Equipping Believers for our Lord

Beyond Injustices – Romans 12:21

by | Book of Romans

21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Doormats we are not to be. In our battle with evil and evil people who do evil things to us, we simply have a different set of weapons than the natural world has. We don’t need the uselessness of revenge,...

The Hardest Thing to Do – Romans 12:17-18

by | Book of Romans

17 Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. The righteous man shall live by faith” (Rom 1:17b)—this challenge, which is fleshed out in chapter 12, goes...

You’re So Vain – Romans 12:16

by | Book of Romans

16 Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation. Swinging back to the thought of verse 3 (“…I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to...

Transformed Character – Romans 12:9-10

by | Book of Romans

9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor … The committed Christian life based on the solid doctrine of justification manifests itself not only in...

Exercising Your Gift? – Romans 12:6-8

by | Book of Romans

6 Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; 7 if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; 8 or he who exhorts, in his...

A Manicured Christian? – Romans 12:4-5

by | Book of Romans

4 For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. The first place, interestingly, for living out the sacrificial, transformational,...

No Drunken Self-Opinion – Romans 12:3

by | Book of Romans

3 For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. Grace extends not just for salvation, but also for...

To Conform or Not – Romans 12:2

by | Book of Romans

2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. The second thing to which God calls us is complete conformity to His will. The...

Ongoing Sacrificial Life – Romans 12:1

by | Book of Romans

1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. Therefore”—the most classic of biblical segues, this transition from what is the truth, to what...

Pleasing God 101 – Romans 12:1 (cont.)

by | Book of Romans

1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. Our bodies are the sacrifice, but what does that mean? Reflecting back in the book, we see that...

Doxology in the Highest – Romans 11:36

by | Book of Romans

36 For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen. Doxology” is the theological term for the praise of God. The first part of the word comes from the Greek “doxa,” which means “praise,” and the second part from “logos,” which...

Does God Keep His Word? – Romans 11:29

by | Book of Romans

…29 for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. I promise you.” “Believe me.” “Take my word for it.” “You can count on me.” How often do these words gush forth with no more weight than the breath with which they are uttered? The psalm writer, in recognizing...

Beloved Enemies – Romans 11:28-29

by | Book of Romans

28 From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God’s choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; 29 for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. The people of Israel are at the same time both enemies...

No Place for Arrogance – Romans 11:22-24

by | Book of Romans

22 Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off. 23 And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is...

Broken or Spared? – Romans 11:19-21

by | Book of Romans

19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20 Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear; 21 for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare...

A Lumpy Salvation – Romans 11:17-18

by | Book of Romans

17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, 18 do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you...

A Lumpy Salvation – Romans 11:16

by | Book of Romans

16 If the first piece of dough is holy, the lump is also; and if the root is holy, the branches are too. Metaphors are common in Scripture. Paul employs two of them now in order to explain Israel’s future in relation to the Gospel. A metaphor clarifies a point by...

Planned Reciprocity – Romans 11:15

by | Book of Romans

15 For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? Reciprocity is in God’s plan to reach the world. As originally presented, God promised to reach the world through Abraham and his descendants (Gen...

Arrogance or Passion? – Romans 11:13-14

by | Book of Romans

13 But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, 14 if somehow I might move to jealousy my fellow countrymen and save some of them. Passion drove Paul, not arrogance. When he wrote of magnifying his...

Double Pre-Destination? – Romans 11:7-10

by | Book of Romans

7 What then? What Israel is seeking, it has not obtained, but those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened; 8 just as it is written, “God gave them a spirit of stupor, Eyes to see not and ears to hear not, Down to this very day.” 9 And David says,...

The Remnant – Romans 11:5-6

by | Book of Romans

5 In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God’s gracious choice. 6 But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace. Groundwork was laid in Romans 9:27-28, where Paul...

God Knows the Faithful – Romans 11:1-4

by | Book of Romans

1 I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about...

But They Have Heard – Romans 10:18-21

by | Book of Romans

18 But I say, surely they have never heard, have they? Indeed they have; “Their voice has gone out into all the earth, And their words to the ends of the world.” 19 But I say, surely Israel did not know, did they? First Moses says, “I will make you jealous by that...

Share the Word of God – Romans 10:16-17

by | Book of Romans

16 However, they did not all heed the good news; for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. The Word of God is central to the Christian mission. The Creator spoke the cosmos into existence....

Beautiful Feet – Romans 10:14-15

by | Book of Romans

14 How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? 15 How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of...

Whoever Will – Romans 10:13

by | Book of Romans

… 13 for “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Calling on God reflects the ideal heart and mindset of one who understands his place with his Creator. It is the most human, creaturely thing a person can do. We are derivative, not independent. We...

Invitation to All – Romans 10:11-13

by | Book of Romans

11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; 13 for “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will...

Confession and Faith – Romans 10:10

by | Book of Romans

… 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. Belief and confession are God’s instruments to bring about salvation in a person’s life. In philosophical terms, they are the instrumental...

Jesus is God (cont.) – Romans 10:8b-9a

by | Book of Romans

8 … the word of faith which we are preaching, 9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord … Deity of Christ is so central, yet so controversial, that we must spend more time contemplating this. Some claim that Paul’s use of “Lord” simply employs the standard...

Jesus is God – Romans 10:8b-9a

by | Book of Romans

8 … the word of faith which we are preaching, 9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord … Core message of the gospel, verses 9 and 10 have been used by millions as part of the so-called “Romans Road.” Taken together, these truths from this letter form a...

Down to Our Level – Romans 10:6-8

by | Book of Romans

6 But the righteousness based on faith speaks as follows: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ (that is, to bring Christ down), 7 or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).” 8 But what does it say? “The word...

No Exceptionalism – Romans 10:4-5

by | Book of Romans

4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. 5 For Moses writes that the man who practices the righteousness which is based on law shall live by that righteousness. The end of human effort to gain righteousness by keeping God’s law...

Confused Righteousness – Romans 10:3

by | Book of Romans

3 For not knowing about God’s righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. Adam and Eve attempted their own righteousness when they “sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings” (Gen...

Zealous Fluff – Romans 10:2

by | Book of Romans

2 For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. Zeal without knowledge—that characterizes so many passions in the world, especially religious passions. Paul’s assessment of the Jewish problem with unbelief characterizes...

What Turns Your Heart? – Romans 10:1

by | Book of Romans

1 Brethren, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation. What turns your heart with joy? What is your passion? What do you long for at the deepest levels of your being? For Paul, his heart beat with God’s, as he wrote, “the longing of my...

Unqualified Mercy – Romans 9:30-31

by | Book of Romans

30 What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith; 31 but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law. Irony of truth subverts religious notions inherent...

Remnant of Mercy – Romans 9:27-29

by | Book of Romans

27 Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, “Though the number of the sons of Israel be like the sand of the sea, it is the remnant that will be saved; 28 for the Lord will execute His word on the earth, thoroughly and quickly.” 29 And just as Isaiah foretold, “Unless the...

Doubly Merciful – Romans 9:25-26

by | Book of Romans

25 As He says also in Hosea, “I will call those who were not My people, ‘My people,’ And her who was not beloved, ‘beloved.’ ” 26 “And it shall be that in the place where it was said to them, ‘you are not My people,’ There they shall be called sons of the living God.”...

Mercy, Mercy Me – Romans 9:24

by | Book of Romans

… 24 even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles. Keeping the Jewish question in mind, our passage points out that they are not the only chosen people of God. They had forgotten that their special status as God’s chosen people...

Into Theological Traffic – Romans 9:17-18

by | Book of Romans

17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I raised you up, to demonstrate My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed throughout the whole earth.” 18 So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires. God’s promises...

Spiritual DNA – Romans 9:6-8

by | Book of Romans

6 But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel; 7 nor are they all children because they are Abraham’s descendants, but: “through Isaac your descendants will be named.” 8 That is, it is not the children...

The Jewish God – Romans 9:4-5

by | Book of Romans

4 [my kinsmen according to the flesh] who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons, and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises, 5 whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the...

Wish I Were Accursed? – Romans 9:3

by | Book of Romans

3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh … What passion and love Paul has for his ethnic people, the Jews! He would gladly come under God’s complete and absolute condemnation,...

Asserted Truth – Romans 9:1-2

by | Book of Romans

1 I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience testifies with me in the Holy Spirit, 2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart. Usually when someone says, “I am not lying,” this poses a humorous dilemma. If he is lying, he certainly...

Conquer to the Max – Romans 8:37

by | Book of Romans

37But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. God’s love is powerful. How could we possibly fully understand that? Our concept of His love deepens when we go through our greatest trials. Like an athlete grows stronger by lifting heavier...

Nothing! – Romans 8:35-36

by | Book of Romans

35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 Just as it is written, “For Your sake we are being put to death all day long; We were considered as sheep to be...

If God Is For Us – Romans 8:31-34

by | Book of Romans

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? 33 Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the...

A Good Perspective – Romans 8:28-30

by | Book of Romans

28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. 29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the...

Hope Despite Groaning – Romans 8:23-25

by | Book of Romans

23 And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. 24 For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope;...

A Good Anxiety – Romans 8:18-19

by | Book of Romans

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. Reality is harsh, but hope sustains....

Rock Solid Testimony – Romans 8:16-17

by | Book of Romans

16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. Believers are described in various ways in...

Papa, Father – Romans 8:14-15

by | Book of Romans

14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For 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!” Justification once again is at the...

Live or Die – Romans 8:12-13

by | Book of Romans

12 So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— 13 for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. Romans chapter 8 washes...

Same Spirit as Jesus – Romans 8:11

by | Book of Romans

11 But 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. Trinity saturates the New Testament, and here we have all three persons...

Dead and Alive – Romans 8:10

by | Book of Romans

10 If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. Summary statement that it is, this verse is a bedrock of sanctification. Regardless of our daily experiences and struggles with sin, despite entangling...

Not in the Flesh – Romans 8:9

by | Book of Romans

9 However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. There’s a difference between being “in the flesh” (vs. 8) and having a “mind set on the...

No Good Flesh – Romans 8:8

by | Book of Romans

… 8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. Those living in the flesh cannot hope to please God, yet we Christians often fall back to fleshly living, just like non-believers. The word “flesh” here obviously does not mean the physical body, for all humans...

Think Again! – Romans 8:6-7

by | Book of Romans

6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, 7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, 8 and those who are in the flesh...

Think! – Romans 8:5

by | Book of Romans

5 For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. Mind and behavior interconnect. In verse 4, the distinction is made between living “according to the flesh”...

Law of the Spirit – Romans 8:2-4

by | Book of Romans

2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. 3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He...

No Condemnation! (cont.) – Romans 8:1

by | Book of Romans

1 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Universalism is the teaching that God will save everyone from condemnation. This is wrong on numerous fronts. First, it is only those who are “in Christ Jesus.” Those who are still living...

No Condemnation! – Romans 8:1

by | Book of Romans

1 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Now, no more condemnation! There is no better way to say it. Like the most beautiful, elegant piece of music, perfectly composed and expertly played, “[t]herefore there is now no condemnation...

Thanks a Million! – Romans 7:25

by | Book of Romans

25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin. Dilemma finally solved—and what a great solution it is. Knowing where this train of thought is...

Who Will Save Me? – Romans 7:24

by | Book of Romans

24 Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Wretched, miserable, distressed. Such is the lot of someone caught in the dilemma of trying to live up to the Law, yet honestly wrestling with his or her failure. Jesus taught us to pray,...

Unwanted War – Romans 7:22-23

by | Book of Romans

22 For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, 23 but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. Paul’s insightful mind lays blame for the...

Accurate Self-Diagnosis – Romans 7:18-19

by | Book of Romans

18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. 19 For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. Scholars vigorously debate whether Paul’s...

Show Sin to Be Sin – Romans 7:12-13

by | Book of Romans

12 So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good. 13 Therefore did that which is good become a cause of death for me? May it never be! Rather it was sin, in order that it might be shown to be sin by effecting my death through that which...

Same Spirit as Jesus – Romans 8:11

by | Book of Romans

11 But 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. Trinity saturates the New Testament, and here we have all three persons...

Sin Kills – Romans 7:11

by | Book of Romans

… 11 for sin, taking an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. Kills—that’s what sin does! How foolish Adam and Eve were, and everyone else, to buy the line that acting outside of God’s design will be “good … a delight to the eyes …...

Death as a Good Thing – Romans 7:8b-10

by | Book of Romans

8 … for apart from the Law sin is dead. 9 I was once alive apart from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin became alive and I died; 10 and this commandment, which was to result in life, proved to result in death for me; Wonderfully negative news, odd as that...

Divine Logic for the Law – Romans 7:7-8

by | Book of Romans

7 What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, “You shall not covet.” 8 But sin, taking opportunity through the...

The Law is So Yesterday – Romans 7:5-6

by | Book of Romans

5 For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death. 6 But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness...

Free by Divorce – Romans 7:1-4

by | Book of Romans

1 Or do you not know, brethren (for I am speaking to those who know the law), that the law has jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives? 2 For the married woman is bound by law to her husband while he is living; but if her husband dies, she is released from the...

Brothers and Sisters – Romans 7:1-2a

by | Book of Romans

1 Or do you not know, brethren (for I am speaking to those who know the law), that the law has jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives? 2 For the married woman is bound by law to her husband while he is living. This pericope (to borrow a term theologians use in...

Benefit of Sin—Not – Romans 6:20-21

by | Book of Romans

20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death. Freedom from what seem to be repressive rules of...

Yours to Choose – Romans 6:19

by | Book of Romans

19 I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in...

Theology of Gratitude – Romans 6:17-18

by | Book of Romans

17 But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. Overwhelming gratitude bursts from the apostle’s...

Foot-shooting – Romans 6:15-16

by | Book of Romans

15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be! 16 Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience...

Rugged Faith – Romans 6:10-11

by | Book of Romans

10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Death in Christ is a singularity; life in Christ is an eternality. They are as...

Free and Secure Forever – Romans 6:8-9

by | Book of Romans

8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. Coming to faith in Jesus Christ is like dying, but that is a good thing....

No Sin, No More – Romans 6:2b-3

by | Book of Romans

2 … How shall we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Paul now progresses in his response to the objectors who suggest that his teachings lead to a rationale...

Increasing Sin and … – Romans 5:20-21

by | Book of Romans

20 The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Why in the world did...

Overwhelming Grace – Romans 5:15-16

by | Book of Romans

15 But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. 16 The gift is not like that which came through the one...

Connected – Romans 5:13-14

by | Book of Romans

… 13 for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. What...

Ripples to Swells – Romans 5:12

by | Book of Romans

12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned … Death is a reality of life—such an odd thing when you think about it. A person lives his or her entire life (whether long or...

The Man – Romans 5:11b-12a

by | Book of Romans

11 … our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. 12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world … The agent of our reconciliation is our Lord Jesus Christ. The agent or cause of sin entering the world is “one man,”...

Bragging Rights – Romans 5:11

by | Book of Romans

11 And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. Three times in this chapter the apostle Paul exults. To exult means to boast (NIV) or to proclaim publically the greatness of something...

Greater to the Lesser – Romans 5:9-10

by | Book of Romans

9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life....

No Arid Theology – Romans 5:5-8

by | Book of Romans

… 5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. 6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will hardly die for a righteous...

Assured Hope – Romans 5:3-5a

by | Book of Romans

3 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; 4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope 5 and hope does not disappoint Not only do we exult in the hope of glory, we also exult in...

Wait, There’s More! – Romans 5:3-4

by | Book of Romans

3 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; 4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope … And not only this”—there’s more. If we dare to think our justification with the peace and...

Welcome to Grace! – Romans 5:2

by | Book of Romans

… 2 through whom [our Lord Jesus Christ] also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. Doxology follows theology. All that has been said to this point leads us to join the apostle...

Ergo, Peace – Romans 5:1

by | Book of Romans

1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ … Pivotal use of “therefore” occurs throughout Paul’s treatise on justification to signal the advance of his reasoning based on logical deduction. If one thing is true,...

By Faith, Not by Works – Romans 4:22

by | Book of Romans

22Therefore it was also credited to him as righteousness. Theological debate storms around this verse, residing at the center of the Protestant divide from Rome. The question is this: What does it mean to be “credited” as righteous? No small matter, as we pointed...

Not Taking Any Chances – Romans 4:20-21

by | Book of Romans

… 20 yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform. Wavering in other areas of life, Abraham never waffled in his...

Hope Against Hope – Romans 4:18-19

by | Book of Romans

18 In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” 19 Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a...

Faith Anchored – Romans 4:16-17

by | Book of Romans

16 For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, 17...

A Very Big Deal – Romans 4:14-15

by | Book of Romans

14 For if those who are of the Law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise is nullified; 15 for the Law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, there also is no violation. Unrelenting, exhaustive, precisely drawn, carefully laid out—Paul’s logical,...

Impossible for God – Romans 4:13

by | Book of Romans

13 For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith. Pursuing every angle in his theological response to the Jewish objector, Paul continues his emphasis on the...

Exclusive: NOT – Romans 4:11-12

by | Book of Romans

… 11 and [Abraham] received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised, so that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them, 12 and the...

Credited to My Account – Romans 4:1-3

by | Book of Romans

1 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found? 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him...

Au Contraire – Romans 3:31

by | Book of Romans

31 Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law. Law was paramount for all good Jews. Whatever is true must be in accord with the teachings of Moses. Whatever Christianity teaches, it cannot contradict the Law, for...

One Justification – Romans 3:29-30

by | Book of Romans

29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30 since indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one. The God we worship is the God over all of creation, and He is the...

Pointed to the Max – Romans 3:28

by | Book of Romans

28 For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law. Pointed to the max, Paul doesn’t get any clearer than this. To our pluralistic, ecumenical, tolerant society, his succinct statement in one fell swoop, concluding two and a half chapters...

Just and Justifier – Romans 3:26b-27

by | Book of Romans

25 … This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; 26 for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has...

Propitiation: A Good Word – Romans 3:25a

by | Book of Romans

25 [Christ Jesus] whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith … Love of God was not only exercised, but it was done in an observable way. Eastern religions refer to Christianity as an “earthy” religion, in that it deals with the physical,...

No Coupon Value – Romans 3:22

by | Book of Romans

22 … even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction … Righteousness and how to attain it is what the book of Romans is all about. The word and its related forms, “righteous,” “just” and “justify” in...

Bare-knuckled Truth – Romans 3:19-20

by | Book of Romans

19 Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God; 20 because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law...

Fear of the Lord – Romans 3:18

by | Book of Romans

18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” “The fear of God” carries a broad, comprehensive meaning and application. On the one hand, there is a terror in falling into the hands of an absolutely holy and righteous Judge. The famed colonial preacher Jonathan...

Fear of the Lord (cont.) – Romans 3:18

by | Book of Romans

18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Drawing from Psalm 36, and in keeping with rabbinic custom, Paul quotes the first line to bring attention to the entire psalm. There the writer speaks of the “ungodly” and of the lovingkindness of the Lord: Transgression...

Darwinian Degradation – Romans 3:15-18

by | Book of Romans

15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood, 16 Destruction and misery are in their paths, 17 And the path of peace they have not known.” 18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Staccato-like fashion—Paul in rapid fire laying out four more charges. The first three...

Blatant Deception – Romans 3:13-14

by | Book of Romans

13 “Their throat is an open grave, with their tongues they keep deceiving,” “The poison of asps is under their lips”; 14 “whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness”… Obscure texts are not Paul’s choice to support his point that even the Jews have failed to meet up...

It Is Written – Romans 3:9-10

by | Book of Romans

9 What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin; 10 as it is written, “There is none righteous, not even one … Here’s the rub: contrary to long-held beliefs, the Jews are not better than the...

Illogical Objections – Romans 3:7-8

by | Book of Romans

7 But if through my lie the truth of God abounded to His glory, why am I also still being judged as a sinner? 8 And why not say (as we are slanderously reported and as some claim that we say), “Let us do evil that good may come”? Their condemnation is just. To the...

In Human Terms (cont.) – Romans 3:5-6

by | Book of Romans

5 But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is He? (I am speaking in human terms.) 6 May it never be! For otherwise, how will God judge the world? Paul’s argument assumes that...

In Human Terms – Romans 3:5-6

by | Book of Romans

5 But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is He? (I am speaking in human terms.) 6 May it never be! For otherwise, how will God judge the world? Questions continue to flow as...

Advantage: Jews – Romans 3:1-2

by | Book of Romans

1 Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the benefit of circumcision? 2Great in every respect. First of all, that they were entrusted with the oracles of God. Finally, the question: “If one can be a true Jew and have an inner attitude that allows him to be...

Turning the Tables – Romans 2:26-27

by | Book of Romans

26 So if the uncircumcised man keeps the requirements of the Law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? 27 And he who is physically uncircumcised, if he keeps the Law, will he not judge you who though having the letter of the Law and circumcision...

A Religious Sign – Romans 2:25 (cont.)

by | Book of Romans

25 For indeed circumcision is of value if you practice the Law; but if you are a transgressor of the Law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. Sex was not the issue so much for the Jews of Paul’s day. The sign of circumcision had become so much a normal part...

A Sexual Sign – Romans 2:25

by | Book of Romans

25 For indeed circumcision is of value if you practice the Law; but if you are a transgressor of the Law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. Circumcision was virtually synonymous with the Law of Moses, the two being closely intertwined. Paul refers to this...

Blaspheme Not (cont.) – Romans 2:23-24

by | Book of Romans

23 You who boast in the Law, through your breaking the Law, do you dishonor God? 24 For “the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,” just as it is written. David’s sin of adultery with Bathsheba and killing her husband Uriah has had repercussions...

Blaspheme Not – Romans 2:23-24

by | Book of Romans

23 You who boast in the Law, through your breaking the Law, do you dishonor God? 24 For “the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,” just as it is written. Put in the simplest terms, the Jews saw themselves as superior to Gentiles because they...

Pride In the Cross-Hairs – Romans 2:19-20

by | Book of Romans

19 … and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, 20 a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of the immature, having in the Law the embodiment of knowledge and of the truth … Spiritual blindness of the religious can...

Religious Presumption – Romans 2:17-18

by | Book of Romans

17 But if you bear the name “Jew” and rely upon the Law and boast in God, 18 and know His will and approve the things that are essential, being instructed out of the Law … Jewishness saturated Paul’s life; that he was a Jew shaped his life to the core—but he got over...

Salvation By Law? – Romans 2:14-16

by | Book of Romans

14 For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, 15 in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately...

God Is Not Racist – Romans 2:11-13

by | Book of Romans

11 For there is no partiality with God. 12 For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law; 13 for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the...

First But Not Only – Romans 2:9-10

by | Book of Romans

9 There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, 10 but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. Racial identity and cultural affinities do not...

Spiritual Inertia – Romans 2:5-6

by | Book of Romans

5 But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6 who will render to each person according to his deeds … Why in the world would anyone want to spurn...

Kindness and Wrath (cont.) – Romans 2:4

by | Book of Romans

4 Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? Do not underestimate the kindness of God. God is rich in every way. His glory is described as rich (Rom 9:23), and His...

Kindness and Wrath – Romans 2:4

by | Book of Romans

4 Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? Kindness mixed with wrath (1:18), how can that be? The world caricaturizes God as a cosmic killjoy, capricious in His...

Gracious Warnings – Romans 2:3

by | Book of Romans

3 But do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment on those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God? “Nope, won’t happen to me.” That is the folly of sin, the belief that somehow judgment will pass me by....

Self-Condemning Moralism – Romans 2:1-2

by | Book of Romans

1 Therefore you have no excuse, every one of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. 2 And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things. Now...

Enjoying Those Who Do – Romans 1:30-32

by | Book of Romans

30 … slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; 32 and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of...

He Is God, I Am Not – Romans 1:28-29

by | Book of Romans

28 And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are...

Illicit Sex – Romans 1:26-27

by | Book of Romans

26 For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, 27 and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men...

So You Want to Sin? – Romans 1:24-25

by | Book of Romans

24 Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. 25 For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever....

Professing Fools – Romans 1:22-23

by | Book of Romans

22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. Greatest of irony that it is, rejecting God is the height of...

What Can Be Known? – Romans 1:20-21

by | Book of Romans

20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. 21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God...

Unashamed Gospel – Romans 1:16-17

by | Book of Romans

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “But the righteous man shall live...

Eager to Serve – Romans 1:13-15

by | Book of Romans

13 I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that often I have planned to come to you (and have been prevented so far) so that I may obtain some fruit among you also, even as among the rest of the Gentiles. 14 I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians,...

God is My Witness – Romans 1:8-10

by | Book of Romans

8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because your faith is being proclaimed throughout the whole world. 9 For God, whom I serve in my spirit in the preaching of the gospel of His Son, is my witness as to how unceasingly I make mention of you, 10...

Ubiquitous Grace and Peace – Romans 1:7b

by | Book of Romans

7 … Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Not just a superficial or perfunctory salutation, this extension of grace and peace to his readers begins every one of Paul’s letters. This was his signature greeting. We err by reading over it...

Graced by God – Romans 1:5-6

by | Book of Romans

5 … through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for His name’s sake, 6 among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ; Using the editorial “we,” Paul primarily refers to his own appointment to...

Centered Living – Romans 1:3-4

by | Book of Romans

3 … concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, 4 who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord, Messiah is the name Jews gave to this...

Glory Promised – Romans 1:2-3

by | Book of Romans

2 [the gospel of God] which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh … Promises are the building blocks of God’s plan of glory, of revealing Himself in all His...

Appointed of God – Romans 1:1 (cont.)

by | Book of Romans

1 Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God… If ever there has been a man appointed by God from an early age (other than the incarnate Son of God), it was the apostle Paul. By his own testimony, God, who had set me...

Let the Magisterial Begin – Romans 1:1

by | Book of Romans

1 Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God… Magisterial, the greatest theological treatise every written, Paul’s crowning dissertation—these are just some of the descriptions of this great piece of literature that we...

Your Name (cont.) – John 17:26 (cont.)

by | The Upper Room

26 “… and I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.” “I Am,” Jesus said on multiple occasions, taking the very name of God. He intentionally applied the revered,...

Your Name (cont.) – John 17:26 (cont.)

by | The Upper Room

26 “… and I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.” Thirteen times in the Upper Room the “Name” is mentioned, eight of those times in reference to Jesus Himself, and five times...

Your Name – John 17:26

by | The Upper Room

26 “… and I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.” “God”—that is not His name. That is the general term for deity, “Theos” in Greek, and “Elohim” in Hebrew. But His name was...

Knowledge of Him – John 17:25 (cont.)

by | The Upper Room

25 “O righteous Father, although the world has not known You, yet I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me…” Worldly ignorance of God is no excuse because sinfulness has blinded the eyes of fallen man, rendering him incapable of seeing or knowing God....

Jesus Our Brother – John 17:25

by | The Upper Room

25 “O righteous Father, although the world has not known You, yet I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me…” Six times in this High Priestly prayer and fifty-three times in the Upper Room, Jesus speaks of His “Father.” The family relationship is obvious...

He Desires Us – John 17:24 (cont.)

by | The Upper Room

24 “Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.” Eternity in view, Jesus speaks of the foundation of the world and of a...

The Desire of Jesus – John 17:24

by | The Upper Room

24 “Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.” Where is a certain intensity to Jesus’ prayer, “Father, I desire …” He had...

Unity Perfected – John 17:23 (cont.)

by | The Upper Room

23 I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me. This speaks of intimacy and unity of the highest order, that is what is meant by the little preposition “in.” Like...

Unity in Practice – John 17:23 (cont.)

by | The Upper Room

23 I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me. Enough about unity? No, we can’t say enough; this was a high point in Jesus’ teaching. And judging from church...

Unity Incarnate – John 17:23 (cont.)

by | The Upper Room

23 I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me. Connection to Christ and His mission is depicted with the imagery of our Lord being physically “in” us. So also is...

Unity in Truth and Love – John 17:23

by | The Upper Room

23 I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me. “Them” includes us today. Jesus’ prayer in the Upper Room transcends future history, extending to all those...

Unity In Glory – John 17:22

by | The Upper Room

22 “The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one…” Goal-oriented, God’s desire is for we believers to be unified. But it brings no glory to God if our unity means watering down of the truth. The modern ecumenical...

Unity In Evangelism – John 17:21 (cont.)

by | The Upper Room

21 “… that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.” Christians speak of friendship evangelism, sports evangelism, coffee shop evangelism, child evangelism. Jesus...

Prayer of Dependence (cont.) – John 17:20

by | The Upper Room

20 “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word…” Fourth of July is the day the United States celebrates as Independence Day, commemorating the signing of the Declaration of Independence. This is the most hallowed of...

Prayer of Dependence (cont.) – John 17:20

by | The Upper Room

20 “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word…” Jesus’ intercessory prayer for His disciples showed a humble submission to the Father. In His incarnation, He placed Himself in a completely dependent role with the...

Prayer of Dependence – John 17:20

by | The Upper Room

20 “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word…” Humility of Christ is on display in this Upper Room prayer. As God incarnate, it was certainly within His realm of ability to perform all the things He asks of the...

You a Saint? – John 17:19 (cont.)

by | The Upper Room

19 “For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.” For you and me as believers, Jesus sanctified Himself. He was the Man on a mission to make us saints, both in position and in practice. He set Himself apart so that we might...

You a Saint? – John 17:19

by | The Upper Room

19 “For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.” How can Jesus sanctify Himself when He is already perfectly holy? The word for sanctify is “hagiazo” and is related to the holy “hagios.” One sanctifies oneself to become...

The Sent Ones (cont.) – John 17:18

by | The Upper Room

18 “As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.” Preparation of the apostles was absolutely critical to the founding of the Christian movement. Their role cannot be overstated–thus Jesus spent considerable time preparing them and praying...

The Sent Ones (cont.) – John 17:18

by | The Upper Room

18 “As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.” The apostle Paul referred to the twelve as “the apostles” (1 Cor 15:7, Gal 1:7), clearly speaking of them as a one-time, not to be expanded group with a unique authority. The term came to invoke...

The Sent Ones – John 17:18

by | The Upper Room

18 “As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.” Like Christ, like Christians. We are an extension of Him in this world, on assignment. Our being sent into the world is rooted in Jesus’ being sent into the world. We are carrying on His...

Your Word is Truth – John 17:17 (cont.)

by | The Upper Room

17 “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.” The Bible is the Word of God, and it is the truth of God. While we agree with the saying that, “All truth is God’s truth,” the truth of the Word of God is different than other kinds of truth. There is much to learn...

Set Apart – John 17:17

by | The Upper Room

17 “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.” What separates Christians from the world? Certainly, there is a spiritual separation, in that true believers are spiritually alive, while all others are spiritually dead. There may be cultural differences, in that...

Not Of the World (cont.) – John 17:16

by | The Upper Room

16 “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.” Jesus was not of this world. He certainly did not run lock-step with the Jewish world. Yes, that was the world He lived in. Born to a humble Jewish woman, the circumstances of that birth were anything but...

Not of the World – John 17:16

by | The Upper Room

16 “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.” Reality check – we Christians are not of this world! Not the disciples in the Upper Room, not us today. God looks at the human population and sees two kinds or categories of people, those who are His and...

Worldly Unbelief – John 17:15 (cont.)

by | The Upper Room

15 “I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one.” The evil one, that is the problem with being in the world. Ultimately the battle is not with other Christians or even with ourselves. It’s the devil. He has been in the picture...

Worldly Unbelief – John 17:15 (cont.)

by | The Upper Room

15 “I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one.” Why do Christians resort to legalism, living by a list of do’s and don’ts? Fallen human nature compels us to think we can become good enough to regain God’s favor. Yet Scripture...

Preparing for Hatred – John 17:14 (cont.)

by | The Upper Room

14 “I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.” The world does not take too kindly to Christians. No matter how inoffensive we try to be, no matter how loving we are toward the lost, the...

Culture Or Not – John 17:14 (cont.)

by | The Upper Room

14 “I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.” Christ and Culture” is the title of a book by theologian H. Richard Niebuhr (1951). Considering the relationship Christians have with the...

The Equipping Word – John 17:14 (cont.)

by | The Upper Room

14 “I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.” The world today has it all wrong. If Jesus was such a non-threatening, non-judgmental, always gentle, accepting person, then why did the...

The Guiding Word – John 17:14 (cont.)

by | The Upper Room

14 “I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.” We have seen that Jesus is “the Word” of God. In fact, at His second coming, He is pictured as riding on a white horse, “clothed with a...

The Living Word – John 17:14

by | The Upper Room

14 “I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.” “Word,” that was the operative term in Jesus’ ministry, the “Logos.” The gospel of John begins with it, “In the beginning was the...

An Uncanny Joy – John 17:13 (cont.)

by | The Upper Room

13 “But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves. More than human joy, that is what Jesus was talking about. A supernatural joy that completely overshadows human experience while not negating that...

Of Grace & Mercy – John 17:13 (cont.)

by | The Upper Room

13 “But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves.” His presence is the place to be. God’s presence. “I come to You.” What do we find there? In the context of the Upper Room, we can see that in God’s...

Into His Presence – John 17:13

by | The Upper Room

13 “But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves.” Many Christians include in their prayer to God, “I come to You.” On the one hand, this seems odd in that God is everywhere present, and therefore we...

Preparing for Handoff – John 17:12

by | The Upper Room

12 “While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name which You have given Me; and I guarded them and not one of them perished but the son of perdition, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled.” Like a farewell speech, Jesus outlines His final requests to His...

Unity of Holiness – John 17:11 (cont.)

by | The Upper Room

11 “I am no longer in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are.” “Holy Father”—this is the only time in Scripture God is...

He Left Us Here – John 17:11 (cont.)

by | The Upper Room

11 “I am no longer in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are.” Skin of an onion—composed of continuous peels, at different...

Jesus Not Here? – John 17:11

by | The Upper Room

11 “I am no longer in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are. His work on earth was finished; He was no longer part of the...

Glorified in Us – John 17:9b-10 (cont.)

by | The Upper Room

9 “… for they are Yours; 10 and all things that are Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine; and I have been glorified in them. How was Jesus glorified in the disciples? We must first see that God was glorified and is glorified in His creation. The angels understood this...

Sharing With God – John 17:9b-10 (cont.)

by | The Upper Room

9 “… for they are Yours; 10 and all things that are Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine; and I have been glorified in them. Before anything else existed, God was all there was. Some modern atheists ascribe to the popular notion, “The cosmos is all there is,” but that...

More on the Trinity – John 17:9b-10

by | The Upper Room

9 “… for they are Yours; 10 and all things that are Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine; and I have been glorified in them. Community in its finest form, that is what the Father and Son experienced. While the Trinity is the most unique and central part of Christian...

Our Lord Prays For His Own – John 17:9

by | The Upper Room

9 “I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world, but of those whom You have given Me; for they are Yours …” Prayers of intercession begin with Jesus, and are a priestly function. While we see this sort of praying for others in the OT (Abraham, for...

Verbal, Plenary – John 17:8 (cont.)

by | The Upper Room

8 “… for the words which You gave Me I have given to them; and they received them and truly understood that I came forth from You, and they believed that You sent Me.” Intriguing – the conversation between Father and Son, and the words given. What were these words to...

Credentialed Proof – John 17:8

by | The Upper Room

8 “… for the words which You gave Me I have given to them; and they received them and truly understood that I came forth from You, and they believed that You sent Me.” Enigmatic might be the way to describe how the disciples first saw Jesus, difficult to interpret,...

Security In His Words – John 17:7

by | The Upper Room

7 “Now they have come to know that everything You have given Me is from You …” Cryptic is this saying of Jesus in the Upper Room, seemingly redundant: everything given to Jesus by God is from God. Though the original language leaves this verse somewhat ambiguous, as...

The Action Name – John 17:6 (cont.)

by | The Upper Room

6 “I have manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word.” Action was the activity of the Lord Jesus Christ, not just verbal teaching. Taking the verse as a whole, we have seen...

Gift to the Son – John 17:6 (cont.)

by | The Upper Room

6 “I have manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word.” God’s gift to Jesus Christ is you and me! Now that’s an interesting thought. We sometimes hear the derisive saying,...