A Walk Through Romans

Paul's Purposed Life
Romans 1:1-17

Isn't it interesting that Paul started out virtually all of his letters to the churches with the same greeting?

Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God... (I Corinthians 1:1,
II Corinthians 1:1, Ephesians 1:1,
Colossians 1:1, and II Timothy 1:1)

Paul, an apostle—sent not from men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father... (Galatians 1:1)

Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus... (Philippians 1:1)

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope... (I Timothy 1:1)

Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ (Titus 1:1)

Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus (Philemon 1:1)

An Apostle, a Servant, and a Prisoner all rolled into one. Apparently, Paul wanted the reader to understand that his credentials of being an Apostle--a V.I.P., I suppose--were impeccable. He was called and commanded. His purpose was given to him by God Himself. (See Acts 26.)

Remember that an Apostle traditionally got that title because of three things. He personally had a physical encounter with Christ, received a personal commission from Christ, and was used in the working of miracles, signs and wonders.

An Apostle was indeed a special credential, but those other credentials were equally important to Paul. He was a Servant and a Prisoner of Jesus Christ. He didn't rest on his laurels and let everyone admire his apostleship. He knew that the privilege of apostleship carried with it the responsibility of a servant and the surrender of a prisoner.

When we examine our purpose, let us remember that whatever else God has called us to, He has called us also to be servants and prisoners. We are called to be a servant who serves out of loyalty and love for our Master. We are called to be prisoners, captivated by His love and grace.

What is your purpose? Are you a loyal servant who loves your Master more than life itself? Are you so captivated by His love that you are willingly a prisoner? Are your purpose and passion your number one identifying marker? If not, what interferes with that?

Talk to me! I'd love to see you post a comment!

Responding to Suffering

This will be (unless God directs me otherwise) the last in the series on suffering. The past couple of weeks we have talked much about how suffering is a normal part of life, even for the Christian. We also have talked about the purpose of suffering, and even the benefits of suffering. Hopefully that will lead us to develop a right perspective on suffering and, in turn, a right attitude when it happens.

When we see suffering the way God does, there is something inside of us that shifts. We begin to respond to it not. with fear or anger, but rather with a response that is Godly and healthy. Briefly, what are the Godly responses to suffering?

• Rejoice in suffering. - I Peter 4:12-14, Colossians 1:24
• Praise God and give thanks. - Philippians 4:4, I Thessalonians 5:16-18
• Don't lose heart and be courageous. - Hebrews 12:3, II Corinthians 4:13-18
  
• Comfort others. - II Corinthians 1:3-11
• Pray. - I Thessalonians 5:16-17, Hebrews 5:7, James 5:13
  
• Resist the devil. - Ephesians 6:10-13
• Persevere. - I Corinthians 10:13
• Entrust. (Have faith.) - I Peter 2:21-24
• Sacrifice for others.

One of the things that I believe helps us the most is remembering that suffering is for a little while.

For in just a very little while, He who is coming will come and will not delay. (Hebrews 10:37)

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. (I Peter 1:6)

And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. (I Peter 5:10)

Weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. (Psalm 30:5)

We have confidence in the hope of Christ's return when there will be no more suffering, no more pain, and no more dying. Isaiah 25:8 tells us that God will swallow up death forever and He will wipe away tears from all faces. It goes on to say that He will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth.

There is an end to it! Just like a woman in labor can endure the pain because she knows that the pain will not last forever and that the rewards of labor are great (a wonderful little bundle of joy), so is it with us. We know that our suffering, just like those who went before us, will come to an end and we will have an eternity in heaven.

So we need an eternal perspective. We need to see this life, with all it brings to us--the good times and the bad, as God sees it. We need to understand that this 70 years (give or take) is just a blip on the timeline of eternity. That will help us to have a better response to our suffering!

What are your thoughts?

Becoming Who God Wants Us to Be

When you think about your Christian walk and your attitudes, behaviors, and decisions, do you ever imagine yourself in these ways?

• You are a mature Christian whose world view lines up with the scripture and your attitudes show it.
• You have pure motives, right relationships, and thoughts that are Christ-like.
• You abound in compassion for others, never feeling impatient, frustrated, or angry.
• You trust God fully, and believe totally in His unlimited power, abundant grace and mercy, and immeasurable love for you.
• God's glory is revealed in your life.
• You are His instrument in spreading the gospel to those who need to know Him.
• Your life glorifies God every minute of every day.
• You live your life with unwavering discipline.

Who wouldn't want those things? I think we all want to glorify God, to walk with Him with full trust, to be used of Him, and to be everything the Bible tells us He wants us to be. Right?

So if I were to say come to my office tomorrow and sign up for this, you would (most at least) be there at the crack of dawn to be the first in line.

But what if, as I hand you the sign up sheet for you to "sign on the dotted line" as it were, I were to say, "Oh, I may have forgotten to mention that in order for you to get these qualities, it will involve some pain."

You see, nothing comes easily. (It seems like this has been our theme recently, hasn't it?) The Bible is pretty clear that the above character traits are produced in us through, yes, suffering. Check out these scriptures:

Roman 5:3-5
James 1:2-4
II Corinthians 1:3-5
Romans 8:18
Acts 11:19
John 9:1-3
Hebrews 12:9-11

So why would we sign up for suffering? Well, it kind of goes back to a theme that has run through our teachings in the past year, and that is of knowing Christ.

I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Philippians 3:10-11

Paul embraced suffering and counted it pretty much as nothing compared to knowing Christ. In economic terms, it was "cost effective," I guess you could say. What we get is far beyond what we pay.

Additionally, remember that suffering comes to those who know Christ and those who don't. With that being true, it seems more desirable to go through suffering with Christ as opposed to without Christ.

Remember that suffering offers an opportunity for good fruit. While we may not be able to control, predict, or schedule suffering in our lives, we have control over the outcome, in terms of what it produces in us. Go through it with the wrong attitude and you will come out the other side of the suffering with only negative changes in yourself. You'll be more bitter, angrier, and more fearful.

Go through it with the correct attitude and you will find yourself changed in positive ways as you come out the other side. You'll exhibit more of the fruit of the Spirit. Good will have come from "bad."

What are your thoughts? Post a comment!

Suffering

Suffering. Not a popular subject. Especially in this "feel good" and "have what I want" culture of ours.

I often talk with Christians who become angry and discouraged in suffering. Financial issues. Health issues. Family issues. Employment issues. The ways we can struggle are endless, it would seem.

I believe that when we see this life as temporary and have our eye on eternity with God, it changes how we do suffering. Paul's focus was certainly on eternity:

"I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." Romans 8:18

The writer of Hebrews apparently expected that we would suffer as Christians, as evidenced by those who have gone before us:

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." Hebrews 12:1-3

James believed that suffering produced good fruit in us here on earth:

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:2-4

Paul had his priorities right. He considered loss and suffering to be nothing at all compared to the greatness of knowing Christ. (We've talked a lot about this passage over the past several months.) He saw suffering as something that God uses in our lives to make us more like Him:

"What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead." Philippians 3:8-11

Probably because of his "eternity mindedness," Paul found himself content in all circumstances. He knew it was just temporary:

"I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:11-13

I encourage each of you to read the entire book of Philippians. It is a short read, but worthwhile. As you read it, ask yourself if you would have written that kind of a letter if you had been in prison.

What are your thoughts about suffering? Talk to me!

When You're Down

Today we talked about one of the most beloved passages in the New Testament. It is one that is often used to comfort people who are grieving a loss, but today we talked about it in the context of feeling desperate, worried, and hopeless. That pretty much sums up the way the disciples were feeling when Jesus spoke these words to them after telling them he was going to be betrayed:

"Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way where I am going." John 14:1-4

Then Thomas asked Him how they would know the way to where He was going when they didn't even know WHERE He was going. Jesus answered:

"I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." John 14:6

Jesus apparently knew that the disciples were feeling afraid of losing Him. They didn't want Him to go away, but wanted to stay with Him forever.

He encouraged them that He was still going to be with them, even when their senses couldn't see Him, hear Him, or touch Him. They had to "know Him" by faith, and they had to "be with Him" by faith. They had to trust Him to keep His promises even when they could no longer see Him.

What can we learn from this? Well, we have to learn to rely on our spiritual eyes and ears. If we only accept what we can see, hear, and touch with our physical senses, then it is no longer faith.

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Hebrews 11:1

So the next time you are feeling desperate or hopeless or ready to panic, don't rely on your physical senses. Rely more on your "spiritual senses", and remember that He is with you (Joshua 1:5), He keeps his promises (II Corinthians 1:20), and remember Who He is (John 14:6).

Instead of believing what your eyes see (the problem), believe in Him instead. Instead of believing what you hear (discouraging words), believe in Him instead. He is "I AM" and He is bigger than any problem you or I will ever face.

So what are your thoughts?

It's Not What You See, It's HOW You See It!

This morning, we talked about the Israelite spies who chose to believe what they saw with their eyes instead of believing God. This was an awesome God who had displayed His power on their behalf over and over. There were 40 years of wandering in the desert after that as a consequence for choosing not to believe God. Apparently God took their unbelief very seriously.

But today what I want to talk about is how our natural senses cause us to see things in a way that is different from God sees.

You see, what we see as bad, God often sees as good. What we see as something to be avoided, God sees as something to be embraced. What we see as something to escape from, God sees as an opportunity to grow.

I am reminded of the Sermon on the Mount, commonly known as The Beatitudes. Here are the words of Jesus in Matthew 5:3-12:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."

"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied."

"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy."

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God."

"Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

"Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me."

"Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

God asks us to embrace our emptiness and to do the opposite of what we are led to believe we ought to do. God wants us to understand that it is only as we come to Him as broken people that we can receive all He offers us. He wants us to know that it is only as we value what He values that we will see through His eyes. And when we see through His eyes, we are far less likely to do what the Israelites did, because we will not see the problem as a problem, but will see it as an opportunity for God to do something!

Thoughts? Talk to me!

Nothing Worthwhile is Really Free

No pain, no gain!

You get what you pay for!

There are no free lunches!

Those are some of the expressions we commonly hear that underscore the idea that anything worthwhile will come at a price. The price may be money, hard work, blood, sweat, tears, or whatever, but there is a cost.

When we talk about the wonderful freedom that we have in Christ, we must remember that it came at a great price. A price paid by our Lord and Savior.

Have you ever considered that? Have you ever really thought about not only what He did for you, but what it means in your life? He bought you freedom, yes, but He also bought you peace, abundant life, hope, and a host of other benefits. All for you, a sinner who had no way of extricating yourself from the grip that sin had on your life.

We owed a huge debt, and the tab just ran up and up with every day of our lives. We were born sinners. Ka-ching! (We were in trouble at that point, because the debt was already bigger than we could pay.) Then we threw a temper tantrum when we didn't get our way. Ka-ching! We lied to our mom! Ka-ching! We cheated on a test! Ka-ching! Before long, the tab was enormous.

God intervened, because we were helpless. We had no ability to pay the debt.

Now here's the cool part: If we had died for our sins, it would have been a just payment. But God decided to go beyond that. He decided to have Jesus die for our sins, but not just to pay the debt, but also to set us free and buy us life eternal.

It would be kind of like a guy committing heinous crimes, someone else stepping in to do the time in prison, and then at the same time giving the criminal a special gift. Where in the universe would that happen, folks? But that is exactly what Jesus did for us!

One of my biggest concerns is that we seriously don't get it. We, many of us, see ourselves as people that aren't "all that bad" and we just needed Jesus to "spruce us up a little." Not true. Not true on any level. We were broken and dirty, and Jesus found us in a garbage heap and took us in to His family and His home. He gave us a cloak of righteousness to wear, and put our past behind us.

It is a good thing that God "forgets" our sins and He remembers them no more, but it is also a good thing if we don't. I don't want to see us walking around depressed and feeling guilty for our past, but I do think it is good to never forget what He saved us from. That reminds me of a chorus:

Roll back the curtain of memory now and then.
Show me where you brought me from
And where I could have been.
Just remember I'm a human and humans forget,
So remind me, remind me dear Lord.

If we know where we came from, the natural outcome of that is to walk in gratefulness to a Lord and Savior who we serve faithfully and obediently for the rest of our lives.