no distinction: For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and are justified by his grace as a gift.  Romans 3:22b-24a

            People who consider themselves ‘good’ believe on some level that they don’t need as much grace to be saved.  Do they need the cross?  Yes, but not as much of it as the most degenerate of society.  It’s as if they measure out the blood of the atonement and believe that they only need five percent or twenty percent to be forgiven. 

            As Christians, it’s easy to still practice a horizontal kind of comparison with others.  We can look at someone else’s sin and say to God, “But I didn’t do that!”  The pride of not seeing ourselves as sinners continues.  Continue reading “Measuring The Atonement” →

BUT NOW

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it – the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe.  Romans 3:21-22

            What wonderful words and implication ~ “But now!”  They separate one part of life from another.  They provide a defining moment and one that is life changing.  I think of the life stories that have used this expression.

• I was sick all my life but now I’m healthy.
• I was an orphan but now I’m part of a loving family.
• I was unemployed but now am doing what I’ve always dreamed I would. Continue reading “But Now” →

WHO IS UNREASONABLE?

For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight.  Romans 3:20

            The one whom I offend is the one who has the right to tell me what it will take to make the relationship right.  If I steal from my neighbor and he wants the stolen goods back along with a sincere apology, but I bring him gifts instead, he will still hold the offense in his heart.  I have failed to make things right.  “But I was kind to him,” I argue.  “You just can’t make him happy no matter how nice you are to him!” I complain.  The problem is my rebellion against addressing the real issue. Continue reading “Who Is Unreasonable?” →

BAD NEWS – GOOD NEWS

“None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God.”  Romans 3:10-11

I can not be fully moved by the Gospel and the power of the cross until I admit to myself that I am not good at the core of me.  Left to myself, I would not even want God.  My desire to come to Jesus was fueled by a gift of grace, something I couldn’t conjure up on my own.  It’s hard to admit that I would be capable of any sin.  Instead, I want to make one horizontal comparison after another.  “But God, I didn’t do what that person did.” Continue reading “Bad News – Good News” →

WHEN TRUTH IS CORNERED

What if some were unfaithful?  Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God?  Romans 3:3

Paul has just spent many verses explaining that Jews and Gentiles must both come to a faith in Christ to be saved.  The ground at the foot of the cross is level.  The Jew does not have an advantage because of his generational bloodline or the fact that they had been circumcised.  This was hard for them to hear, so hard, that Paul heard many arguments.  One sounded like this ~ “If Jews are unfaithful, as you say, and if God condemns them because of their sin, doesn’t that make God unfaithful?  After all, He made an everlasting covenant with them and called them ‘His people’.  What happened to God’s promise to them?” Continue reading “When Truth Is Cornered” →

TALK ABOUT PRIVILEGED

Then what advantage has the Jew?  Much in every way.  To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God.  Romans 3:1-2

The story is really unthinkable.  The Jews, the ones who were given the Ten Commandments, the ones who were chosen by God to hear Him speak and hold His revelation in their hands, were the ones who twisted the message.  Instead of walking humbly and reflecting the heart of the God who had spoken to them, they grew arrogant and self-righteous.  The ones who had memorized such vast portions of the Torah, the Torah that prophesied the coming of Jesus, failed to even recognize Christ when He stood in front of them. Continue reading “Talk About Privileged” →

WHAT I TEACH BEST

[You] who teach others, do you not teach yourself?  Romans 2:21

Rick Warren, giving an address to an audience of which I was a part, said “You only believe the part of the Bible that you actually do.” I realized that I know far more than I practice.  The only thing that counts with God is obedience.

For the first two decades of ministry, I was mainly a concert artist.  To be able to progress from one song to the next, I often had to make remarks.  Often, I told the story of how I came to choose a particular song.  But mostly, I considered the lyrical content of the song I was going to comment on, then did a short study of its theme.  I was a ‘quick study’ of the subject and might very well have come across as a know-it-all while failing to have an experiential wisdom of the topic. Continue reading “WHAT I TEACH BEST” →

MISSING THE POINT

But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast in God and know his will and approve what is excellent, because you are instructed from the law; and if you are sure that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are darkness, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth ~ you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself?  While you preach against stealing, do you steal?  You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery?  You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?  You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law.  The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you. 

            I tell others that I follow Jesus.  I decline the invitation to do things that I know He wouldn’t do.  I engage in things others think foolish because Jesus would do them.  Is God honored by my convictions?  I can fool myself into thinking so if I am oblivious to the difference between external behavior and internal faith.  The first without the latter begets spiritual arrogance.  Continue reading “Missing The Point” →