Wonderful Jesus!

Is the Law Sin?

Romans 7:7 – What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.”

In verse 4 of chapter 7, Paul tells the believers in the Roman church that they died to the Law through the crucified body of Christ, so that they might belong to Him and bear fruit for God. In dying to the Law, Paul was not criticizing it or saying it had no value, he was just reminding them that in Christ Jesus, life would be much different and the legalism in the Law would no longer rule over them. In verse 5, Paul tells them that when we were living in the flesh, (not our physical bodies, but our spiritually dead state), we were trapped in sinful passions, a fact that the Law made known to us. And because we were in that state, we were separated from God and our sinful ways led to our being spiritually dead.

When we read verse 6, Paul reminds the Roman believers that we have been released from the Law and the penalty of the Law, to which we had been held captive, so that we could now serve God in the newness of the Spirit. (But this is only as a result of being born again). Paul is warming up to his subject. He is getting ready to make a point, and in doing so, he is laying the ground work. Since he is probably talking to Jewish converts, (because he mentioned that they knew the Law) he is using that which they already understood, to help them to understand something that was important. Their freedom in Christ Jesus!

Looking at our key text, Paul asks the question, “Is the Law sin?” Then, he answers it by stating, “Certainly not!” The Bible has much to say about the laws given to the children of Israel. There are dietary laws, worship laws, laws for holy days, laws for sacrifices, laws about our relationships, and laws for offerings, to name a few. Within these many types of laws, or laws that tell us what is pleasing to God and what is not pleasing to God. However, as the children of Israel moved farther and farther away from the Lawgiver, the Law became, for them, a burden to bear.

Paul goes on to tell the Roman believers that without the Law we wouldn’t know what sin is. In the Law we learned coveting was sin, because the Law told us not to covet that which belongs to another. In the law we learned that we are not to lie, not to steal, nor commit murder because it is sin; and therefore, when we do these things we sin. The Law taught us this! However, Paul states, that sin found an opportunity to make itself known by stirring up every sinful desire that the Law spoke against. Before the Law was given, we didn’t even know or recognize it as sin because it was dead to us; but once we understood the law, we died to it because it became alive in us.

This should not be so hard for any of us to understand. As our parents raised us, and gave us the “rules of the house”, it was easy to get an attitude about the “rules” we didn’t want to follow. Those rules we rebelled against, became a yoke to us, causing even the most reasonable of rules to be difficult for us to follow. It wasn’t always the rule that was wrong, but our attitude in having to follow the rules. Not only that, those were the rules we became intent on breaking!

I remember when I was in college, I saw a sign that read, “No PDA” in large, bold letters. Underneath those letters were smaller words describing what PDA included. At the time, I had not heard of the acronym, PDA, so I walked over to read it. PDA stood for public display of affection, and underneath that explanation was words like: hugging, kissing, snuggling, etc. Immediately, I thought, who are they to tell us that we can’t hug or kiss someone in public? Now understand me clearly when I say, I had no one to hug, kiss, or snuggle up with! But it made me want to find someone and show them that I could if I wanted to! Before this sign, I had no wish to publicly display my affections with anyone, and wasn’t sure that I would ever want to, but something (my flesh) felt like it was the very thing that it wanted to do! I get what Paul is saying here!

I even see it in our culture today! When an outcry against abortion is made, people decide they want to have an abortion! When there is an outcry against guns, people go out and buy guns! When there is an outcry against the LGBQT community, more of them “come out of the closet” demanding more rights! Who are you (humanity or God) to tell us what we cannot do, they argue? That’s the Law! Revealing sin, the consequences of sin, and therefore stirring up in humanity a fleshly rebellion against the Law to sin!

In verse 10, Paul again writes and says that the Law which was intended to bring life, actually proved to bring us death. Still, in answering his question, “Is the Law sin?,” Paul lets us know that the Law is holy, righteous and good! And that through the Law sin is revealed as sinful! Paul is making the point that he is not trying to say that the Law itself is sinful, because it is not; but that the Law revealed that mankind, by nature, is sinful. Hear what the word says about the Law:

The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;
The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.Moreover by them Your servant is warned, And in keeping them there is great reward.
Psalm 19:7-11 NKJV

Through the Law, God established a system, whereby His people were now made accountable of the things that they did or did not do. When they wronged another the Law made it clear that it was sin. When they lied, according to the Law, it was sin. When they worked on the Sabbath, it was sin. When they worshipped another God, again, the Law pointed out that it was sin. Even today, before we can lead anyone to the cross for salvation, we have to help them to understand that their life prior to God was a life filled with sin. God Himself declared that it was a life a sin, separated from Him, and that if we died in this sin, we would live a Christ-less eternity. All of this that Paul was teaching, would be a lesson or sermon taught to every hungry searching soul, and new believer to help them to understand theologically how salvation is acquired.

Paul is trying to help them to understand that the Law that they wanted to hold on to, along with their salvation, was the very thing that their salvation delivered them from. As a matter of truth, salvation caused them to die to the Law! There is so much in this chapter! I hope you are getting something out of it! Wonderful Jesus!

Good Versus Evil!

Romans 7:5 –“For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.” NKJV

I’ve been contemplating this chapter for years, as have many. And for some reason, when I read chapter 7, I walk away with an entirely different point of view than many Christians. As a matter of fact, I have often heard people use this passage (verses 14-25) to justify their inability to live the Christian life.

These individuals explain, quite passionately, that if Paul, the great Apostle, struggled in his flesh, well, all the more reason they should struggle! Well, I don’t believe this is what Paul was saying at all! And it’s impossible to go into depth about all he did say with a blog, but I will do my best! This post was originally written in January, 2020, under the title, “Torn Between Two Worlds”. I saw no reason to rewrite a post for Romans 7, when I had already written this post!

“Romans is placed first among Paul’s letters in the New Testament not only because it is his longest work, but because it also furnishes a massive and basic theological frame-work for the whole collection of the apostle’s writings.”
bible.org

I’ve already mentioned that in my first blog on the book of Romans. Now that we have entered one of the most controversial chapters in this book, maybe in the Bible, I want us to keep in mind the things that we have already learned from the apostle Paul, especially in chapter 6.

Keeping Romans 7 in context, when chapters 6 and 8 are read along with it, there’s no way to walk away thinking that Paul was saying that he was struggling in his flesh as a Christian, and that it was simply the way of life. If you read the entire New Testament, there is no other place where you can find scripture and verse to show Paul as such, a struggling believer. As a matter of fact, after reading the New Testament, most people I know walk away feeling that Paul was over the top in his faith and relationship with Jesus, and in a league of his own! So I’m not sure how we can say that he struggled in his faith and Romans 7 is the proof of it!

Romans 6 ends with Paul making a foundational point about redemption. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” But this point was made after he cautioned us as believers to live a life of holiness, and to not think that the grace of God gives us a pass to sin! As a matter of truth, he reminded us in several verses that we can be a slave to sin, or to righteousness, it just depended on whom we decided to yield our members to!

After so eloquently making this point, he continues in chapter 7, to express the power of sin, and our inability outside of Christ to get the victory over sin.

For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.
Romans 7:5

Paul is still on the same theme here! Paul’s reference to “in the flesh” is a reference of our time before we came to Jesus. The commentary I have, on the book of Romans, through Logos, explains that in this section of Romans 7, Paul is reiterating the inadequacy of the Law to make us righteous before God. Paul understood this better than most, because it was his devotion to the Law that caused him to persecute the church, while he was indeed in his flesh!

Paul uses an illustration to help us to understand the Law. He speaks of a marriage relationship, and how when both spouses are alive they are bound to one another. If while married, the wife marries another, she becomes an adulteress. If however, she is a widow and marries again, she is free from the Law and can do so! Paul realized that when he lived under the Law, he was bound to the Law, but when he came to Christ, he was freed from the Law! And as such, was to live in newness of the spirit! This phrase, “newness of the spirit” is the same phrase used in Romans 6:4 when Paul encouraged the believers to walk in the newness of life! This does not sound like someone who is setting up to give us excuses about why he can’t live a holy life! As a matter of truth, it is not!

I just want to say to you, if you have been struggling in your walk with the Lord, and you have been using this chapter as your crutch, it is being snatched away! God’s heart for us is not that we live life between two worlds. He has not redeemed us from sin that sin may still reign in our mortal bodies. Remember Paul has already shared his thoughts on this subject:

Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
Romans 6:16 NKJV

Proof positive that we are not to continually struggle over sin. The battle over sin was won at Calvary, and the Holy Spirit is at work in us to maintain that victory! But we have to stop seeing ourselves as wretched, struggling sinners, and begin to see ourselves as Christ sees us! He sees us as the righteousness of God, and as more than conquerors, as those who have the Greater One living in them, and those He has redeemed!

I believe the devil likes it when we think that sin is more powerful than the cross of Calvary. And that’s just not true! Jesus defeated Satan and the power of sin, once and for all, and it was that we might live life free of the power of sin! Wonderful Jesus!

Fruit to Holiness!

Romans 6:22- “But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.” NKJV

I found something really interesting last night as I was reading through commentaries on the 6th chapter of Romans, that I have not seen before, but I completely agree with. I’m excited about sharing it with you, though some of you may have already realized it. Let’s dive right in!

In verses 1 and 15 it appears that Paul is asking the same question:

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?
Romans 6:1 NKJV

And,

What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!
Romans 6:15 NKJV

However, upon closer inspection, he is asking two different questions. In verse 1, when Paul refers to sin, he uses the Greek word, “harmatia”, which literally means, “a missing of the mark”. It carries with it a sense of wandering from the law of God or violating God’s law. However, in verse 15, Paul uses the Greek word, “hamartanō”, which conveys the thought of wandering from the path of uprightness and honor. In other words, the verb tense of the word sin in verse 1 is the practice of habitual sin, while in verse 15, the tense suggests occasional sin.

I want to share how David Guzik, in his commentary on the BlueLetterBible.com site, explains this:

Verse 1:

Shall we continue in sin: The verb tense of the phrase continue in sin (the present active tense) makes it clear that Paul describes the practice of habitual sin. In this first part of Romans 6, Paul writes about someone who remains in a lifestyle of sin, thinking that it is acceptable so that grace may abound.
blueletterbible.org/DavidGuzik

You know that person who feels like grace covers all of their sins, and because of that, they can just ask for forgiveness? That’s a person who habitually sins with no real understanding of grace! And for verse 15 he writes:

Shall we sin: Again, the verb tense of the ancient Greek word sin is important (the aorist active tense). It indicates dabbling in sin, not the continual habitual sin described in the question of Romans 6:1.
Blueletterbible.org/DavidGuzik

Understanding the differences in these forms of the verbs for sin, is key in understanding what Paul is talking about for us. Paul reveals that there is a difference in being a habitual liar, and telling a lie; of being a thief, and in stealing something, of being a drunk, and in getting drunk, but neither is an excuse to think that grace gives us a license to sin!

As we continue with this chapter, Paul asks another one of his questions:

Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?
Romans 6:16 NKJV

Paul is obviously dealing with the lifestyle of the person who has come to the Lord, or who professes such a relationship. He makes a clear observation: who we present ourselves to and obey, that’s our slave master, whether it’s to sin or to righteousness. Or as we say it, whether it’s to the devil or to God. But whoever we submit to, that’s our master! If we follow the master of sin, it will lead us to death!

Paul gives praise to God for those who have been delivered from the enemy and obeyed the teachings of Jesus from the heart. He says that those individuals have been set free from sin, and became slaves of righteousness. And now Paul is encouraging those believers to live as if they know and understand that they are free from sin and should live to righteousness!

I really enjoyed this commentary on Romans 6. Let me share another part that I thought was very insightful. Guzik shared what Adam Clark wrote about what “that form of doctrine” means:

Adam Clarke on that form of doctrine: “Here Christianity is represented under the notion of a mould, or die, into which they were cast, and from which they took the impression of its excellence. The figure upon this die is the image of God, righteousness and true holiness, which was stamped on their souls in believing the Gospel and receiving the Holy Ghost. The words… refer to the melting of metal, which, when it is liquefied, is cast into the mould, that it may receive the impression that is sunk or cut in the mould; and therefore the words may be literally translated, into which mould of doctrine ye have been cast. They were melted down under the preaching of the word, and then were capable of receiving the stamp of its purity.”
blueletterbible.org

As I have been studying Romans, I have been using three main commentaries, and I can say that Guzik’s is becoming a favorite of mine.

Isn’t this something? When we are born again, we are stamped with an image of God that we are to be molded into through the teachings of His word! Wow!

Just this morning, as I was in church, the same idea was conveyed in Colossians, where Paul talked about Jesus being the expressed image of God. God had not allowed anyone, before Jesus’s coming, to see Him. But when Jesus came, He was the invisible God, made visible! And when we receive Him as Savior, the idea is for us is to be made into His image! This is some good stuff!

Paul said that since we are no longer slaves of sin, but of righteousness, we should be living for holiness, not trying to see how much sin we can do and still be saved!

He again asks a question:

What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.
Romans 6:21 NKJV

What, Paul asks, did you get delivered from that now causes you much shame? If you got saved as a child, you may not have a lot of things, but if you got saved later in life, the list may be longer than you care to admit. And those things, he said, are not only shameful, but they lead to death! So now, why would we want to dabble in those things again when we have been freed from them?

We don’t! Paul encourages the believers in Rome, and us today, not to yield ourselves to sin, but to righteousness that our fruit will be to holiness, and therefore to everlasting life. We have to learn to resist falling back into familiar patterns of life, which are gateways to the sins we have been delivered from. We may even have to distance ourselves from some people in our lives who were partners in our sins. Whatever we need to do to participate with the Holy Spirit, that we may have fruit to holiness, that is what we have to do!

Paul reminds us again,

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23 NKJV

When we have been freed from habitual sin, and we start dabbling in it again, we become entangled with that yoke of bondage that Jesus freed us from. And the wages of sin, is still death. However, Paul leaves us with a note of hope: but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ! Thank God He gives us eternal life! Wonderful Jesus!

Dead to Sin!

Romans 6: 12-13- Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to Him as an instrument of righteousness. NKJV

In the church, some have really gotten confused about grace. I’m not sure how that happened, but Paul saw it coming and tried to address it before it got out of hand. With wisdom, only the Holy Ghost gives, Paul asked another question:

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?
Romans 6:1 NKJV

I wish I could say that this is a dumb question; that we should know better, however, sad to say, it is not! For there are many alive today, who feel that they can do whatsoever they desire to do, then ask God for forgiveness, and He will grant it. And then there are those who believe that once you receive grace, everything is good with you because God’s grace covers sins that are past, present, and in the future. Oh how wearying it is to have a conversation with people who believe that continuous sin is covered in grace! Fortunately for us, Paul answers his own question, again! Should we continue in sin so that we can see grace in operation in our lives, “Certainly not!”

Paul reminds us that those of us in Christ Jesus have died to our sin, and as such, we can no longer live in sin. This is truly hard for people to grasp. I get it! I sinned today! But I also repented today and asked God to help me not to do it again. And I know that God and I are in good standing:

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:9 NKJV

But I don’t live in sin, for I have died to sin, as Paul stated. Paul lets us know that when we were baptized into Christ Jesus, we were baptized into His death. This brings up the issue of baptism and its purpose. Briefly stated, the word baptism is derived from the Greek word, “baptizo”, and it means “to dip”. When we teach on baptism, we share that when the person is “dipped” into the water, it signifies a spiritual “dying with Christ”. While under the water, they are buried with Christ. When they come out of the water, they are raised with Christ. This is all revealed to us by Paul in this chapter. Paul said that when we are raised, we should walk in newness of life!

I have read of many dramatic testimonies of those who have received Christ, and how their lives were completely turned around for the glory of God, as they entered into the newness of life! People who were heavily addicted with drugs and got set free, never to return to that life. People who were on the verge of killing themselves, or someone else, heard the word, gave their lives to Him, and continued on in the new life. And I have lived it! None of us perfectly, but seriously committed to walking in the newness of life.

In verse 6, Paul continues his thought with these words:

“Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.”
Romans 6:6 NKJV

No longer slaves to sin. When I was growing up in my denominational church, I was saved. However, no one taught me that I could be free from sin. As a young person, I took the word of those who were teaching me and was bound to the dictates of my flesh, and therefore sin. But as I started reading the word for myself, listening to other teachers in the Body of Christ, and reading books, I realized that I had been made free in Christ and no longer had to be a slave to sin. My favorite verse on the subject is found in Galatians 5:

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm,then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
Galatians 5:1 NIV

If there is no power for us to live free, then there was no power available to make us free! Since the Christ has set us free, then He has the power to help us walk free. When Lincoln first signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, it was to give the Union Army the authority to free slaves in states that were considered in rebellion to the Union; it wasn’t to free all slaves. However, it was the beginning of the end for slave masters. In 1865, with the 13th amendment, slavery was officially abolished. But it wasn’t until June 19, 1865, that the last slaves were freed. You can be free, but if no one ever tells you that you are free, you won’t live free! It’s the same spiritually! If no one ever helps you to realize that you can live free of sin, you will never be able to live free of sin! Sin will keep you bound, even though it doesn’t have legal authority to do so! And before you know it, you are entangled again!

Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, He cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over Him. The death He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life He lives, He lives to God.
Romans 6:8-10 NIV

Paul said this about Jesus, and he said the same thing about us!

In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Romans 6:11 NIV

And again in Galatians:

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
Galatians 2:20 NIV

We have been given new life in Christ, therefore, we should live in that truth. Christ living in us and through us is the key to living a crucified life! As we turn our attention back to our key text, Paul tells us that sin should no longer reign in our body!

Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to Him as an instrument of righteousness. “
Romans 6:12-13 NKJV

That’s our responsibility! Yes, we are dead to sin, but it is up to us to keep sin from reigning in our bodies. If lying was what I did before Christ, it is up to me to check my words before I speak to make sure that I am not lying; and if I do, to repent! If living with someone when you were unsaved, who was not your spouse, was what you did, only you can make sure it stops. You have to move out, or evict your partner! God is not coming to earth and doing it for you; but He will strengthen you in the process. Because He has freed you from a life of sin, God has obligated Himself to see it happen; but that’s completely up to you! Paul said don’t offer any part of yourself! Your physical body, your mind, your mouth, none of it!

How do you do this? Paul told us how! We submit ourselves to God as being alive from the dead, submitting ourselves to Him as instruments of righteousness! He exhorts more on this topic in the continuing verses, but to sum it up, we are dead to sins after we come to Christ, and sin should not rule over us! Just as God told Cain to rule over sin, we are to rule over sin! We can’t just do it as a New Year’s resolution, because it will only happen when we submit to God! Wonderful Jesus!

Adam and Christ!

Romans 5:19 – “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.”

Life and death have co-existed since the days of Adam. After the serpent did a number on them, they experienced death for the first time; but ever since that day, it is a fact that life and death are present together in this world!

Adam was the first man on Earth. I know that historians, archaeologists, and other scientists try and convince us differently, but according to Genesis, Adam was the first man on this side of creation. Adam was perfect, and so was his wife Eve. Immortality was in their DNA. They lived in the Garden of Eden, fellowshipped with God, and had no fear of any animal in the garden. Then one day they disobeyed God, ate from the forbidden tree, and sin and death entered the world.

Paul picks this thought up in Romans 5 and explains that through this one man, Adam, sin and death entered the world for all humanity. It took a long time for Adam to naturally die, but everything he had with God died that day. Not only that, it didn’t take long for murder to enter the picture of humanity, proving that sin and death are partners with one another.

We saw this truth, when Cain got angry with God because his offering wasn’t accepted. This is what God said to Cain,

“Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”
Genesis 4:6 NKJV

God was basically warning Cain. He told Cain that if he did well, he would be accepted, and if he didn’t do well, sin was laying at the door, and its desire was for Cain. That is still true today! Then God told Cain that he should rule over sin. Yet Cain did not, because he could not. Sin had entered the world, and was therefore a part of his nature. Sin lies at the door of every human being, waiting for us to open the door to it, because its desire is for us to submit to its rule! But we too, should rule over it!

In the very next verse, Cain kills Abel! Did time elapse? Who knows? What we do know, according to scripture, is that Cain murdered his brother in the field, after God warned him that sin was lying in wait for him. How did Cain know that what he was getting ready to do would kill his brother? Maybe, he didn’t! Maybe, a thought came to him to hit his brother upside the head with a rock, and he did it, not knowing the effect of it. Or maybe, after watching Cain kill an animal for a sacrifice, he got the idea. However, the devil got the idea to him to kill his brother, it happened. Now death has followed sin into the world!

Paul said that even though sin and death entered the world through Adam and was spread to all men, because all sinned, it was the Law that brought their sins against God to the forefront. Death, Paul explained, reigned from Adam to Moses and the Law made us aware of that sin. In other words, sin didn’t become sin with the Law, sin was sin before the Law; but the Law made us aware of what sin was, and now we would be held accountable to it. The flood was before Moses, before the Law, and when God had had enough, He destroyed the world. But after the flood, He said He wouldn’t flood the whole earth again, but sin was still prevalent. On the flip side of the coin of sin, is grace and life! Many died because of Adam’s embracing sin, and many will live because of the grace of God given to us through the one Man, Jesus!

Paul continues to explain what the difference was between what we received from Adam and what we received from Jesus. From Adam we received condemnation, from Jesus we received justification. From Adam we received death, from Jesus we received an abundance of grace, and the gift of righteousness which will reign in life! From Adam’s disobedience we were sinners, from Jesus’ obedience we were made righteous. Paul is not just comparing Adam and Jesus to each other to show that one brought evil, and one brought good, but to demonstrate that through one man sin entered humanity, and therefore, it took One Man to eradicate the power of sin, and to give us life!

Where sin does abound! Can you turn on the television today without seeing humanity’s sins on constant display? You cannot! Lying, sex trafficking, adultery, abortions, homosexuality, stealing, murder, hatred, and all of the other things that Paul introduced to us in Romans 1. It’s as if he saw our day in the spirit, for he accurately was seeing that sin is always on display in society! I think it was Pastor Bill Winston, of Living Word Christian Church in Chicago, who stated that you can’t legislate sin. And since the world wants little to do with Jesus, sin is running amuck in our society. And this is the point that Paul is really trying to make in Romans. The Law cannot keep us from sinning, it only makes us aware that we have sinned. The only solution to sin is in Jesus! He really makes this point in chapters 7 and 8.

But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 5:20b-21 NKJV

Grace abounded comes after sin abounding! Yes, there is a lot of sin in the media, in the streets, in our neighborhoods, but grace is abounding as rapidly, and even more so than sin. We see what is happening around us, and it can cause fear, or cause us to forget that God said, grace abounds the more; but as Christians, we are to not lose heart, because we understand that grace abounds! As Christians we are to realize that God’s plans for our lives, for His kingdom, for humanity, will come to pass. The more unrighteousness we see and hear, the more opportunities for the grace of God to be manifested. Should we pray that unrighteousness reign so that we can see God’s grace? Absolutely not! But it can cause us to have hope in the midst of the stuff we see and hear. And if we allow it, it will cause us to pray like never before!

I am truly enjoying Romans. It’s more detailed than I can go, but I am enjoying it nonetheless. Hope to see you next time as we begin chapter 6 of our study. Wonderful Jesus!

Christ in Our Place

Romans 5:8- But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. NKJV

There is something incredibly humbling to realize that Jesus’ death on the cross was not an act of violence, but an act of love! As impossible as it may seem, although He did it as an act of obedience, He did it for you, and for me. He loves us so much, that He allowed them to stretch His hands out and nail them to the cross. Every single drop of blood, every lash across His body, He not only took to save us, but He did it out of love!

Paul continues in the fifth chapter of Romans, by stating that when we were in a place of ungodliness, Christ died for us! Hard hearted, stubborn, self-righteous, arrogant, full of sin, and certainly undeserving of such a sacrifice, as we were, and yet He died anyway. Our sins had to be paid for, and they were, just not by us! He took our place on that cross and died so that we might live. What a wonderful Savior!

Whenever I share on this topic, I have to admit that I couldn’t have done it. I am not even sure that I could have done it for those I love dearly, and who love me in return. When the “Passion of the Christ” made it to theaters, I admit that I was one who went to see it. Once was all it took! I cried during most of the movie and for days afterwards, just thinking that He suffered similarly to what they showed! And this He suffered while He was completely innocent, and while we were completely guilty of our sins!

I know that I have shared this song before, but it fits so perfectly:

He paid a debt, He did not owe
I owed a debt, I could not pay,
I needed someone to wash my sins away!
And now I sing, a brand new song, “Amazing Grace!”
Christ Jesus paid a debt, that I could never pay!
Ellis J. Crum

Paul said that men would barely die for someone who they thought were a good man, or a righteous man, but implied that most men would probably never die for a bad man. Yet, the fact that Jesus died for us while we were still in our sins, is a concept hard to deny. In the commentary I was reading, the author spoke of Lawrence of Arabia. I didn’t need to write what he put down, because I remembered watching a clip of the movie of the exact scene he wrote of, as my husband flipped through the channels one day.

This was the scene where the men with Lawrence realized that they had lost one of their people. Since they were already in a life and death situation, in the desert, low on water, no relief from the sun, nor water in sight, and thinking the man unworthy of the time it would take to rescue him, they decided to continue on and leave the man to his fate. However, Lawrence turned around and went to look for the man. Upon finding the man, he placed him on his camel, gave him some of his water and caught up with the others. I actually looked up Lawrence of Arabia to see if it was true, but decided that it didn’t matter, because it makes the point! Few men will sacrifice their own life for someone thought to be righteous, and even fewer, for someone thought to be unworthy. But while we were still in our sins, before we could even make it right, and having not yet been made right with God, Jesus died for us!

Through the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross, by shedding His blood, were are justified. Paul said that “having now been justified by His blood”, so it was a present reality and not a future condition. We were justified and therefore saved from God’s wrath, which is reserved for those who reject Him! Paul makes an interesting statement about our before Christ days:

For if when 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.
Romans 5:10 NKJV

Did you catch it? Before we came to Christ, not only were we sinners, but we were the enemies of God! That’s harsh! I’m so thankful that I am redeemed! As enemies of God, God had every conceivable right to pour out His wrath on us; but we have been saved from His wrath through Jesus Christ!

Paul addresses our sad state of affairs before we came to Christ in another letter he wrote to the Ephesians:

That at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
Ephesians 2:12-13, NKJV

I love Ephesians, but I think chapter 2 may be my favorite. Before Christ, Paul states that we were strangers from the covenants of promise, and aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, meaning we were not the people of God. And the saddest part about all of that is that we had no hope and was without God in the world! That’s where we were before Christ, and that is where many others are still, who don’t know Him. We truly need to be praying for others to come to Christ, and then make ourselves available to Him, that we might help them come to know Jesus’ amazing love.

To the Colossians Paul called us enemies who were once alienated from God, but were reconciled to Him through Jesus!

And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled .
Colossians 1:21- NKJV

I like the fact that reconciliation isn’t in our future, it’s immediate! And because we have been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life! Remember how Paul said that God calls those things that be not as though they were? Every time we say that we are saved, we are calling it like we believe it! For one day Jesus, shall return for His body, and we shall be saved! When we leave this earth, we leave knowing that death isn’t final for us, for we shall be saved! God is good like that!!

Paul is so excited about being justified and reconciled to God through Jesus! He completely understood that Jesus was his Passover Lamb, his scapegoat! Paul knew that he should have died for his sins, we all should have, but God, who is rich in mercy, didn’t allow it! This caused Paul to rejoice, and it should cause our hearts to rejoice! We not only have much to rejoice about, but we have much to be thankful for! He died in our place! Aren’t you glad about that? Wonderful Jesus!

Triumph by Faith!

Romans 5:1-2 “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Paul has spent a great deal of time in this letter addressing righteousness by faith rather than by works. In his argument, he has pointed out that Abraham was declared righteous by faith, long before the Law was in existence. And now, Paul addresses the wonders of having faith in God.

Paul states that we have access by faith to grace! The Greek word for access is “prosagoge”. According to the Vine’s this word is used only three times in the New Testament and literally means:

“A leading or bringing into the presences of”, denotes “access,” with which is associated the thought of freedom to enter through the assistance or favor of another.
Vines’s Dicitionary

Access is another way of saying “introduction”, and there are two aspects noted in the commentary to give us insight to Paul’s thoughts. The first image is that of being ushered into the presence of royalty. Faith in Jesus gives us access into the presence of Almighty God. Worship provides access; and Paul is basically stating that Jesus ushers, or leads us into the presence of the Father! Remember Jesus’ words:

I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.
John 10:9 NKJV

Paul builds on what Jesus was conveying with this statement in John, that He is the door! In using this term, Paul paints the picture of Jesus opening that door for us that we might find grace in the presence of God and we may do so boldly! (See Hebrews 4:16)

The other image the word “prosagoge” may have brought to Paul’s mind, which helps us with this verse, is that of a harbor. A harbor is where ships dock, or come in, when ending a voyage. After ships have navigated through the dangers of the sea, storms, perils, etc., they look forward to making it safely to a harbor. For our spiritual understanding of this word “prosagoge” we get a sense of navigating through life’s storms in our own efforts, and being completely overwhelmed at times with those difficulties, then embracing Jesus by faith and placing the anchor of our lives in Him, finding a safe harbor in which to rest! What a beautiful picture Paul paints of our faith in Jesus! This is why Paul concludes this verse by stating that we can rejoice in hope of the glory of God!

Paul, knowing that the Christian life in Rome, and literally everywhere he goes, is filled with trouble, encourages them to see their troubles “in Christ” as more than simply “going through” and “barely making it”. Paul said that we are to “glory” or rejoice in our tribulations!

The Greek word for tribulation is “thlip’sis” and it literally means pressure or pressing. We get words like persecution, affliction, and burden from this Greek word. Living in this life, we can easily understand the meaning of “thlip’sis” as each of us have encountered our own types of pressures–difficult circumstances, grief, loneliness, financial pressures, and pressure to compromise our beliefs, or to keep silent, or to accept what we are not comfortable with. During a health class, where the teacher was explaining the different sexual orientations, one student said, “I’m not comfortable with this!” In other words, I hear what you are saying, but I am not comfortable with what you are saying, nor that I should accept it at your word!

Paul said that we should understand that our pressures, or tribulations, produces perseverance. Perseverance comes from the Greek word, “hupomone, and it translates as fortitude. This word means more than just endurance. It means to have a spirit that says, “I will overcome!” There is nothing passive about this type of endurance. It doesn’t mean to “hang in there”! No! It conveys the meaning of actively overcoming the trials and tribulation in our lives!

Helen Keller’s story is still a powerful example of overcoming difficult circumstances. After developing a high fever, she became both blind and deaf. Her parents settled into life to endure the hardship of raising a child with limited abilities. Life became even more unbearable as she grew without restraints and without a means of communication. Finally, they found someone who was willing to work with their child. As she learned to communicate, she didn’t wallow in her disabilities and convey her utter shame and disappointment in her condition. No! She developed a spirit of “hupomone” and overcame her disabilities, and inspired others to overcome!

It is said of Beethoven that when he realized that he was going deaf, he refused to lie down in self pity. He lived in the 1800s where deafness was not understood at all. However, he had already begun building a reputation as a musician and composer, and refused to allow his deafness to cause him to give up his love of music. Today, his music is played all over the world; and many know him because he had “hupomone” and learned to overcome in the midst of his challenges! This is not a lying down in the middle of the floor and throwing a tantrum, as Helen Keller started her life type of endurance, it is a “getting off the floor, dusting yourself off, and meeting the challenge head on, as she lived her life!

Well, this should be even more evident in the life of the believer. Paul said that the pressures that come against us will produce a winning spirit with faith in Christ! He continues by stating that “hupomone”, or perseverance would produce in us character! The word Paul uses is “dokime” and it is used of a piece of metal that goes through the fire that it might be purified. Like gold! In other words, the difficulties in the life of a believer should have positive, not negative results. As we face the pressures of life with the intent to win, character is developed in our lives. Not winning at any cost to ourselves or others, not winning at the expense of others, but turning every opportunity of defeat into victory will produce godly character in our lives.

Paul hasn’t finished explaining triumphant faith in Jesus! Not only will we have tribulations that we should rejoice in because they will produce fortitude, which in turn will produce character, but he adds that character will produce hope! Isn’t it interesting that two people can have the same situation to happen in their lives and one will be completely devastated by the experience, and the other will rise above it and come out stronger, closer to God? Paul stated that when we are anchored in our faith in Jesus, the end result of our troubles will be hope!

Hope that things are going to work out for your good, as scripture states! Hope that no weapon formed against you shall prosper, as is found in the word of God! Hope that says “greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world”. Hope that shouts, “if God be for you, who can be against you!’ This hope! Hope in God who cannot lose, cannot fail, cannot lie, and cannot be overcome is found in difficult times, when our faith is being tried! Paul said it like this:

For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world-our faith!
1 John 5:4. NKJV

Paul loved being a believer in Jesus! It was everything to him, because Jesus was everything to him. Paul lived a life of victory, and of hope. This rings true in all that he said. I’ll close with these words of Paul:

We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.
2 Corinthians 4:8-10 NKJV

Wonderful Jesus!

Faith in Operation!

Romans 4:17- “(As it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did” NKJV

Paul continues his argument, defending the truth that Abraham was a man of faith, and did not operate or receive from God based on the Law. As a matter of truth, Paul reminds us that Abraham believed God, long before the Law was given, 430 years before the Law was given. Therefore, his righteousness wasn’t base on the Law, but on faith!

Paul, Abraham continues, is the true father of all, who like him, believe in God and take Him at His word. As such, Paul wants it understood that faith, for the circumcised and the uncircumcised, is the principle upon which God extends His grace. Grace, God’s unmerited favor, therefore, was extended to Abraham, not because of his ability to perform the Law, but because of his faith!

Paul then tells us the quality of Abraham’s faith. He refers to the promise of God to Abraham when he states, “as it is written,” I have made you the father of many nations”

No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations.”
Genesis 17:5 NKJV

One commentary I read stated that the phrase, “as it is written”, held a special meaning to the Jews, and Paul uses it to draw them in. The Jewish saying, “What is written of Abraham is written also of his children,” was the reason Paul said “as it is written”. That meant, to the Jews, that every promise that God made to Abraham was also made to his descendants.

Paul continues to describe Abraham’s faith by stating that Abraham believed in God who gives life to the dead and calls those things that be not, as though they were.

Abraham’s very name means “father of many nations”, so every time Abram told people his new name, he was agreeing with God that he was the father of many nations. Calling those things that be not, as though they were! Can you imagine the looks he must have received when he told people that his name was changed and they understood what that meant? Their respect may have kept them from saying anything to him, but they had to think he was expecting a lot with only one son. Also, in reference to our chapter, which is really dealing with faith and righteousness, God demonstrated His ability to call Abraham righteous, as if he was.

When teaching on divine healing, we often tell people that they should call themselves healed, instead of saying that they are sick. Some will say, that’s lying! But using the principle of faith, that God Himself initiated, calling those things that be not as though they are, we can call ourselves healed, when our physical symptoms says differently. In doing so, many have experienced divine healing in their physical bodies. I am a living witness that this actually works!

When God made this promise to Abraham, he had Ishmael, so he could see his nation had begun, and believed God! But God called his faith up to a higher level when he said that Sarai’s name was changing to Sarah, and she would bear a son. Abraham laughed in his heart. He had already produced a son with Hagar, so obviously Sarah had been the problem all along. Not to mention that Abraham was 100 years old, and Sarah was 90 years. Seriously? But again, Abraham placed his faith in God’s word to him!

Giving life to the dead! At this point in Genesis, I don’t recall an individual being raised from the dead, but Paul refers to Abraham as believing in God who gives life to the dead! Paul explains to us that Abraham’s body was already dead, and so was Sarah’s womb! Even by biblical years, where man’s lifespan was approximately 120 years, they were both pretty old. They weren’t able to bear children in their youth, and so now they were going to raise nations? That took faith! Abraham and Sarah had to come together, physically, in faith, and believe that they would produce Isaac, as God had said. This was not an immaculate conception, but a giving of life to their physically aged bodies, to produce a son.

Spiritually speaking, if there are some dead situations in your life, know that He can still raise the dead! Dead relationships, dead finances, dead careers, and dead people! I can’t help but think of Ezekiel, when God asked him if the dry bones could live again? Read it in chapter 37, in relationship to anything that is dead in you life, and call those dead situations alive, just like God does! Glory!!

Paul said that Abraham’s faith was a faith that believed against hope. Again, he couldn’t hope in their flesh because it had already failed them. He couldn’t hope in another Ishmael, or even in Ishmael, because God had put that idea to rest. So he had to hope against hope that he and Sarah would have a son. After all, God told him that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the skies and the sand on the seashore, and not because of Ishmael!

We all know Ishmael, wasn’t an act of faith in God. Yet, Paul said that Abraham wasn’t weak in faith. He did not waver at the promises of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving God glory! He believed that God could do the impossible! And hearing that God would do so with him and Sarah may have been what strengthened his faith! Whatever it was, his faith was strengthened! Even now as you read this blog, I trust your faith is both stirred and strengthened!

Paul gives us a definition of faith:

And being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.”
Romans 4:21 NKJV

I used to think that Hebrews 11:1 was the only explanation of faith; but I have come across others scriptures that describe faith, and this is a favorite. Paul said that Abraham was fully convinced that what God had promised to him, God was able to perform it! Fully convinced! That’s faith! When we are fully convinced that we will see what God said that we would see, then we will see it! Fully convinced! When we believe that God will do what He said He would do! Fully convinced! When we believe that we will have what God said we will have! And Paul repeats that this type of faith was what caused God to credit Abraham with righteousness!

Not name it and claim it! Not blab it and grab it! But fully convinced that God is well able to do what He said He would do, and not only that He is able, but that He will do it! Especially when it seems impossible!

When I was in undergrad, I had to leave school because I couldn’t afford it, and the school counselor said that I would never get financial aid. I was really torn by this, and in prayer, God spoke to me and said that I would have many degrees. I didn’t see how, and I was a little turned off, but I secretly hoped to someday see that come to pass. I now have several degrees and I am working on another one! He just keeps making a way for me to get these degrees! The devil tried to destroy my dream of a college education, and it looked like he had succeeded, but God resurrects dreams all the time!

Now Paul brings it home. He says that the truth, it was accounted to him for righteousness sake, was not just written for Abraham descendants, but also for us! And the very same God that was able to raise Abraham’s dead body, and Sarah’s dead womb, also raised Jesus our Lord from the dead! This same Jesus who was delivered up because of our sins, and was raised from the dead for our justification!

I have to quit! But suffice it to say, faith in God will cause the impossible to become possible! This recollection of Abraham’s faith in operation, is as vital a lesson today, as it was when it was written! Wonderful Jesus!

Ishmael’s Mom

Genesis 16:3-4 “Then Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar her maid, the Egyptian, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan. So he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress became despised in her eyes.”

Photo by RODNAE Productions on Pexels.com

I decide to take a break from the study of Romans to focus on moms. As a mother, I can really say that I enjoy this holiday, where my family celebrate me in the space of motherhood. I was looking through my blogs, when I saw one titled, “Boaz’s Mom” and thought I would stick with that and write about Hagar, Ishmael’s mom.

Hagar was an Egyptian girl who served as a maid to Sarai, Abram’s wife. We don’t know how old she is, but the fact that she is of childbearing years is a must in order for Sarai to have chosen her. She’s obviously single and probably even pure, since she is Sarai’s maidservant. One day she is a servant, the next she is a wife! Not because she has desired it, or been courted, but because her mistress wants a son.

The Bible let us know that Abram agreed with the plan, went in to Hagar, and she became pregnant. As soon as she realizes that she is pregnant, she despises Sarai.

Traditional commentaries assure us that Hagar was full of pride after conceiving Ishmael. They even go so far as to say that Hagar’s getting pregnant made her feel exalted above Sarai, since she was able to conceive and Sarai was not. And lastly, they suggest, that Sarai was so torn up over the fact that Abram was able to get Hagar pregnant, that Sarai barrenness has just been solidified as her problem! A lot was going on in this drama. So let me throw something else in!

What if Hagar wanted no part of the plan? Hagar wasn’t sent to be with Abram, she was taken! What if the last thing that this young woman wanted was to be with this old man? Even if doing so exalted her position? And although she knew she was being used to produce an heir, what is she didn’t want that either?

Can you just imagine with me the trauma that Hagar might have gone through? Can you see that this was a situation that she didn’t ask for and probably was not excited about being a part of? Maybe she had plans of her own to marry some day! Maybe she had a young man she had her eyes on! And now, she’s being used as a surrogate mother with no thought to how she feels about it!

As an Egyptian, she was taken from her home and country to be a maid.

So it was, when Abram came into Egypt, that the Egyptians saw the woman, that she was very beautiful. The princes of Pharaoh also saw her and commended her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken to Pharaoh’s house. He treated Abram well for her sake. He had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male and female servants, female donkeys, and camels.
Genesis 12:14-16 NKJV

She was Abrams’, and therefore, Sarai’s servant and she had to do what she was told. But maybe this thing was more than she had bargained for. Maybe she despised Sarai because she was now pregnant with a child that she didn’t want or couldn’t become attached to because Sarai was to be given the child to raise as her own. Things were in a bad place for Hagar!

Then to make matters even worst, Sarai becomes angry with her and goes to Abram and complains!

Then Sarai said to Abram, “My wrong be upon you! I gave my maid into your embrace; and when she saw that she had conceived, I became despised in her eyes. The Lord judge between you and me.” So Abram said to Sarai, “Indeed your maid is in your hand; do to her as you please.” And when Sarai dealt harshly with her, she fled from her presence.
Genesis 16:5-6. NKJV

Dealt harshly? The Young’s Literal Translation says that Sarai afflicted her! In others words, she beat her! And this caused Hagar to run away from Sarai!

I’m sure that Hagar is feeling really low at this point! If she could lose the baby, it would solve all of her problems. Maybe that was Sarai’s intent when she beat her!

Today’s blog is for all of you wonderful mothers who found yourself pregnant and in a tight spot, and as a result of it, you thought about an abortion, maybe even went to get one or looked into it, but for some reason you had the baby. Happy Mother’s Day to you!!

Maybe you didn’t like the circumstances of the birth! Maybe you didn’t like the father! Maybe you didn’t like the timing! Or maybe you just didn’t want to be pregnant at all, but you were! You are! I salute you for finding the courage to bring your child into this world and for making a commitment to raising your child! Happy Mother’s Day to you! You rock!!

Just when Hagar felt she couldn’t deal with anymore of the harsh realities of the life thrust upon her, she had a divine appointment! It was with the Angel of the Lord! When we see this phrase, it refers to the pre-incarnate Jesus! Jesus left heaven to have a very special conversation with Hagar. It went like this:

Jesus: Hagar, what are you doing here?

Hagar: I’m running away from Sarai.

Jesus: Go back to your mistress and put up with her abuse! I’m going to give you a big family, a lot of children. From this pregnancy you will have a son. Name him Ishmael, because God heard you and answered you.

Hagar: You are El Roi, the God who sees!

Hagar returns to Sarai and gives birth to her son. Abram is 86 years old when Ishmael is born. Did things improve between her and Sarai? Probably not! But she remained in the camp and dealt with what she had to deal with!

The stuff moms have to go through! It can be a lot! But just as Jesus saw what Hagar was going through and had a plan for her in the midst of her distress and heartache, He has a plan for you!

Eventually Hagar was put out of the tent with provisions for her and her son. But it was not enough for them to live off of. But God had made her a promise, and He fulfilled it to the letter!

Moms! Your situation may not be as bad as Hagar’s, or it could be worst. Right now, you could not have enough food to put on the table, or enough money to provide adequate shelter. You could have every material good, but feel like you are alone in this role, or you are alone. The situations we find ourselves in as mothers are numerous! But one thing that is true for every mom, is that an overwhelming sense of love and protection is embedded in her heart for her babies. And she’ll do a whole lot to make sure they are taken care of! I’ve seen it over and over again!

If you are struggling as a mother, for any reason; reach out to El Roi, the God who sees! Jesus is still willing and able to have a divine appointment with you to encourage through this difficult time. Or you can just be honest and reach out to someone who loves you, in your family or in your church, to get the encouragement that you need. He still uses ordinary people to get His work accomplished!

This Mother’s Day, be strengthened knowing that El Roi hasn’t forgotten how to hear and answer the cry of a mother’s heart! Blessings to you and your family! Wonderful Jesus!

Circumcision or Faith?

Romans 4:11- And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also” NKJV

Paul has spent a lot of time in this letter speaking about the circumcised and the uncircumcised, so in this blog we will look at circumcision a little closer. And to do that, we really do have to go back to the beginning, to Abraham.

It is in Genesis 17, that we first learn of circumcision. As God was about to fulfill His promise of Abraham having his son, God first had a conversation with Abraham. Here’s the conversation God had with 99 years old Abram in a nutshell:

God told Abram His name is Almighty God- this needs a blog all by itself!
God told Abram to walk before Him and to be blameless
God told Abram that He would make a covenant between them
God told Abram that He would multiply him exceedingly

Let’s just take a minute and process all that is going on here. God reveals to Abram that He is Almighty God. Whenever we see a new name for God, He’s using this opportunity to reveal more of Himself! The Hebrew name for Almighty God is El Shaddai, the All Sufficient One, or Almighty God! The One Who Has His Hands on Everything! The Many Breasted One! The One Who Pours Out His Blessings Abundantly! That is who was talking to Abraham! And Abraham recognizes the moment for what it is and falls on his face before God! But God doesn’t stop there! He continues by saying to Abram:

That he would be a father of many nations
God changed his name from Abram to Abraham
He told Abram that he would be exceedingly fruitful
God told Abram that kings would come from him
God said that He would establish a covenant with Abraham and his descendants
God said that He was going to give Abraham the land of Canaan for a possession
Then He said that He would be their God!

The God Who Pours Out His Blessings Abundantly certainly promised to do that for Abraham. Every area of Abraham’s life was impacted by this blessing: his wealth, his family, his posterity, his influence, his relationship with God!

God also changed Abram’s name to Abraham! How many of you have thought, “I wish God had changed my name.” Well, He most certainly has changed your name, and mine too! He no longer calls us sinners, He calls us saints! He calls us sons of God! He calls us a royal priesthood! He calls us overcomers! And I can go on and on! Are you excited yet?!

Back to circumcision! Up until this point, God is talking about all that He is going to do for Abraham. Now He gives Abraham something to do!

God tells Abraham that he and his descendants must keep His covenant throughout their generations!
Every male child amongst them must be circumcised on the eighth day of life
Circumcision would be the sign of the covenant between God and Abraham and his descendants
Circumcision is a cutting away of the male foreskin

This circumcision was about the covenant of faith between God and Abraham, to demonstrate, according to some commentators, having no confidence in the flesh. But at some point in time, it came to be about their faith in the circumcision. Two totally different things. Abraham believed God, and that, Paul is pointing out, is why God credited Him with righteousness and used circumcision to seal the deal. Circumcision didn’t initiate the relationship, the relationship initiated circumcision!

I read in an article that the Jewish customs around circumcision have become more than just the cutting away of the flesh. There is a “special” man who does a ritual during the circumcision which includes putting red wine in his mouth, and then saturating the baby’s foreskin with that wine as a part of that rite. Where is that in Genesis?

Before we become judgmental about them placing their trust in the circumcision and expanding on what God said, think about all the things we have done the same thing with. Prayer is a beautiful expression between us and God, but some try to make us think that we have to pray a certain length of time, with a certain amount of fervor, using exactly the right formulas to be heard by God; thus placing faith in the way we pray more than the fact that we pray! I know this to be true because God reminded me of it just this morning. All of the beautiful elements of our faith have deep and profound meanings behind them, but as we repeat them year end and out, the focus, for some, is removed from the original intent, to the ritual itself. This is why Jesus came! To remove the yoke of rituals off of His people and to give them the freedom of a relationship of love, which is our motivation to pray, or to do whatever we need to do! Not works!

Abraham’s sign of the covenant was given to him when he was just a man of faith. As such, Paul states that this enabled him, the father of circumcision, to also be father to those without the circumcision.

And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.
Romans 4:12 NKJV

Paul continues with his “argument” that the promise that God gave to Abraham and to his seed was given, not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith! For if it had been done through the Law, then the promise of faith would be made void.

For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:
Romans 4:13-15 NKJV

This is true for all of God’s dealings with not only Abraham, but with Isaac and with Jacob. They were all before Moses, and therefore, before the Law. Faith, Paul reiterates, was the ground upon which God released His promises to Abraham, not the Law!

Later, Paul will expound upon this truth in detail, but for now he states that the Law brings wrath, not blessings. Our inability to keep the law means that it becomes a vehicle of God’s wrath towards us, especially if we regard it as the principle by which we are justified and how we relate to God.

The last point I will make today is on the end of verse 15 where Paul makes the statement that where there is no law there is no transgression. Transgression, according to the Vine’s is rendered as “overstepping” the limits, or going beyond. As I was reading through the commentaries, I found this thought and want to share it:

There is sin that is not the “crossing the line” of the Law of Moses. The root of sin isn’t in breaking the law, but in breaking trust with God; with denying His loving, caring purpose in every command He gives. Before Adam sinned he broke trust with God – therefore God’s plan of redemption is centered on a relationship of trusting love – faith – instead of law-keeping. When we center our relationship with God on law-keeping instead of trusting love, we go against His whole plan.
https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/guzik_david/StudyGuide2017-Rom/Rom-4.cfm?a=1050013

I really like how David Guzik shares that the root of sin is in breaking trust with God, and in doing so we deny His loving, caring purposes in every command that He gives. I will end today’s blog with this thought: Paul addresses this issue of faith versus works of the Law with an expertise that cannot be ignored for he was one who executed the Law with strictest regards. Yet, after all of that, we still find many who can’t or won’t except that it is faith and not performance that moves the hand of Almighty God! Wonderful Jesus!