The Great Eight - Pt 24

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. (Romans 28-30 ESV).

This wonderful verse contains a promise. Paul simply declares that all things work together for good. Further he provides two descriptions of the beneficiaries of the promise. This promise is delivered to those who love God and those who are called according to his purpose. In describing the beneficiaries of the promise, Paul also gives us a little summary preview of the deep foundation of the promise which he will unpack a bit in the next two verses. We must look at these more deeply than a mere cursory glance. So, let’s begin. When Paul says that the beneficiaries are those who are “called according to God’s purpose,” he points ahead to his next two sentences. The first is an unfolding of “God’s purpose”: Those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brethren (v. 29). The next sentences unfolds the implications of the “calling”: And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified (v. 30). It’s going to take us a few days in the format of Morning Devotionals to fully explore the depth of these verses. Today we’ll just look at the beneficiaries of the promise. We must answer who may be certain that all the pain in their life is really the wise and good therapy of a sovereign God to bring about their good. Paul gives two answers. He defines the beneficiaries of this promise first by what they do toward God, and second by what God did toward them. All things work together for good, in the first place, “to them that love God.” The beneficiaries of this promise are people who love God. Then, in the second place, Paul describes the beneficiaries of this promise as “those who are called according to his purpose.” The closest clue about the meaning of “called” is where Paul says, “And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified.” What we learn from this verse is that God justifies everyone that he calls. He acquits them. He pardons them. They are treated as righteous. They are his children. “Those whom he called he justified.” The simple answer then becomes “God’s children.” If you are a child of God, a believer in Christ, then you are the beneficiary of this promise. This is not a work of your own doing; it is a work completely and solely of God (cf. Ephesians 2:8-10). So, child of God, walk in this promise!

The Great Eight - Pt 23

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. (Romans 28-30 ESV).

Finally we have arrived at the center-point of the Great Eight! When it comes to the great promises of the Scripture there are not any bigger or more hopeful than the first verse of our reading today. We will need to take a few days to fully explore this verse and those that follow in amplification of this promise. It is nothing short of staggering in its declaration. The infinitely wise, infinitely powerful God pledges to make everything good to his people! Not just nice things, but horrible things, like tribulation and distress and peril and slaughter. And, “all things” means ALL things. Certainly we see a glimpse of this in the Old Testament. Here David, upon the completion of his palace and the beginning of peace in the United Kingdom of Israel, says: Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning (Psalm 30:5b ESV). With the same absolute assurance, the apostle says, And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose (v. 28). If you live inside this massive promise, your life too is as solid as the rock of Gibraltar. Nothing can blow you over inside the walls of this promise. Outside of this promise all is confusion and anxiety and fear and uncertainty and straw houses of deadening drugs and tin roofs of retirement plans and cardboard fortifications of anti-ballistic missiles and a thousand other substitutes. Once you walk through the door of love into the massive, unshakable promise of this promise everything changes. There comes into your life stability and depth and freedom. You simply can’t be blown over anymore. The confidence that a sovereign God governs for your good all the pain and all the pleasure that you will ever experience is an absolutely incomparable refuge and security and hope and power in your life. No promise in all of life, then or now, surpasses the height and breadth and weight of Romans 8:28. Last week we received the news of the death of one of the great preachers of any age, Billy Graham. Here’s what he said about this verse: All things are not good. It would be mockery to say that they are. The death of a child is not good. Cancer is not good, drug addiction is not good, war is not good, blasphemy is not good. In the chemistry of the cross God takes things that, in and of themselves, are bad, and He puts them together, much as a chemist might take chemicals that, in and of themselves, may be deleterious and mixes them to make a medicine that brings healing. This is the place for us to begin. Seize this promise and draw it into the very core of your being. It will transform your life entirely!

The Great Eight - Pt 22

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. (Romans 28-30 ESV).

Our reading today is one of my most often quoted passages. In fact, it is rare that I do not go to these verses at some point in my preaching. The Great Eight is one of the most encouraging and hopeful chapters in the New Testament. The Apostle Paul boldly brushes the word “Hope” with a big red paint brush. Later we will see in verse 37 when he shouts, “No! In all these things we are more than conquerors.” Not just conquerors, but more than conquerors! Tribulation and distress and persecution and famine and nakedness and peril and sword are not just defeated; they are more than defeated: they are turned into servants for our good. And, verse 28 is the central jewel of all in declaring this hope. There are so many different translations of this verse. Perhaps the King James Version is the most accurate to the concepts Paul expresses: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” However, whatever your version of translation they all mean basically that God is so supremely in charge of the world that all the things that happen to Christians are ordered in such a way that they serve our good. Tribulation and distress and persecution and famine and nakedness and peril and sword all work together for the good of those who love God. So the rugged hope of the believer is not that we will escape distress or peril or hunger or slaughter, but that Almighty God will make every one of our agonies an instrument of his mercy to do us good. “You meant it for evil,” Joseph said to his brothers who had sold him into slavery, “but God meant it for good.” And so it is with every calamity of those who love God. God ordained it for our good! This truth then becomes the foundation of this enormous declaration of God’s will and purpose for us. We’re going to take some time to unpack this in the coming days as we continue to study these verses. We will see that, even in the midst of the most terrifying and difficult experiences, God is not just an observer of our plight. He is an active participant and directs all of it to produce our good. Now, that is something to cling to in the fallen world that only produces groanings in my life! Yes, we will still groan; however, now we have the cause to rejoice in our groans!

The Great Eight - Pt 21

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. (Romans 8:26-27 ESV).

So, let’s wind up our look at these verses of our reading. Why does the Holy Spirit pray for us in this way? It certainly sounds strange to us: God praying to God according to the will of God. Wow, that stretches me enormously. However, the answer to this conundrum is very important. One of the greatest preachers and theologians of recent decades was Charles Spurgeon. Perhaps he has said it most concisely and best: “Groanings which cannot be uttered are often prayers which cannot be refused.” I want to show you five statements that will both inform and encourage you in your prayer. First, God created the universe and all that is in it to display the riches of the glory of his grace. God’s redemptive work is not to show His power and character as much as it is to pour out his mercy on those who have been chosen to be His children, “the vessels of mercy” (cf. Romans 9:23). Second, this act of mercy is designed so that we may now act in a way that calls attention to the glory of God's grace. Paul says, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). Third, the obedience and service of God's people will glorify him most when they consciously and intentionally depend on him for the grace and power to do what they do. There really is no victory in self-sufficiency. Fourth, prayer for God's help is one way that God preserves and manifests the dependence of his people on his grace and power. The necessity of prayer is a constant reminder and display of our dependence on God for everything, so that he gets the glory when we get the help. Fifth, when the Spirit inspires and directs the groanings in our hearts, the ultimate purpose of the universe happens: God gets the glory. The progression is simple: because God the Spirit creates the groanings in us, God gets the glory; because God the Father is the one who hears and performs what the Spirit asks, God gets glory; because God the Son purchased for sinners every blessing they ever receive, God gets glory. And this produces a conscious gratefulness in us.

The Great Eight - Pt 20

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. (Romans 8:26-27 ESV).

Now let’s look at how the Holy Spirit prays for us. In the last part of our reading Paul says, "The Spirit himself intercedes for us with “groanings too deep for words." There has been some disagreement through the years as the exact meaning of this phrase. Is this us groaning; is it the Holy Spirit groaning? If the Holy Spirit is simply communicating with the Father about what we need, I cannot imagine why he would have to use wordless groans. He knows exactly what he wants to ask for. There is not the slightest confusion in his mind and he is never at a loss for how to communicate with the Father. So I doubt that these groans are groans that the Spirit addresses to the Father which are not our groans. The groans are in our heart; they penetrate the very fabric of our soul. That is where they are experienced as groanings and heard. And the Spirit, who searches hearts, knows and acts accordingly. In other words, the Spirit doesn’t send his groanings to the Father in heaven directly. He registers them in our hearts. That is where they are experienced as groans; they are in our hearts. This is the mark of our fallen world. This kind of groaning is part of the weakness and futility and pain and decay of this world. However, when we understand the truth already presented (vv 15-16): "You have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a Spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!" The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God." This is the witness of the Spirit. This heartfelt cry that God is our Father is inspired and directed by the Spirit. It is his witness! So here we have a helpful analogy and parallel with the groaning of the Spirit. The Spirit groans the same way the Spirit witnesses: he inspires the groaning, and he inspires the witness. The groaning is his groaning, and the witnessing is his witness. But we experience the witness of the Spirit as the heartfelt, authentic welling up in us of a cry, "Abba, father!" And we experience the groaning of the Spirit in the welling up within us of groanings for the glory of Christ, but in ways and means that we do not know. We have seen this before with our children. When they are sick, they can’t really explain or describe how they got there. They simply know they’re sick. The cry to us and that cry prompts us to act on their behalf. We are hurt for them. We see their confusion and pain. And, we act for them. There you are. Cry out “Abba, Father!”

The Great Eight - Pt 19

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. (Romans 8:26-27 ESV).

Our focus again today is on three verses in the Great Eight. At the end of our reading It says that in our weakness, the Spirit of God helps us because we don't know how to pray as we ought, and so the Spirit intercedes for us with “groaning too deep for words.” And it says that God the Father – the one who searches our hearts – knows the mind of the Spirit because the Spirit prays for us according to God's will. So God the Father always answers the Spirit’s prayers. We have been looking at several questions concerning the principles of this passage. Today I want to look at “what” the Spirit prays for us? What the Spirit prays for us is that God would bring about the decisions and circumstances that would most magnify Christ in our lives when we are at a loss as to what the specific will of God is because of our weakness. We saw in previous devotionals that this "weakness" is the same as the sufferings and decay Paul speaks of earlier. In other words, the sicknesses and calamities and challenges of life put us in situations where we are simply at a loss as to whether we should escape danger or stand, be healed or endure sickness, take a risk or stay safe. We just don't know. What we do know is that we want Christ to be exalted in our bodies whether by life or by death (cf. Philippians 1:20). This is what it means to be a "saint." So this is what the Holy Spirit asks the Father for, but he knows the will of the Father and he asks that the particular decisions and circumstances come to pass which will in fact magnify Christ best and work together for our good. I have said that this is relevant to all of us as we wrestle with various kinds of sickness and suffering. So, we can easily see how helpful it would be to hear from the Lord or to have the grace of complete wisdom. And it is certainly right to pray for that. But it may be that this situation will be one of those moments when we "do not know how we must pray" and instead groan over our weakness. Is it not wonderful that God is not condemning or ever criticizing us here for not having the faith (as some might put it) to discern his will. The Apostle Paul’s point is to encourage us and help us. Even when we don't know what we would like to know, and can’t pray with more specificity and assurance of God's will, we must not lose heart, but trust that God has his purposes in this and has provided for us in our weakness. The Spirit prays for us!

The Great Eight - Pt 18

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. (Romans 8:26-27 ESV).

Let me begin to close our look at these verses before we move on to the remainder of the Great Eight by suggesting at least five ways you can be encouraged by this text if you trust Christ and groan in your heart for his name to be exalted in your life. First, be encouraged that you are not expected to know the will of God in every respect. Yes his revealed will for you is always faith and hope and love and purity. But whether to trust him to deliver from sickness or hardship or prison, or whether to trust him to help you die, you do not always know. And this text says it's OK not to know. There is one who knows. And he is praying the way one ought to pray who knows. Don't add to your burdens the worry that you don't know all the will of God. Second, be encouraged that in your perplexity and groaning you are not being watched, you are being understood. God is searching your heart, and he is finding a meaning deeper than words. Third, be encouraged that God's work for you is not limited to what you can understand and express with words. Be glad that God is able to do exceedingly above all that you ask or think (cf. Ephesians 3:20). Your thinking, especially in times of stress and groaning, is not the limit of God's acting. God is not limited by your limited mind. Fourth, be encouraged that in your weakness and sickness and loss and hardship and danger the Spirit of God is praying for you and not against you. In verse 31 we will hear Paul exult: "If God is for us, who is against us?" And here we see part of that great "for us" in verse 26. The Spirit intercedes FOR us, not against us. Be encouraged that as you cling to Christ and groan for his exaltation in your uncertainty and pain, the Spirit is for you and not against you. Fifth, be encouraged that God the Father hears the prayer of the Spirit. This prayer is for you. And it is always heard! Always answered! God does not reject this prayer in any means. Regardless of the magnitude of the decision you are facing, the challenge before you, or the hardship you are experiencing God, Himself, is even making intercession on your behalf for you good. Be wise; but be daring!

The Great Eight - Pt 17

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. (Romans 8:26-27 ESV).

Isn’t taking risk the antithesis of being wise? Yet, God calls us to take risks (cf. Luke 21:16). The real question is which risks do we take? John Bunyan, the pastor who wrote Pilgrim's Progress over 300 years ago stayed in prison for 12 years for conscience sake. He could have gotten out if he had agreed not to preach the gospel. He had a wife and four small children, one of whom was blind. This could not have been an easy decision. He could stay in prison for conscience sake, or get out and take care of his family. I must confess I’m not sure what I would have done in the same circumstance. Yet, we will all face similar decisions, though not all as dangerous. Bunyan wrote a book called Advice to Sufferers. In it he captured the perplexity and uncertainty that we face in danger or in front of a risk for Christ's sake. He asks, "May we try to escape" from the danger? And he answers: Thou mayest do in this as it is in thy heart. If it is in thy heart to fly, fly: if it be in thy heart to stand, stand. Anything but a denial of the truth. He that flies, has warrant to do so; he that stands, has warrant to do so. Yea, the same man may both fly and stand, as the call and working of God with his heart may be. Moses fled (Exodus 2:15); Moses stood (Hebrews 11:27); David fled (1 Samuel 19:12); David stood (1 Samuel 24:8); Jeremiah fled (Jeremiah 37:11-12); Jeremiah stood (Jeremiah 38:17); Christ withdrew himself (Luke 19:10); Christ stood (John 18:1-8); Paul fled (2 Corinthians 11:33); and, Paul stood (Acts 20:22-13). There are few rules in this case. The man himself is best able to judge concerning his present strength, and what weight this or that argument has upon his heart to stand or fly. Do not fly out of a slavish fear, but rather because flying is an ordinance of God, opening a door for the escape of some, which door is opened by God's providence, and the escape countenanced by God's Word (Matthew 10:23). Paul's point is that when you groan with desires that are rooted in bringing glory to God but uncertainty how Christ might best be glorified, the Spirit prays for you and brings it to pass. So, here’s the kernel of truth for you to rest in today. Paul says: "Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness." He helps us. Like the little sparrow who is leaping off the ledge in the picture above, we were made to leap into the air. Be wise when you leap, but remember you are born again to do just that. God’s desire and plan for all of us is to bring Him glory. Leave the worry to Him. Take a step off the ledge!

The Great Eight- Pt 16

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. (Romans 8:26-27 ESV).

Look again at the beginning of our reading today. Paul says, "Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weakness." The uncertainty about what we are to pray is because of our "weakness." Now the word "weakness" in the New Testament can be weakness owing to our limited human nature (cf. Romans 6:19), or weakness owing to sickness (cf. Luke 5:15) or weakness owing to adversity (cf. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10). However, here it is the weakness of death working in our flesh. It's the problem of our bodies that are not yet redeemed. We are groaning because we are yet experiencing the curse of the fall (v. 20). So here we find help and hope in our struggle. The Spirit prays just the right prayer in this weakness we cannot overcome in our own strength. It is of great interest that this “weakness” the sickness and futility and frustration and decay and misery of life on the way to heaven. Isn’t that the greatest part of our daily frustration? At one time or another we all ask “why?” when circumstance seems impossible for us to deal with. We don't know whether we should pray for healing or for strength to endure. Of course, both are right and it's not wrong to pray for either. But we long to pray with great faith, and we groan that we are not sure what God's way will be with this sickness or this loss or this imprisonment. We just don't know. We can see some examples of this in Paul's life. Consider his “thorn in the flesh” (cf. 2 Corinthians 12). He asked three times that it be removed. And finally Jesus revealed to him that his will was not to take it away. Surely, that experience would leave Paul wondering with every sickness and pain and hardship and imprisonment what God's will was. And when he was in prison in Rome he seemed to be unsure what to pray for, life and ministry, or death with courage (cf. Philippians 1:22-24). Now this is painfully relevant to all of us today. Not only are there many who are sick, but there are some now and there will be many over the next years who are in danger somewhere in the world, and wonder, "How should we pray?" Should we pray for a safe escape? Or should we resolve to stay and pray for protection? Or should we stay and pray for courage to suffer and even die? We look at more detail in the coming days; however, today can I merely encourage you to pray. The Holy Spirit will sort it all out perfectly for you. You cannot pray wrongly!

The Great Eight - Pt 15

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. (Romans 8:26-27 ESV).

We return to yesterday’s reading to explore with more depth the work of the Holy Spirit as He “helps us in our weakness.” The word "likewise" at the beginning of the reading means that Paul has been giving help to us in what he has been saying and now he wants to give us some more help by explaining that the Spirit himself helps us. The way he has been helping us is by telling us why our sufferings are worth enduring for Christ. All of verses we have seen give reasons for why we should hold fast to our hope in the midst of futility and decay and groaning and death. Now the apostle says, "likewise" – in the same way – the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. So in the next few days of our journey we will look at three questions that I think this text answers. The first question is “What does the Holy Spirit pray for us?” Don’t miss the fact that the way that the Spirit helps us in our weakness is by praying for us. That’s the instrument of our help. I’m often confounded about what I should pray for. That’s never the first order of our prayers. Remember how we talked about “groaning”? That’s the first order of our prayers. We utter an unintelligible cry from the depth of our pain. Then the Holy Spirit makes it intelligible. He puts our groans into words and pleas. The apostle says there are three things in specific that the Holy Spirit says. First, the Spirit asks for things that we don't know we should ask for; second, He asks for things that we don't know to ask for because of our weakness; and, third, He asks for things that are in accord with the will of God. Now think about what those three facts imply. When it says the Spirit prays for things we don't know to pray for, that rules out a lot of things. We certainly know we are to pray for holiness and faith and hope and joy and all the fruits of the Spirit and every other unqualified commandment in the Bible. There is absolutely no doubt that we are to pray for whatever God commands us to do. The revealed will of God is not in question. If God has plainly told us in the Bible to pursue something – like love or faith or righteousness or holiness or courage – then we know we are to pray for it. But this text says that the Spirit is helping us by praying for us when we don't know what to pray for. Now when is that? What sorts of things don't we know what to pray for? What are we not sure about? Here's where the word "weakness" in verse 26 becomes important, and the context of what has gone before. We’ll look more at this tomorrow. This weakness is so important to understand. Know this today: Just pray. Groan. Weep. He makes it work to our good!

The Great Eight - Pt 14

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. (Romans 8:26-27 ESV).

Christianity is the only religion in the world that affirms that there is one, and only one, true God, and that there are three divine persons in the one God: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit. This is called the doctrine of the Trinity. The church did not come to embrace the doctrine of the Trinity because there is a sentence in the Bible that says: "there is one God existing as three persons equal in divine essence, but distinct in personhood." There is no sentence like that in the Bible. Rather the reason the church has embraced this doctrine is because the Bible unwaveringly speaks of one true God, not three Gods, and yet reveals the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit as God, and as distinct persons. If this perplexes you, keep in mind that we are in no position as creatures to dictate to our Creator what he may or should be like. God is absolute reality. He was there before anything else was, and he did not come into being, but always was. Therefore nobody made him the way he is, and there is no reason he is the way he is. He simply is. That is his name: "I Am Who I Am" (cf. Exodus 3:14). Our role is not to say what can and can't be in God, but to learn who he is and who we are, and to shape our lives according to his reality which is his will. We submit to the way he is. He doesn't submit to the way we are or the way we think he should be. And that bring us to the next great truth in our journey. One of the places where the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, is revealed most fully is in this chapter. Today we begin to focus on verses 26-27, but it would be good for us to see what has been revealed so far about the work of the person of the Holy Spirit. What emerges in this chapter is that the Spirit is not just some force or power of God the Father, but a person who works along with the Father and in relation to the Father. In summary we can say that the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus sets you free from the law of sin and death (v. 2); the Spirit helps you fulfill the just requirement of the law (v. 4); the Spirit gives life and peace (v. 6); God will raise you from the dead by the Spirit who dwells in you (v. 11); the Spirit helps you put to death the deeds of the body(v 13); we are led by the Spirit (v. 14); the Spirit bears witness in us that we are the children of God and so gives us assurance of our salvation (v. 15); and, the Holy Spirit is the foretaste and guarantee of our final redemption (v. 23). Therefore, you should love the Spirit as a person. Not as a force or power, but as a person who thinks about you and has emotions for you and works and prays for you. We are not left alone in this life!

The Great Eight - Pt 13

And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. (Romans 8:23-25 ESV).

The Apostle Paul says in our reading today that we should set our hope on a redeemed body. Then he says, “We wait for it with patience” (v. 25). I’m not so sure I do a very good job of the patience part of that. Perhaps you have that same feeling. Let’s see if we can dig a little deeper and do better with the patience part of waiting. There is no doubt that we can hope for a redeemed body and still be God-centered. This is not selfish or self-centered. It is what God has created us to be. However, the real hope that brings peace and patience in the wait comes in the understanding of the resurrection. Sometimes it is difficult to get excited about heaven. It can seem that that going to heaven means leaving a wonderful world of excitement and entering a drab world of boredom. After all, who really wants to sit on a cloud and play harps and sing for eternity! Well, part of that lack of enthusiasm is in a misunderstanding of what heaven will be. So, let’s look at that for a few minutes today. God’s final purpose for us is not to have our soul or our spirit floating around without our body in some ghost-like mansion in the sky. His purpose for us is to raise our body from the dead and to make it new and beautiful and healthy and strong. His final purpose is not to take us away from the earth to spend eternity in heaven, but to make a new heaven and a new earth where we will live in happiness forever and ever. And if this new earth where we will live forever were going to be completely different from our present earth, then why would God bother to raise our bodies from the dead? Why not just start over with completely different bodies if he were going to start over with a completely different world? Well the answer is that the world will not be completely different. It is our old bodies that will be made new in the resurrection, and it is our old earth that will be made new when Jesus comes. Therefore, I can say with great confidence that if you trust in Jesus Christ as your Savior and follow him as your Lord, there is nothing good and happy in your life on this earth that will ever be lost. Whatever is bad will be taken away, but all the good and happy experiences will be kept in the new earth forever. In every experience we really will go from death to life; from disappointment to joy; from dread to excitement. And, because that’s forever, I am now able to be more patient in this little while of a life.

The Great Eight - Pt 12

For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. (Romans 8:22-24 ESV).

So the journey continues. Today I want us to think one aspect of our hope: There is coming a day when our bodies are going to be redeemed and there will be no more groaning. I have walked with many people in the midst of the most painful of moments. Marriages decades in the making suddenly and perhaps unexpectedly destroyed because of a broken promise; dreams of the future destroyed in the unexpected illness or death of a child or young parent; or, the increasing pain and difficulty of chronic illness as it erases the hopes and desires of the future. These are but a few of the things that might bring us to “groan” in life. So often I hear people who intone that “only time will heal.” Perhaps there is some truth in that statement in so far as the ultimate redemption of all things is still a future event; however, we miss an essential truth when we think the passing of time will dull our ache for freedom from the pain and challenge of life. The truth is that time, in itself, is powerless to transform hopelessness to hope, or death to life. Only God can do that. And, He will! We can have a genuine hope in the redemption of our bodies. Our reading declares that we, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Paul teaches us to hope for the redemption of our bodies. He says that it is all right not to want to hurt. It is all right to want to be out of the wheelchair and off the crutches and cortisone and pain relievers. It’s all right to want to see and hear like you could when you were twenty. It’s all right to want to be pretty and handsome and energetic and strong. It is right to want to be reunited with those who have been taken from us in death. This is the promise of a redeemed body when glory replaces groaning. The promise has at least three parts. I wish we could spend more time in each, but our journey is long enough as it is. However, here they are for your meditation and thought: God’s promise is that all pain and disease and deformity and disability will be gone in that day; all sin, which so often takes the body for its base of operations, will be gone; and, this is not because we will be rid of our bodies, but because in a mysterious and wonderfully spiritual way we will have new and glorious bodies which are capable of touch and smell and taste and hearing and seeing. Go ahead, groan today since you know that tomorrow your groans will cease in the power of God shown in the redemptive work of Jesus on the Cross and in the resurrection!

The Great Eight - Pt 11

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. (Romans 8:18-25 ESV).

To better understand this next paragraph in our journey through “the Great Eight” we will turn to another passage from the Apostle Paul. The principle in our reading is that peace in Christ Jesus that guard your heart and mind. To the Philippi Church he writes, The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7 ESV). I wish this were easier to understand in the face of difficult circumstances and events in our lives. However, the difficulty does not diminish the truth. So, let’s unpack it a bit. We should first note the context of this promise. This is also where we find the condition: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (verse 6). God’s peace is promised to guard those who pray with thanksgiving about everything. This peace will transcend our ability to understand it. There is precedent to this in other readings. We see other gifts of God that are not fully comprehensible to us. The gift of salvation is “indescribable” (cf. 2 Corinthians 9:15). The complexity and wisdom of God’s plan is inscrutable (cf. Isaiah 55:8-9). Even the love of Christ is something so great we will never fully understand it (cf. Ephesians 3:19). Likewise, human reasoning is incapable of fully comprehending the peace of God . The believer who places their full confidence in a loving God becomes thankful in every circumstance; and, that results in the possession of a supernatural peace. It is an inner calm that will dominate the heart. The faithful believer will know peace; his heart and mind are “guarded” by it despite the tempest raging without. No one, especially those outside of Christ, will be able to fathom that peace. To most, it will remain a mystery how someone can be so serene in the midst of turmoil. Our focus is so “then” that the “now” pales in comparison. I often need that kind of peace. Don’t you?

The Great Eight - Pt 10

But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. (Romans 8:10-11 ESV).

As I said at the beginning of this journey through the eighth chapter of Romans, we would be here for a while. Over the last ten days we have really just scratched the surface of the meaning of these principles. Today, we’re going to look again at a part of yesterday’s reading. Since its Valentine’s Day also, I thought the timing was good for us to examine what the gift of God’s grace means to us a bit more. It is centered in the work of redemption in Christ. Paul says, If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you (v. 11). Let’s see if I can make this a bit clearer in a practical way. First, it means that our destiny, the end of this life, will be a “seat” in the heavenly places (cf. Ephesians 2:6). To understand this image we need to recognize how the typical meal looked for the first century Jew. Today most people merely eat when they can and where they can. It is a necessary evil. In the Biblical context mealtime was an event. It affirmed kinship, friendship, and good will. The seating acknowledged your status and recognized a peaceful disposition and commitment to those at the table. It was a declaration of personal relationship. If we get a seat in the heavenly places with Jesus, it means we are a part of His family; we are trusted friends with a deep relationship. Jesus said, No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. (John 15:15 ESV). Second, in Christ Jesus all the promises of God are “yes” for us (cf. 2 Corinthians 1:20). All of the “if/then” statements of Scripture are ours. All of these statements are more than promises; they are law. Laws are different than commandments in the Scripture. Laws always give us clear direction. It’s much like math. If you add one to one, you will always get two. You will never get less or more. You get two. There is incredible assurance in that truth. God is giving us great clarity in living our life. Believe in Jesus, get eternal life; sow good seed, get a good harvest. There are many more; however, here’s what so important for us to recognize. God is not selective with his children. We are all loved, because we are all redeemed. All of His promises are yours. That’s a real Valentine’s gift!

The Great Eight - Pt 9

Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. (Romans 8:8-11 ESV).

In this next section of “the Great Eight” the Apostle Paul begins with this very matter-of-fact declaration that “those who are in the flesh cannot please God” (v. 8). There are many descriptors that can be applied if we stop reading at this point. We could say that we are abandoned, rejected, worthless, ashamed, used, broken, abused, and condemned; however, Paul does not stop here. Every one of those words are crossed through in favor of that one word we all deeply long to experience. We are now redeemed. In Christ Jesus you are redeemed and forgiven for all our sins. In Christ we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses. Here’s how the apostle writes to the Ephesians: In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. (Ephesians 1:7-10 ESV). This is that mysterious process where we each become a new creation and a son of God in Christ Jesus. Most of you know how much I like to create new things in my woodshop. There is something very satisfying about taking rough cut lumber and working it until it becomes something beautiful and useful. Recently my granddaughter, Faith, had a project to do in her Social Studies class. They were studying the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The assignment was to produce a journal based on the historical reports of that exploration. Faith is quite creative. She asked me if I could help by building her a box to put her journal and a few items in to present her project. Well, making a box is really not much of a challenge; nor is it very satisfying as a creative project. So, we chose a design that would simulate an Italian Jewelry box of the 19th Century. I used some wood that would take stain and “aging” well; trimmed it with some period millwork; and put a clasp, hinges, and handles that represented that look. It was quite beautiful when done and filled with her journal and other items. The wood I used was “scrap.” The box became a treasure. Do you see it? There it is. God, in His great grace, took us, who were little more than scrap, and made us into a great treasure in Christ! Now, that’s good news!

The Great Eight - Pt 8

For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:2 ESV). Yesterday I focused on being “set free;” today I want you to ponder the phrase “in Christ.” Being “in Christ Jesus” is a stupendous reality. It is breathtaking what it means to be united to Christ and bound to Christ. Let me emphasize some of these for you over the next few days. Each of them has a particular application to some of the challenges we face on a regular basis.

In Christ Jesus you were given grace before the world was created (cf. 2 Timothy 1:9). This truth is not just a part of the systematizing of theology that provides a basis for debate and determining doctrinal beliefs. I enjoy a spirited debate as much as anyone; however, a debate does not change the way I feel once it is over. I need to be changed. That happens when I recognize the power of grace at work in my life. In this case, the Apostle Paul is declaring my position to be forever “in His grace.” Additionally we know that in Christ Jesus we were chosen by God before creation (cf. Ephesians 1:4). Everything about us was not an afterthought to God. He is not suddenly surprised by our predicament. We have been created and equipped for every circumstance of life. So, when you face that inevitable “bad news” couched in some devastating illness or tragic circumstance, it has not surprised God. And, he has prepared us for just such a moment. That preparation does not lead to defeat. It leads us to freedom. And, in Christ Jesus we are loved by God with an inseparable love. We will get a closer look at this truth later. For now let these words permeate your thoughts today, Paul writes: “I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39). The illustration today has the meme, “Rooted. Grow Deep. Live Tall.” I like that a lot. The depth of our relationship in Christ has no limit; nor does the height to which we may grow. All of this is true because we are “in Christ.” It is forever altering everything about us. The circumstances of our lives are ordained and overseen by God. No hurt is too great, no harm is so vast, and no enemy so strong that we will not overcome!

The Great Eight - Pt 7

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:1-2 ESV).

Set free! Before we go further into “the Great Eight,” I want to mention just a few benefits of being released from our condemnation. I am only going to mention them for you to ponder. Remember that these are for those of us who believe, who are in Christ Jesus. If that’s not who you are I hope they will be a call for you to come to Christ. If you have any question, please read again yesterday’s devotional, or feel free to contact me through email or message. First, there is no longer condemnation in physical pain. Believe me, as someone who deals with chronic pain every day, I understand the discouragement and challenge of even the simplest of tasks. When we suffer physical pain, and it lasts a long time, and seems to get worse instead of better, and it even seems that it may end in death and not healing, the accuser (our own thoughts, the devil, Job’s friends) comes and says, “It’s punishment. You are under God’s condemnation. That’s why you are suffering so much.” Our reading answers that assault. My sins are covered. I will not come into condemnation. I have passed from death to life (cf. John 5:24). Knowing that the pain is very temporary becomes a means to endure. Second, there is no condemnation in relationships. Suppose you feel disappointed or even deeply wronged in your marriage. Where will you find the moral power to forgive and keep on loving and wooing and hoping and not resort to returning evil for evil and condemning? It is in our knowledge of “no condemnation. You can, and should, remind yourself again and again that, even though you are a sinner, in Christ Jesus God does not condemn you, and your future is free for everlasting joy. From that reservoir of mercy and hope, and God will work wonders of grace in your life. Third, there is no condemnation in the failures of parenting. I’m often asked what to do when your children break your heart? There is ample reason for thinking it was our fault. And you will never be able to sort that out, ever. Only God can. So how will you keep going? How will you keep loving? In the end you don’t have to sort that out. Your standing with God does not hang on your figuring out how much was yours and how much was not. Your standing before God as a loved and forgiven child is this: there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. With that freedom, you can admit your failings freely and you can humble yourselves before your children so that God may heal. On and on we could go. No condemnation and work. No condemnation and peer pressure. No condemnation and sexual temptation. No condemnation and pride. No condemnation and racism. The practical implications of this glorious truth are endless. Don’t stay outside. There is always room in Christ. Come, fly with me!

The Great Eight - Pt 6

The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. (John 3:35-36 ESV).

Our reading today is a result of yesterday’s mention of universalism. The bible simply does not teach that all men may come to this position of “no condemnation.” It does teach that there are many roads, but only one way. If you say, “Ah, but he died for the whole world. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world” you would be correct. However, what that means is that there is infinite room in Jesus. Christ is not some small house along the way. It is an eternal place where there is room for everyone. And everyone is invited and commanded, “Come to me, all who are weary and heavy laden.”; and, “Let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost.”; and, “The one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.”” (cf. Matthew 11:28; Revelation 22:17; and John 6:37). But what if you don’t come? What if you don’t believe? What if you don’t receive the free gift? Jesus tells us in our reading. The wrath of God — the condemnation of God is taken away in Christ. Not outside Christ. You don’t have to stay under condemnation. There is room in Christ. There is always room in Christ. And Christ’s word to every sinner is, “Come! Trust me! Enter! I will be your life, your righteousness, your pardon, because I have been your condemnation.” There is much more to say about being “in Christ” but I want to look at some incredibly wonderful practical effects of truth from our text. What difference does “no condemnation” make now? First, even if you said to me, “It’s of no help now whatsoever in my practical problems,” I might answer, “Even so, it is ten thousand times more valuable than any other help you might receive. Because eternity is so long and life here is so short.” Even total misery here for 85 years, and no condemnation in the presence of the all-satisfying God for 85 million ages of years would not be a bad exchange. That’s the great hope received in our forgiveness. However difficult and painful your life is now, it really will be of no comparison to what you have already been “reckoned” then. That word “reckon” is very important. It means it has been determined and secured for a future realization. That’s our focus. That’s our long view. The end of this journey is merely the door to forever leaving behind every struggle, every pain, every challenge, and every difficulty. But, there really is only one way to get there. It is in Jesus.

The Great Eight - Pt 5

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. (Romans 8:1-9 ESV).

We need to expand our reading a bit today. Therefore I have chosen to focus our attention through the ninth verse of “the Great Eight.” The question when we realize that Jesus accomplished a status change from condemned to “now, no condemnation” is who gets this status change? I am only going to briefly mention this today and save most of it for some of the future devotionals. There are two simple statements for us to look at today: First, not everyone can say, “There is now no condemnation over my life.” It is only those “who are in Christ Jesus.” Some are in him and some are not. Paul assumes this everywhere in his writings. There are those “in Christ” and there are those who are “outside” of this relationship. Paul is absolutely not a universalist; later he will write, with grief, that there are those who are “accursed, separated from Christ” (cf. Romans 9:3). The opposite of the precious phrase “in Christ” (en christō) is the terrible phrased “[separated] from Christ” (apo tou christou). It is no small thing; and, we should know that position. The second point is this: only by being in Christ does Christ’s condemnation become your condemnation. If you want to be able to say now and at the last judgment, “There is no condemnation for me, because Jesus endured it for me,” then you must be “in Jesus.” If you are in him, what happened to him, happened to you as well; however, if you are “separated from him,” you have no basis for saying that what happened to him happened to you. My invitation to you is to answer that question. Are you, or are you not in Christ? He has done everything. He has set the date for the great celebration banquet; he has determined the guest list; he has sent out the invitations. If you have any inclination that this is important in your life, you then have received such an invitation. It merely requires you RSVP with a “yes.”

The Great Eight - Pt 4

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. (Romans 8:31-34 ESV).

As I mentioned yesterday, I have lived in three states: Texas, North Carolina, and Tennessee. If you have known me for very long you know that one of my favorite places to visit is the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. I really have lost count of the number of times we have been. Spring in the Smoky Mountains is always a visual treat. The rhododendrons provide some of the most beautiful landscape of anyplace I’ve been. So, living close to such a place for six years was a great advantage. Strangely, we did not take advantage of that as often as we could have. It is strange to think I could have taken for granted that privilege, but I did. Now, the fourteen hour drive makes it a very extravagant luxury. That’s the point of Paul’s declaration in our reading. Because we now have this great gift of God of no condemnation, we must ask if we have taken that great gift for granted. So, Paul looks to the future. He considers the fact that the final judgment is yet to come. And on the way to it there are many days when our adversary, the devil, will try to deceive us and blind us and accuse us and swallow us up in feelings of guilt. So Paul writes about “already now” of no condemnation: “Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns [there’s the word!]? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.” It is a wonderful reminder that we don’t have to wait for the final inheritance to know what our portion will be. So here we not only have the backward look to remind us that Christ has died and become our condemnation, but the forward look to remind us that, even though there is a judgment coming, and we will sometimes tremble at the thought of it, nevertheless, already now there is no condemnation. You don’t have to wait for the final inheritance to know what this portion will be. “Who will bring a charge against God’s elect?” In that last day when your whole life — with all its Romans-seven-imperfections is spread before you — this alone will be your hope: “It is God who justifies . . . it is Christ Jesus who died . . . who was raised . . . who intercedes.” The verdict of the last judgment was given in AD 33: Not guilty! No condemnation. Already now. This is the heart of Christianity. This is the gift of God.

The Great Eight - Pt 3

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:1-4 ESV).

I have been privileges to see some of the most wonderful landscapes in our country. I have been to nearly every state at one time or another; I have lived in three of those. I enjoyed the best of each of them in their distinct uniqueness. Here in North Central Texas, where some say the west really begins, I have found the vast vistas spectacular both at sunrise and sunset. There is something majestic in how the world seems to stretch out before me forever at sunrise. It reminds me of the greatness of God. Sometimes I have seen the old windmill as it stands defiantly against the weathering of the elements and the natural erosion of time. It seems to welcome the new day as the sun rises in the background. This is what Paul must have seen when he comes to declare there is finally now no condemnation. Today we look at the finally now. All those years the law commanded and the law condemned law-breakers and the law pointed to a Righteousness and a Sacrifice that would someday come (cf. Romans 3:21), but the law could not remove condemnation from sinners. If there was to come a time when sinners could experience “no condemnation!” — when the ungodly could be justified by faith — then God would have to do something besides give a law. And what he did was send his Son in human nature, as our representative and substitute and there on the cross in the suffering of his Son, God condemned sin! It was not Jesus’ sin (v. 3). He had none. It was not his; it was ours. This is the gospel. This is Christianity. All of us were under God’s condemnation because of our sin. Earlier in the letter (cf. Romans 5:6) the apostle says, “While we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.” Now we see who those “ungodly” were. It’s all of us. He condemned our sin in His flesh. Therefore, finally, now, there is no condemnation. Now that everything has been done that has to be done to absorb the wrath of God. Now, finally, there is no condemnation. See? Now we can finally take rest from the oppression of sin and death. They have no hold on us. Jesus has finally come. Like the warmth of the sun after a cold, crisp night we bathe in the relief that we have now made it to the day! Be encouraged that the day has begun!

The Great Eight - Pt 2

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:1-4 ESV).

The first seven chapters of Paul’s letter to the Romans is a detailed treatise in which he summarizes the Gospel. In short he begins to define the key points of our restoration from the fall of man in Adam and Eve. He talks about holy God, sinful man, coming wrath, perfect Savior, Jesus Christ crucified and risen, justification by faith, and sanctification by faith. Then comes what many have called “the Great Eight.” Here, Paul sums up the message of Christianity in the great conclusion of our reading today: “Therefore [in view of all] that there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” That’s the essence of Christianity. That’s the central, foundational message of God to the world. This is what we announce. This is what we plead. This is what we lay down our lives to communicate to the nations and the neighborhoods. Take a moment and really read these words: There is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. We’ll look at this in several parts. Today we can see what the gift is and who enjoys it? Simply put the gift is “now no condemnation;” and those who enjoy it are “those who are in Christ Jesus.” The word “now” can have two different connotations. One is that finally everything is in place, everything has been done, finally, now I can receive what I was promised. A grandfather sends a package to his granddaughter and says, “Do not open until your birthday.” Every day the little girl says, “Now? Can I open it now?” “No, not now. Only on your birthday.” When it comes then she says, “Finally, now!” The “now” that comes after waiting. The other connotation for “now” is the now that comes before you thought it would. That same grandfather writes to his son and sends him a $5,000 check and says, “Son, you know that someday you will inherit my estate. But I know that now is when your needs are great, so I am sending you this in advance.” Here the “now” is not “finally now,” but, “already now.” Both of these meanings for “now” are not far away. “There is now no condemnation.” Is it “finally now” or “already now.” We can see them both in this central chapter. We’ll dig deeper tomorrow. However, today would you spend some time pondering this great declaration: We NOW have eternal life. It may not feel like you expected heaven to be like. In fact, you may feel like you’re in hell. You are not. You have eternal life and it is drawing you ever closer to home. Now!

The Great Eight - Pt 1

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1).

Today we begin a journey of some length. The eighth chapter of Paul’s letter to the Roman Church is the centerpoint of this great treatise dealing with the grace of the gospel. In my opinion, it is the most essential chapter in the New Testament. We must start with some introductory statements. First, the greatest danger today in all the talk about faith-based social organizations is that Christians will begin to think about their faith the way the world does. The world views Christianity and other religions as useful, depending on what social, psychological, or physical benefits it may bring. In other words, the world doesn’t assess Christianity in the categories of true or false, but in the categories of useful or harmful. The world does not think of Christianity as divine revelation but as human opinion. The world does not believe that God must reveal our deepest need, and then provide the remedy in Jesus Christ. The world believes that we know our deepest needs and that religion can be respectable if it helps meet them. We are defined by what the world sees us doing for them: “What are you doing about affordable housing? How do you help people get jobs? What’s your strategy for improving health care?” Those are valid questions. But if you let the secular mind determine your starting point and then define the categories for explaining Christianity, then you will promote the erroneous notion that the church of Jesus Christ and the gospel of Jesus Christ are not an authoritative revelation from God that is true and necessary, but instead, an activity of man that is useful. I want you to know from the outset, and to feel, that if you start where the world starts — by thinking you know your real needs and that God is useful in meeting them — you will not know what Christianity is. Second, the essence of Christianity is that God is the supreme value in the universe, that we do not honor him as supremely valuable, that we are therefore guilty of sin and under his omnipotent wrath, and he alone can rescue us from his own condemnation, which he has done through the death and resurrection of his Son, Jesus Christ, for everyone who is in Christ. Knowing this, if what we promote is housing, jobs, health care, sobriety, family life minus this message, we are not Christian – we are cruel. We comb man’s hair in the electric chair and hide his freedom in our hands. The essence of Christianity is that God is the supreme value in the universe. Without Him there is no hope of recovery in this world or the next. With these things as a starting point we now can see how easy it is for Paul to say, “Now, there isn’t any condemnation in Christ.” That’s the gospel of grace. Rejoice!

Life from Death

Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God. For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code. (Romans 7:4-6 ESV).

As I was writing this devotional (several days ago, since I write them about a week in advance for publication and posting), I looked out the west window of my office and noticed some buzzards in the Mesquite tree. After a closer look I saw several on the ground near the burn pile. The weather has been so dry that it has gotten larger than normal with downed branches and scraps from my woodworking. I couldn’t imagine what might be of interest to these critters and then remembered that I had also thrown a dead rabbit out there after one of the dogs decided it didn’t belong in our back yard. I chuckled a bit and called Mary to come look. Her response was classic, “Yuck! What are they doing?” My response was rather matter-of-fact as I said, “Having breakfast.” I know. You probably agree with Mary; however, they have to eat too. And, they eat dead animals. In a very real way, their life comes from death. Spiritually, our life comes from death also. We call that justification. It is not a process of transformation. It is a declaration that before God we have a right standing, acquitted and righteous. It happens in the twinkling of an eye when we first believe in Christ. Sanctification is a process of transformation. It goes on through life and is based on the fixed, firm, unshakable ground of justification. The greatest thing in the world is to know God without wrath and full of grace because of Christ. And Christ is the key to both, not law-keeping. This happens, not by preoccupation with the law, but by dying to the law and belonging to another, Jesus Christ, risen from the dead. You embrace Jesus. You hold fast to Jesus. You trust Jesus. You treasure Jesus. You fellowship with Jesus. You love Jesus. Jesus becomes the passion of your life. That’s what our reading implies: die to law-keeping and give yourselves to your all-satisfying relationship with Jesus Christ. This thought will be central in the coming days as we examine the “Great Eight” as the eighth chapter of Romans is known. No condemnation, because of Christ; and deep transformation because of Christ. One is called justification. One is called sanctification. We take our stand daily by faith on the once-for-all, unshakable rock of our justification in Christ. And then we give ourselves daily by faith to the sanctifying work of Jesus in our lives. Celebrate your life from His death today!

Legacy - Pt 5

Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will. For it was not to angels that God subjected the world to some, of which we are speaking. It has been testified somewhere, “What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him? You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor, putting everything in subjection under his feet.” (Hebrews 2:1-8 ESV).

Our last principle in leaving a legacy to our children is in giving them a sense of purpose, direction, and mission. The challenge here is to leave your children a heritage, not just an inheritance. As someone once said, "Our children are messengers we send to a time we will not see." David Livingstone, the missionary to Africa, said, "I will go anywhere, as long as it is forward." And by moving forward and advancing God's kingdom, he undoubtedly also advanced his sense of dignity. Gaining a vision and a direction in life will yield significance to your family's life as well, especially if the omnipotent God of the universe has set that heading and direction. In fact, true vision, direction, and destiny can come only from the One who controls not only the present but also the future. By discovering your eternal destiny, you will begin to build lasting dignity in your lives. The internal awareness of that God-ordained dignity will enhance the self-esteem of every member of your family. In our reading today we see the writer urging us to pay close attention to what God has done through Jesus on our behalf. The consequence of our not doing this is a “drifting away.” In my experience this complacency, the drifting away from the truth of God, is common in our culture. That cannot be an acceptable legacy for our children. We cannot teach them by our poor example that we are powerless in the face of our circumstances. Our destiny is to sit with the King of all creation for eternity. We do not look to defeat, but a victory that has already happened. We merely wait being called to that promised, secured home. The challenge is clear for all of us: Follow Christ and fulfill His call and vision for our lives. Just as we found spiritual life in no other Person than Jesus Christ, so we find a dignity like no other in the destiny He provides. Teach that to your children by word and example. No Goliath can stand before that kind of faith! That’s legacy!

Legacy - Pt 4

And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” (Matthew 9:35-38 ESV).

Our second principle to leave as a legacy to our children is to recognize the world's needs and respond with compassion and action. Our reading today sees Jesus doing just that with His disciples. As parents we should intentionally seek to leave a legacy by being committed to doing something about our world. Many Christians today are walking in the middle of the road; they're so focused on what other people think that they are unwilling to take any risks in order to make an impact for Christ. Jamie Buckingham wrote, "The problem with Christians today is that no one wants to kill them anymore." There are some places where this is not true. We have seen that vividly reported; however, the point is that the community of faith has become both tolerant and tolerated. I must be clear. I am not referencing the intolerance so associated with the bigotry and ignorant bluster of some today who claim to be people of faith. Jesus saw no color; he never separated the classes along economic or social lines. Nor can we do that. Compassion and mercy demand that we see beyond those things. The angry rhetoric and violent outbursts that are so common in our world today should have no place in the Christian’s life. If you have known me for any length of time, you have also known of my conservatism. I am orthodox in my theology and socially conservative in my politics. However, I am also completely committed to follow the example of Christ. It should not be a surprise that I have read and admired John F. Kennedy. In the book, Profiles in Courage, he wrote: If by a "Liberal" they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people - their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights and their civil liberties - someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicions that grip us in our policies abroad, if that is what they mean by a "Liberal", then I'm proud to say I'm a "Liberal.” That is a legacy to leave your children. I must not be remembered as a Democrat, Republican, Independent, Libertarian, or any other political party affiliation; I must be remembered as a follower of Jesus Christ. Again, a quote from JFK: "Some men show courage throughout the whole of their lives. Others sail with the wind until the decisive moment when their conscience and events propel them into the center of the storm." If you want to leave a lasting legacy, you need to act with courage to reach out to those in need. That’s a legacy worth leaving!

Legacy - Pt 3

Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in his commandments! His offspring will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever. Light dawns in the darkness for the upright; he is gracious, merciful, and righteous. It is well with the man who deals generously and lends; who conducts his affairs with justice. For the righteous will never be moved; he will be remembered forever. (Psalm 112:1-5 ESV).

God takes small, imperfect things and builds them into a habitation for his glory. We should take courage in our little spheres of influence. Nothing you do is a trifle if you do it in the name of God. He will shake heaven and earth to fill your labor with splendor. Take courage, you build more than you see. The psalmist is so clear in our reading today. Fear the Lord and the result is “mighty offspring.” Our children become great because of the legacy of faith we leave them. Regardless of how that may seem, it is a promise of God. As we continue in this series over the next few days, I am going to show you a few very specific things you can do to insure your children will such men and women. First, fear the Lord and obey Him. Your legacy begins in your heart, in your relationship with God. Our reading says: "How blessed is the man who fears the LORD, Who greatly delights in His commandments. His descendants will be mighty on earth; the generation of the upright will be blessed." Some of you may be thinking that it is entirely too late for you to influence your children. You have done too much that was too wrong. Can I remind you that the plan and purpose of God is still being written in your hearts and the hearts of your children? It is never too late to build a legacy of faith in your children. I hope that there have been those times in my life with my sons that they have seen the heart of God reflected in my actions. I know there are some conversations we have had that reflect some of the truth I have learned in my personal journey that has “stuck.” Since they are now all adults with lives and careers well established, I have seen one of those principles applied in their lives regularly. The end of the story is much clearer than the beginning. I simply can’t tell you where it began. I know I must have often talked about the need to persevere in life. One of those “proverbs” my Dad taught me and I taught them was: “If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right.” At the heart of this is a desire to do the will of God. It may have been applied and taught during a particularly mundane event; but it was apparent. Because of that, the “shortcuts” in life were less desirable. That being said, these simple, mundane things helped to produce men of integrity and passion in life for “doing it right.” That’s something worth giving your children.