Jacob vs. John . . . 500 years Later

For 500 years, theologians and clergymen have fought with the text of Romans 9-11, and they have often fought with each other over this difficult text.  For whatever reason, the church has struggled throughout the centuries to get its collective head around this text, and it has not only cost the church unity, but from time-to-time, it has cost lives.

The struggle came to a head in the early 1600s when a group of theologians who had studied at the feet of a Dutch theologian named Jacob Arminius offered up five points of dissent with the orthodox view of their day.  They are called “The Five Articles of Remonstrance” and they questioned the orthodox, or the reformed view of salvation, which had been shaped largely by the teachings of a French theologian named John Calvin.  Thus, the battle over this text is often referred to as Calvinism versus Arminianism.

Here are the arguments, or “remonstrance”, of the Arminians . . .

First, they argue that salvation is granted to “those who, through the grace of the Holy Ghost, shall believe on this his Son Jesus, and shall persevere in this faith and obedience of faith, through this grace, even to the end.”  The Calvinists respond that salvation is offered only to those whom God calls and is available only to the elect.  This doctrine is known as “unconditional election”.

Second, they argue that “Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, died for all men and for every man, so that he has obtained for them all, by his death on the cross, redemption, and the forgiveness of sins.”  The Calvinists see this argument as superfluous because it would be meaningless for God to make an effectual atonement for those whom God has not chosen.  This doctrine is known as “limited atonement”.

Third, the Arminians argue “that man has not saving grace of himself.”  This doctrine is known as “total depravity” and it is in this point that Calvinists and Arminians find near agreement.  The difference seems to be that the Calvinists limit those for whom the Holy Spirit chooses to overwhelm the depravity of the sin nature while the Arminians favor the notion that the Holy Spirit calls out to all men.

The fourth argument begins with an affirmation of the absolute necessity of the Holy Spirit’s work in the regeneration of humanity to salvation, but they make the following disclaimer: “as respects the mode of the operation of this grace, it is not irresistible.”  It is on this point, that the Calvinists are most dogmatic.  Who is man to resist God’s call?  God’s call on His chosen is never an act of futility, therefore, the call of God is not something humanity is even capable of resisting.  This doctrine is known as “irresistible grace”.

Fifth, and finally, the Arminians pose a question, rather than making a definitive argument.  The point is whether a believer will always persevere in his faith, so they question, “But whether they are capable, through negligence, of forsaking again the first beginnings of their life in Christ, of again returning to this present evil world, of turning away from the holy doctrine which was delivered them, of losing a good conscience, of becoming devoid of grace, that must be more particularly determined out of the Holy Scriptures before they can teach it with the full persuasion of their minds.”  The Calvinists immediately recoil at this because it places humans in a position of resisting, rejecting, or defying the expressed will of God expressed in election.  This doctrine is known as “perseverance of the saints”.

To make these points easier to remember, we have rearranged the arguments and the corresponding responses into the acrostic, “TULIP”.

Thus, the reformed doctrine view is that humanity is totally depraved, in absolute necessity of the calling of the Holy Spirit to enlighten his darkened heart; that the calling of the Holy Spirit is offered to the elect alone, and offered unconditionally; that the effectual, atoning work of Christ at Calvary is limited to those who are chosen; that the call of the Holy Spirit is completely effectual, and is therefore, irresistible by human will; and that the calling of the elect is effectual to the end, thus guaranteeing the perseverance of the elect.

In contrast, the position of the Arminians is that man is totally depraved and in absolute necessity of the Holy Spirit’s calling in their lives, but that the call of the Holy Spirit is given as God moves in the hearts of all humans, and is given without any regard to the election of any particular person, and not to another; that the atoning work of Christ at Calvary is universally available, and effectual, to all who respond to the calling of the Holy Spirit, all the while recognizing that the call of the Holy Spirit is something that may be resisted by the will of humanity.  Finally, they express concerns—falling far short of any dogmatism—that the resistible nature of this call may open the possibility that humanity could turn away from their faith at some point, thus relinquishing the saving grace that was, or could have been, theirs.

While I love a good discussion about theology, what I know about these issues is that we have been fighting over this issue for over 500 years, and to date, neither side seems to be able to win.  For every verse the Arminians can offer, the Calvinists can offer their own, and vice versa.

I wonder if God gave us this dispute so that people who like to debate theology will have something to do while the rest of us live ours out . . .

On Behalf of My Enemies . . .

For whom is Romans 8 not so good news?  We know that the letter to the church in Rome is an amazing exposition of the redeeming work of Jesus Christ on behalf of a world that has “fallen short” of God’s just expectations, and the eighth chapter of this letter is like a grand crescendo to the life-giving message of the Gospel.  The words of Paul explode off the page . . .

“Therefore there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus . . .”

“If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, then He who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through His Spirit who lives in you.”

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us.”

“We know that all things work for the good of those who love: those who are called according to His purpose.”

“Who can separate us from the love of Christ?”

But how does this message sound to a person married to a person who is not “in Christ Jesus”?  How does this message sound to a parent of a child in whom the Spirit of God is not living?  How does it sound to a person whose sister does not love God?

The message of life for believers in Romans 8 is just as much a message of death and condemnation for those who do not believe.  It is tragic to know that my neighbor is going to face the condemnation of a holy God if he remains outside of the redemption of Christ.  The parent of the rebellious child should be horrified at the message of the Gospel.  The spouse of the unbeliever should lose sleep over the words of Jesus.

And this is where Paul lands as he rolls into Romans 9 . . .

Paul has unsaved people in his life and for these people Paul claims to have “intense sorrow and continual anguish”.  These are really raw emotions he is describing in this phrase.  The Greek words for the first phrase, “intense sorrow,” are “megalas lupeo”.  You can see the word “mega” in the first word which clearly implies the size, or scope, of Paul’s sorrow, but the key to understanding Paul’s emotion is found in the word “lupeo” which is translated as “sorrow”.  John used the word “lupeo” four times in his telling of the events of the Last Supper.  Jesus was departing from them and they were filled with sorrow (“lupeo”).  This was not a sharp pain of mourning, it was the dull ache of sadness.  It was chronic.  And for Paul, the dull ache of the sorrow of the message of Romans 8 for the unbeliever was “megalas” . . . almost too great for words.

The second phrase describing Paul’s emotional state was “continual anguish”.  The Greek phrase is “adialeipo odune”.  While the phrase “megalas lupeo” describe the emotion, this second phrase defined the chronic nature of this emotion.  This phrase can be translated as “ceaseless” or “unending” . . . it is just something that will not go away . . . will not subside.  It is a wound that time simply will not heal.

So who is the object of this emotion?  For whom could Paul have such ceaseless, piercing sorrow?  Is a family member?  A friend?

Paul continues his thought in Romans 9 . . .

“For I could almost wish to be cursed and cut off from the Messiah for the benefit of my brothers, my own flesh and blood.” (Romans 9:3)

Paul is not speaking of an individual.  Paul is sorrowful for the nation of Israel.  Paul had been one of these guys who had rejected Christ.  He knew the heart of God’s chosen people.  He knew that the vast majority of his fellow Israelites rejected the message of Jesus, and for him, Romans 8 was a source of great sorrow for his people.

Now, our modern translations have taken some liberties with the text of Romans 8:3, so let us reduce the passage down to its Greek core.  The initial phrase is simply, “euchomai gar anathema eimi autos” . . . literally, “I have been wishing for a curse to be myself”.  If we clean that us we get the phrase, “For I have been wishing myself to be a curse.”

The key to grasping the action of Paul is to get our heads around the Greek word “euchomai”.  It could be defined as a desire or a longing for a certain outcome, but it seems to be a word used to describe an outcome that is completely outside of our capacity to make it happen.  Luke used this word when he spoke of a group of sailors caught in a violent storm.  He wrote of the sailors, “ . . . and (they) prayed for daylight to come.”  On another occasion, Luke recounts the story of Paul as he appeared before Governor Festus and King Agrippa.  As Paul spoke the message of the Gospel, King Agrippa mocked Paul by asking him if he thought he could convince him to believe in Jesus to which Paul responded, “I wish before God that . . . you might become as I am.”

The fascinating, and instructive, part of this particular verb and its usage is that the common word for prayer in the New Testament is the word “proseuchomai” which literally means that we take all those desires and we place them “pros” (or before) God and allow Him to work on them.

We must also understand that Paul uses an imperfect verb tense for the word “euchomai” which tells us that Paul is unable, or unwilling, to place this action exclusively in the past, present, or future.  Paul just knows that he has been, is, and will likely continue to wish for his people.  This verb tense further accentuates the “continual” nature of Paul’s emotional state.

So what exactly does Paul wish?

Paul’s own words indicate that he wishes he could be “a curse”.  The Greek word Paul uses in this case is “anathema” and it is a word that Paul has placed on a group of Jews in an earlier letter.   In the letter to the Galatian churches, Paul is writing to the churches in Galatia to warn them of the Jewish zealots who were teaching the Gentile converts to Christianity that they had to follow Jewish Law to be a Christian.  In the letter, Paul wrote, “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel other than what we preached to you, a curse be on him.”  And now Paul declares that his wish has been to be that curse for his kinsmen . . .

“ . . . to be cursed and cut off from the Messiah for the benefit of my brothers.”

Paul is wishing for a trade.  Paul is offering to be removed, or taken away, from the grace of the Messiah on behalf of his brothers.  The problem with his wish, which may explain the “continual” nature of his wish, is what Paul has just stated in the previous chapter . . .

“For I am persuaded that . . . (nothing) will have the power to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39)

So what kind of person would wish this?  Who would wish to become a curse so that another could be blessed?

In the Old Testament, we read that Judah offered to trade places with his brother Benjamin who was under a sentence of death for stealing the cup of Joseph, but that was simply trading his mortal life for his brother, not his eternal condition.

On another occasion, however, we see the wish Paul was making placed on the lips of Moses.  Moses begged of God . . .

“Now if You would only forgive their sin.  But if not, please erase me from the book You have written.” (Exodus 33:19)

Why would Moses make this offer?  What had the Israelites done to merit this offer from Moses, their leader?  What would compel Moses to be so generous and so sacrificial?

Ironically, they had done nothing but complain and murmur against Moses since the day they left Egypt and yet he still made this offer.  So what was the occasion of this offer?  Moses had been up on the mountain with God for 40 days when God told Moses to go back to the camp of the Israelites because they had constructed a “golden calf” and were worshiping it.  And yet, in this moment of profound rebellion, Moses wished to be a curse for the benefit of his brothers.

I imagine it was the same with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane as Jesus prayed “Not My will but Yours be done . . ..”  Only this time God allowed His perfect Son to literally become that “anathema” so that we could be reconciled to Him.

So who are these people for whose benefit Paul is offering himself?  Let us look quickly at what these people had done to Paul over the years . . .

In Pisidian Antioch . . . “But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to oppose what Paul was saying by insulting him.”

In Iconium . . . “But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up and poisoned the minds of the Gentiles against the brothers.”

In Lystra . . . “Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and when they had won over the crowds and stoned Paul, they dragged him out of the city, thinking he was dead.”

In Thessalonica . . . “But the Jews became jealous, and they brought together some scoundrels from the marketplace, formed a mob, and started a riot in the city.”

In Beroea . . . “But when the Jews from Thessalonica found out that God’s message had been proclaimed by Paul at Berea, they came there too, agitating and disturbing the crowds.”

In Corinth . . . “While Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack against Paul and brought him to the judge’s bench.”

In Ephesus . . . “But when some (in the synagogue) became hardened and would not believe, slandering the Way in front of the crowd, he withdrew from them . . .”

In Corinth on another visit . . . “When he was about to set sail for Syria, a plot was devised against him by the Jews, so a decision was made to go back through Macedonia.”

It is in this moment, after all this has taken place, after all the abuse that Paul has received from the Jews—abuse he records in a letter to the church in Corinth just months earlier—that Paul pours out his heart on behalf of his kinsmen.  What Paul does not know is that when he arrives in Jerusalem (his destination as defined in this letter to the Roman church) his kinsmen are going to arrest him and place him before the Roman magistrates.  He is going to be shipped from one governor to another all the way to Rome . . . and he will never taste freedom again.

What had this Gospel done to this man?  Remember, Paul was just a human like you and like me.  What effect did this message of God becoming flesh and dying as a sacrificial atonement for his sins done to him?  Who offers eternal cursing in exchange for the eternal blessing of an enemy?

While I may make that trade for family or friends, I must acknowledge that that love is merely an intense form of human love.  To love an enemy with that kind of love comes only from a heart that has truly experienced the profound love of God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.

Who is that enemy for you?

Recognize how much work the Gospel has left to achieve in you . . .

Christmas . . . God is FOR US

It is easy to think that God is against you sometimes, is it not?  You get into a car accident, you have a relationship end, or you get a devastating prognosis from a doctor.  It just does not seem fair!  God could have done something about it . . . Why would He let this happen to me?  How quickly do we settle into the thought that God just does not like us?  He is angry with us . . . He is a mean kid with a magnifying glass burning us like ants on a pavement.

Paul addresses this issue in his letter to the Romans . . . a group of people who were facing far more dire circumstances than we could ever imagine.

“The Spirit Himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children, and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and coheirs with Christ—seeing that we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.” (Romans 8:16-17)

Did Paul say, “suffer”?  Are we really supposed to suffer with Christ?  Paul uses the Greek word “pascho” which indicates a period of suffering, and not just an episode.  Many theologians refer to the death of Jesus as the “pascho” (or passion) of the Christ.  I love the fact that Paul encourages the Roman church as they embark on this period of suffering by assuring them that this is not an aberration—it is normal, and it is a joy to share in the “fellowship of Christ’s suffering” (Philippians 3:10).

Into this suffering that we will share, Paul writes the beautiful assurance . . .

“We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

So what does all this mean to us during this Christmas season?  Where is the hope of Christmas in the thought of suffering?

I believe it is in the joy of the assurance that God is for us, and nothing reveals the heart of God for His most precious creation that the birth of its Redeemer . . . the One sent to redeem us from the curse of our sin.

So Paul asks the rhetorical question . . .

“What then are we to say about these things?” (Romans 8:31)

Though the Greek is rather vague as to what Paul is referring, I think we can assume that he is speaking of this idea of suffering . . . that which is working for our good and is not even worth comparing to the glory that is to come.  Is Paul questioning those who would naturally conclude that God is out to get them?  Has he overheard their murmuring?  Not that we would ever do that, right?

Listen to Paul’s argument . . .

“If God is for us, who is against us?  He did not even spare His own Son but offered Him up for us all; how will He not also with Him grant us everything?” (Romans 8:31-32)

Paul has already argued that our time of suffering is working together to produce something beneficial in us (an argument that is easier spoken than heard), and now he drops a statement that demands to be supported.  Paul implies that God is certainly “for us” . . . a notion that so often seems to be false in the face of our suffering.  How can we know that God is for us?  And to what degree can we claim that God is for us?  To back up this claim, Paul uses a powerful collection of words and images from the Scriptures . . .

“He did not even spare His own Son . . .”

While the use of the word “even” conveys an extreme action, the power of this statement lies deep in the souls of the hearers.  This language would have resonated in the hearts and minds of the Jewish believers in the Roman church.  They knew the story of Abraham, who when commanded by God to sacrifice his son, Isaac, did not hesitate to act with profound faith and was commended by God . . .

“For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld you only son from Me.” (Genesis 22:12)

But the phrase continues beyond this awe-inspiring thought . . .

“. . . but He offered Him up for us all.”

Do you see the evidence of a God who is “for us”?  The advent of Christ that we celebrate at Christmas is not merely the birth of Christ, but the full nature of His advent which will be His death and resurrection . . . all designed for your salvation and mine.  It is this language that Paul used to resonate with the members of the church who had heard the apostles tell the story of the night a man named Nicodemus, a Pharisee, came to Jesus late one night.  Jesus told the man . . .

“For God loved the world in this way: He gave His one and only Son . . . that the world might be saved through Him.” (John 3:16-17)

For those unconvinced by Paul’s first argument, and are still hanging on to the notion that God is doling out His wrath, Paul asks another rhetorical question . . .

“Who can bring an accusation against God’s elect?  God is the One who justifies. Who is the one who condemns?” (Romans 8:33-34)

To visualize Paul’s question, you need to picture a courtroom . . . you are the defendant, God, along with Jesus, sits in the place of the judge, and the prosecuting attorney is the person in question.  The Romans would be familiar with this scene because in the middle of their city would be what is called the “judgment seat” (the most prominent of these being in Corinth, which was the probable location from which Paul is writing this letter).  The prosecutor would approach the judgment seat and lodge a formal accusation against the defendant and would ask the judge for a summary judgment . . . no jury, just a judge’s decision.

Watch how this works in Paul’s courtroom . . .

The prosecutor approaches the bench and accuses you of gossip, lust, anger, and on and on he can go, right?  It is OK . . . just take the hit.  Jesus stands up at your defense and tells God that the fine for these offenses has already been paid.  When?  Where?  All these and any future offenses were paid for at Calvary!  And the prosecutor is silenced . . . victorious, but ineffectual in his accusations.

It was Simeon in the Temple just eight days after Jesus was born in the stable that declared . . .

“For my eyes have seen Your salvation!” (Luke 2:30)

To this Paul declares . . .

“Christ Jesus is the One who died, but even more, has been raised; He also is at the right hand of God and intercedes for us.” (Romans 8:34)

The prosecuting attorney was going for the death sentence . . . and the death sentence he justly received.  The beauty of God’s inclination toward us is that it was His Son, Jesus Christ that took up our sentence.  My condemnation was snatched away from me by the grace and love of my Heavenly Father and was placed on His obedient Son.

But that was certainly not the end of that story . . . it was this Jesus who was gloriously raised by the power of God.  Not something you see everyday . . .

Furthermore, Jesus was received to the right hand of God and at this very moment, Paul claims that Jesus, the One who suffered for our sins, is at this moment “interceding” . . . for us.  The Greek word is far bigger than just “praying”.  It is the word “entugchano” and it means that Jesus is pleading with us and leading us into the place of perfection . . . not willing for us to miss the mark.

How can you possibly conclude that God is not for you?

Paul’s third question is the one most familiar to students of the Bible . . .

“Who can separate us from the love of Christ?  Can affliction or anguish or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?” (Romans 8:35)

Before you go too far with this verse, you need to put it into its context.  This is a letter to a church in Rome.  How would you describe the dynamics of Rome and its gods?  How do the gods like Jupiter and Mars behave?  What happens when they get angry, or when they are “against you”?  What happens when they are “for you”?  Do you see the underlying context of the point Paul is going to make?

Paul’s point is that God is never going to turn on you—He is not temperamental or moody.  God is eternally inclined “for you” and though it may seem at times as though God is nowhere to be found, you can be assured that your afflictions will be eclipsed by glory, that all this is working for your good, and that the God who gave His own Son is not going anywhere!  His love, unlike the temperamental gods of the Roman culture, is unimpeachable, inexhaustible, and indefatigable . . . and it is directed to you.

So Paul asks if life can separate us from the love of Christ?  He asks about affliction, anguish, and distress.  Each of these Greek words (thlipsis, stenochoria, and diogmos) implies some form of persecution or pressure being brought to bear on a believer.  The question is passive because it is asking if these stresses indicate that God’s love has been separated from the believer.  Paul goes on to list a set of severe life stresses: hunger, nakedness, peril, and sword.  What kind of God would allow His beloved ones to suffer in this way?  Surely God is angry with them, right?  He has turned on them . . .

Paul turns what may become the seed of doubt into a banner of victory . . .

“No!  In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” (Romans 8:37)

Paul’s assertion, one that will become invaluable for the Roman church in the coming years, is that affliction is not evidence for God’s separation.  Instead, it is an opportunity for the believer to demonstrate the power of God’s presence . . . what did Jesus tell His disciples to do when they are dragged in front of kings and governors?  Panic?  Bemoan the fact that God has abandoned them?  NO!  They were to rely on the Spirit—the very Breath of God—to guide their words.  The same will go for times of anguish and distress.  Our moments of deprivation and loss are not due to the neglect of our God, instead, they are moments in which we not only conquer, but we literally “hyper-conquer” . . . very much like Paul will write to the Philippians . . .

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13)

So Paul concludes . . .

“For I am persuaded that not even death or life, angels or rulers, things present or things to come, hostile powers, height or depth, or any other created thing will have the power to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord!” (Romans 8:38-39)

I wish the interpreters of the initial phrase of this passage had been stricter in their translation of this passage because the Greek for “I am persuaded” is not a present active verb—meaning that Paul did something.  The Greek reveals the verb Paul uses is actually a perfect passive verb—meaning that something has perpetually been done to Paul.  His persuasion was not an act of his reason and intellect alone.  Paul is stating that he was persuaded by an outside force and that force did not merely act in the past, nor is it acting only in the present, but that this persuasion to which Paul is being acted upon has perfectly and completely and timelessly altered his understanding.  Is that not a better translation?

But to what has Paul been perfectly persuaded?

It is the message of Christmas . . .

God loves us and nothing will ever be able to change it.

God is eternally “for you”.

And the greatest act of love the world will ever know is the story of Christmas when the love of God “became flesh and dwelt among us” . . . when “unto us a Child was born” who will be called the “Prince of Peace” . . .

For that is what His unstoppable love has done for us . . . it has given us peace with God.

Merry Christmas!

Romans 8:28 . . . in context

I once had a man corner me and lecture me about the importance of memorizing Scripture.  He told me that he had memorized over 500 verses of Scripture over the past few years, and I think he was waiting for me to give him a cookie . . . So I asked him if he knew all 500 verses in context.  The phrase “deer in the headlights” fit this occasion.  I hated to crush this guy (not really . . . he was being rather smug about the whole thing), but I wanted him to think about the whole discipline of Scripture memorization and to consider the danger of learning the Scriptures without a proper appreciation for the context of the passage.

One of those verses oft memorized is Romans 8:28 . . . so let us discover the beauty of this verse in its context.

Romans 8 is the crescendo of Paul’s letter to the Christian church in Rome.  It was written to a group of believers around 55-60 A.D. as Paul was returning to Jerusalem at the completion of his third missionary journey.  It is clear that Paul knew several of the recipients of the letter, but we know from the words of the letter that Paul had never been to Rome.

This letter, widely acclaimed as the greatest exposition of the Christian faith, begins with the establishment of the “gospel” message—a proclamation of good news.  The essential nature of the message as recorded in the opening chapters of the letter is that God, in His love for humanity, has justified, or cleared humanity of any and all guilt through the atoning work of Jesus Christ.  It was the crucifixion of Christ, that is, the shedding of His blood, that covered our sins and established our righteousness.  Our part is merely to believe the “good news”.

For those who believe this gospel, Paul declares that “no condemnation now exists” which is a great message for one who recognizes the just nature of God.  Furthermore, Paul declares that those who are “in Christ Jesus” and those who are “led by the Holy Spirit” are essentially adopted as the children of God . . .

“All those led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons.  For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father!’” (Romans 8:14-15)

And here is where the context of Romans 8:28 starts to take shape.  This identification of believers as “God’s sons” carries with it a familial identity with the Son of God—Jesus Christ—such that Paul declares . . .

“The Spirit Himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children, and if children, also heirs —heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ—seeing that we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.” (Romans 8:16-17)

From this passage we see a framework of time in the experience of the believer.  Paul speaks of the suffering of the Roman Christian in the indicative mood which is the standard form of a verb.  He uses the Greek verb “sumpascho” which is a combination of the prefix “sum” (with) and the verb “pascho” (to suffer).  What he is saying is that at the present time, there is suffering . . . suffering as a result of the fall and as a result of persecution for bearing the name of Christ, thus our identification with Christ’s suffering.  The end of this temporal model is the hope of being “glorified with Him”.  Paul uses a similarly constructed verb, “sundoxazo” (a combination of “sun” and “doxa” which means “glory”), but he uses it in the subjunctive mood.  This mood conveys the idea that the action is something that might happen, but Paul uses it in the aorist (past) tense, thereby creating the idea of an assured, actualized hope . . . what theologians call the “already, but not yet” concept of salvation.

So this passage paints a picture of a chasm of time.  It depicts the journey of the believer from conversion through a time of suffering into glory.  It is this time of suffering (“pascho”) that Paul is referring to when he writes . . .

“We know that all things work together for good . . .” (Romans 8:28)

One theme that Paul, and Christ for that matter, seems to employ for our journey on this side of glory is the metaphor of pregnancy.  I remember when my wife was pregnant with our first child.  We had no clue what exactly to expect.  There really is no precise, normative experience of pregnancy, Amen?  We stumbled our way  through the nausea, the cravings, and the discomfort.  We knew there was an end to this thing, but we really struggled with what to do while we were in the middle of the chasm between conception and birth.

But the experience of our assured hope of glory is just like the joy of holding your first child . . .

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us.” (Romans 8:18)

So what transpires, or is transpiring, as we journey through this life?  Paul has some amazing thoughts on this issue . . .

“For the creation eagerly waits with anticipation for God’s sons to be revealed.  For the creation was subjected to futility—not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it—in the hope that the creation itself will also be set free from the bondage of corruption into the glorious freedom of God’s children.  For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together with labor pains until now.” (Romans 8:19-22)

This is a strange, abstract point of view, but what does this passage say over and over again?  Three times Paul alludes to this birthing metaphor.  Paul declares that the “whole creation” is groaning for the “birthing”, or the glory of the believers.  Are the trees groaning such that God can hear?  Are the waves groaning?  What about my dog?  This is weird stuff, but what if it is really true?  What if God perceives a cry from His creation that speaks of the day when humanity is brought into glory?  And what if the expanse of all the galaxies in the universe were aligning themselves to groan for that blessed day?

Oh, how small our minds must be!

But it is not just the creation that groans for our glory . . .

“And not only that, but we ourselves who have the Spirit as the firstfruits—we also groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.  Now in this hope we were saved . . . if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with patience.” (Romans 8:23-25)

Have you really ever groaned for that day?  We are not big “groaners”, are we?  We want, we crave, we desire . . . but to groan seems a little beneath our standard of dignity, right?  Let us remember that we are reading someone else’s letter.  We are not enduring the suffering that was present in the church in Rome, are we?  My point is not that we have no need for groaning, it is simply that we have no urgency for it.  The church in Rome was begging to find its way out of their time of suffering and into that incomparable place of glory.  We, on the other hand, in our comfortable churches, if we were honest, would say that we would prefer to have the opportunity to live out our dreams and our expectations in this life . . . to get a great job, to get married, to have kids, to retire, and to die at a ripe-old age.

How we comfortable Christians must disappoint our God!

But these Romans, along with Paul, longed for this day.  Paul says that they live their lives in eager anticipation of the day when they will be “adopted” . . . the day when this worldly orphanage will lose its grip on the true children of God.  It is a day of salvation, not just relocation.  It is a day that we must wait for with patience, and for the Roman believers the tension of the idea of being patient and waiting was, and would increasingly become, a literal life and death struggle . . . a struggle that the author of Hebrews dares his readers to win . . .

“But we are not those who draw back and are destroyed, but those who have faith and obtain life.” (Hebrews 10:39)

So what is God doing as we journey through this life?

“In the same way the Spirit also joins to help in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with unspoken groanings. and He who searches the hearts knows the Spirit’s mind-set, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” (Romans 8:26-27)

Could it be true that God, in His manifestation of the Holy Spirit, is joining in the groaning?  Is His desire for the glorification of humanity compelling the base pleading of groaning?  And how would that even work?

First, Paul tells the Roman church that the Spirit “joins to help in our weakness”. Paul uses the Greek verb “sunantilambanomai” to convey the action of the Spirit as he finds us struggling to groan.  The word literally means that the Spirit “takes hold with” but the implication is not that he shares in the action, but that he takes control of an action for which we are completely incompetent to accomplish.  Picture a young boy trying to tie a necktie . . . an infant trying to color inside the lines . . . you trying to pray (or groan) according to the will of God.  So the Spirit “takes” control of our groaning, and He prays for our benefit in accordance with God’s will.

But that is not all, second, Paul tells the church that the Spirit not only “helps” our groanings, but that he “intercedes for us”.  It is a mistake to simply view this as the Spirit praying to God for us.  If that was all that Paul was saying, he would have used the Greek word “proseuchomai”.  Instead, Paul wrote that the Spirit “huperentugchano” . . . that is a mouthful, but as you break it down it literally means “for us in hitting the mark”.  The Spirit takes our meager efforts at groaning and directs them to God with “unutterable groanings” so that they are perfectly in sync with the will of God . . . and we would be wise to simply sit still in this moment!

So creation groans in ways only God can perceive.

We ourselves groan in profound, fallen weakness.

The Spirit of God groans on our behalf in perfect agreement with the will of God.

. . . all in the context of this “present time” of suffering, and all with a hope of our glorification.

So now we understand why Paul can speak with such certainty . . .

“We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

So find yourself in the story.  Listen well to the groanings of the “whole creation”.  Find an urgency for your own groaning in the story of God.  Rejoice in the love of the Presence of God groaning before the Throne in ways that no one could dare to express.

Then rest in the assurance that all things, even the suffering of this present life, along the path of this journey are working together toward your glory as sons and daughters of the living God.

In or Out? . . . The Most Important Question!

Have you ever contemplated what God is doing right now?  For the sake of clarity, let us ask what God the Father is doing right now.  Some might say that He is governing, listening, speaking, moving, and comforting, but are these literal activities?  What about Jesus, God the Son?  What is He doing?  The Scriptures say He is sitting, though on at least one occasion, He is portrayed as standing.  According to His own words, Jesus is the groom “preparing a place” for His bride in His Father’s house.  He is also seen as our mediator and our high priest who intercedes for us.

But what about the Holy Spirit, God the Spirit . . . the One we tend to neglect?  He is the One sent to guide, to teach, to remind, and to lead us in our spiritual journey.  He intercedes for us before the Father with unutterable groans, and He is the very presence of God calling out to us in our time of need.

So with which of the three manifestations of God—the Father, the Son, and the Spirit—do we have the most interaction?  Who is it that walks with us?  Who is it that reminds us of the teachings of the seated Christ?  Who is it that conveys to us the counsel of the governing Father?  Who is it that fulfills the words of the prophet Isaiah . . .

“Your eyes will see your Teacher, and whenever you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear this command behind you: ‘This is the way.  Walk in it.’” (Isaiah 30:21)

This is the Holy Spirit.

So what does Paul mean when he tells the church that the declaration of no condemnation rests on those who are “in Christ Jesus” and on those who “walk according to the Spirit”?  Are those two separate criterions?  Can we do one and neglect the other?  Can I accept the salvation of Jesus and reject the leading of the Holy Spirit?

Let us begin with Paul’s declaration in Romans 8:1-4 . . .

“Therefore, no condemnation exists for those in Christ Jesus . . . who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”

For me, this creates a powerful separation.  There are those “in Christ” and there is the rest of humanity.  In addition, there are those who “walk according to the flesh” and those who “walk according to the Spirit”.  Just as in Jesus’s parable of the sheep and goats, there are only two options.

So as you read this, I would encourage you to get out a sheet of paper or something and draw a box and title it, “In Christ”.  Allow for the rest of the paper to be those who are not actively “In Christ” and let us begin to mark out the boundaries as clearly as possible.

In Romans 8:5-8, Paul draws a distinction between two controlling entities: the flesh and the Spirit.  For the sake of clarity, what exactly does it mean to walk according to the flesh?  The Greek word is “sarx” and it refers to things that are birthed out of fallen man.  You might say that actions of the flesh are purely self-centered, they are actions which are devoted to pleasuring the senses, and they are actions which have no regard for the governance of God.

On the contrary, the idea of walking by the Spirit is to live a life guided by the intervening counsel of God.  It is a life that tempers the senses to enjoy this life according to the design of God.

Paul writes that the mind, or the thinking, of the one living according to the flesh is “death”, while the mind of the one led by the Spirit is “life” . . . again, we see the two options.  Bringing this to a more personal level, Paul writes that the one whose thoughts are according to the flesh are “hostile to God”, while the one whose thoughts are governed by the Spirit have “peace” with God.

Death and hostility.

Life and peace.

The image Paul creates is the image of a battlefield.  There are two forces arrayed in battle formation.  Those allied with the flesh will be destroyed in death.  Why?  Because they have set themselves as “hostile” to God.  The Greek word is “echthros” which is generally translated as “enemy”.  So how have they done this?

“For the mindset of the flesh is hostile to God because it does not submit itself to God’s law, for it is unable to do so.” (Romans 8:7)

The dynamic of the hostility between God and flesh-thinking humanity becomes much more vivid when we see the Greek word that is used in the phrase for “submit”.  Paul used the Greek word “hupotasso” which is a combination of the prefix “hupo” which refers to something “under” and the base word “tasso” which refers to something being arranged or orderly.  The mind of the flesh simply refuses to place itself under the arrangement of God’s law.  The person walking in this way will choose to arrange his life according to his self-centered interests and he will make decisions without regard for the design of God.

To see a picture of the image Paul is conveying, you need to recall the story in Luke 7 of the Roman centurion who came to Jesus so that his servant might be healed.  When Jesus heard his story, He quickly prepared to leave for the home of the centurion.  The centurion, however, assured Jesus that it would not be necessary . . .

“For I too am a man placed under authority (“hupotasso”), having soldiers under my command.  I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes; and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.” (Luke 7:8)

Jesus is blown away with this Gentile’s comprehension of authority and the faith that he had in the authority of Jesus to simply speak and his servant would be healed.

So when Jesus says, “Love one another,” how do we who have submitted to the arrangement of God respond?  When we are told,  “Forgive as you have been forgiven,” do we hesitate?  Living under the authority, or the binding arrangement of God, is an indication that we are walking according to the Spirit, but to utterly reject the authority of God’s law is to set yourself as the enemy of God, hostile to Him, and positioned for death.

Ultimately, Paul writes that the one whose thinking, or mindset, is hostile to God is a person who is utterly incapable of pleasing God.  A devastating indictment!

So Paul makes a personal appeal to this beloved church . . .

“You, however, are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God lives in you.”

It is almost like Paul can see their face as they contemplate their lives and all the times they have stepped out of the authority of God’s law and allowed the flesh to dictate their lives.  He reaches into their souls and pulls them out just as a soldier would save comrade in arms who was straying too close to enemy lines.  He grabs them by the coat, pulls them close, and tells them who they are in Christ.  He reminds them of the indwelling presence of God who is moving and guiding.  He practically wills them to a place of repentance . . . a place we all must find from time to time as we stray from submission to God’s law.

Then Paul begins to paint a very subtle picture.  As he describes the journey of those in Christ, those walking according to the Spirit, and those living under the arrangement of God’s law (and repenting back into that arrangement as needed), Paul paints the picture of the life of Christ . . . it is subtle so look carefully.

“Now, if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.” (Romans 8:10)

What do you do when the body (the Greek is “soma” which refers to the physical body) is dead?  You bury it, right?  What did Paul say in Romans 6:4 about our condition in Christ?  He wrote, “Therefore, we have been buried with Him by baptism into His death.”  What was the first thing Jesus did as He began His earthly ministry?  Jesus was baptized.

But what happens next?  Picture John the Baptist helping Jesus out of His immersion.  Jesus emerges from beneath the surface of the water (a Jewish metaphor for death) and in that moment there was a dove and a thundering voice.  As Jesus emerges from this picture of death and burial, the Gospel writers declare that the Spirit of God descended like a dove in that moment which speaks into Paul’s declaration that the Spirit brings life.  Did you see it?

Paul continues this thought . . .

“And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, then He who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through His Spirit who lives in you.” (Romans 8:11)

Notice the double meaning, or maybe the foreshadowing, of the baptism of Jesus and His resurrection from the tomb on the third day.  God raised Him up by the power of the Spirit, and it is that very power that Paul says will raise us up as well.  The trick to this phrase is that Paul declares that our “mortal bodies” will be raised by the Spirit.  The Greek words are “thanatos soma” which refers to our “death bodies” which creates the image of a dead body being resurrected by the power of the Spirit to rest in Christ, to walk according to the Spirit, and to live under the authority of God’s law.  That is not a picture of our ultimate resurrection, this is a resurrection to a “new way of life” . . . Paul will refer to this as being a “living sacrifice” later in the letter.

But there was also a voice from Heaven at the baptism of Jesus . . .

“This is My beloved Son, I take delight in Him!”

It was the voice of God the Father declaring not only His affection, but also conveying on Jesus of Nazareth the title of “Son of God”.

Paul continues in Romans 8 . . .

“So then, brothers, we are not obligated to the flesh to live according to the flesh, for if you live according to the flesh, you are going to die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.  All those led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons.” (Romans 8:12-14)

Do you get that the same title conferred upon Jesus of Nazareth at His baptism is that same title the Spirit confers upon you when your life is found in Christ, walking according to the Spirit, under the arrangement of God’s law?  You are no longer an enemy!  You are now a son or a daughter of God.  You have life and you have peace with God through the righteousness given to you at Calvary.

Paul expounds on this theme . . .

“For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father!’” (Romans 8:15)

This encouragement away from any form of enslavement and fear is curious, but when you consider what happened just after the baptism of Jesus, it starts to make sense.  The Gospel writers tell us that Jesus went immediately from the glory of the baptism to the anguish of temptation.  Matthew wrote . . .

“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the Devil.” (Matthew 4:1)

What was Jesus facing in this season of temptation?  What were the exact temptations?  Jesus was asked to turn stones to bread to selfishly please his senses . . . IF He really was the Son of God.  Jesus was dared to jump from the pinnacle of the Temple to test God’s promises in the Scriptures . . . IF He really was the Son of God.  Jesus was offered authority over the kingdoms of the world . . . IF He would simply bow to (an enslave Himself to) the Devil.

Do you see what was in play?  Just as the Spirit was present with Jesus in the wilderness affirming the words spoken at Christ’s baptism, “This is My beloved Son!” so too He is with us in our daily battle reminding us, “YOU are God’s Son!  You are not obligated to the flesh!  You are in Christ!  You love the arrangement of God’s law!”  Just as Jesus fought the temporal ease of being granted authority over the world in exchange for the bondage of slavery, so to the Spirit guides us out of the deceit of Satan as he tries to enslave us in the bondage of hatred, lusts, and unforgiveness.

And in all this, Paul encourages the Roman believers with the words that they can cry out at any moment, “Abba, Father!” . . . deeply, intimate words that only a true son or daughter would use to address his or her father.  Words that Jesus, the beloved Son, uttered at Gethsemane . . .

“And He said. ‘Abba, Father!’  All things are possible for You.  Take this cup away from Me. Nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.” (Mark 14:36)

So Paul concludes this thought . . .

“The Spirit Himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children, and if children, also heirs —heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ—seeing that we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.” (Romans 8:16-17)

The Spirit testifies with our spirit . . . “summarturos”.  Have you ever sensed the presence of God assuring you that you are right with God?  Have you ever experienced that time in your life where you knew you were “In Christ” and there was an absolute peace because the presence of God was agreeing with your assessment of your condition?  What a comforting presence!

We will surely suffer with Christ . . . “sumpascho”.  When did Christ suffer?   Continue the story and it leads us beyond Gethsemane to the trials and the crucifixion of Jesus.  Paul declared to the Galatian churches that he was “crucified with Christ”.  The apostles celebrated the occasion on which they were counted worthy to suffer for Christ.  It is what happens to Sons of God.

We may be glorified with Christ . . . “sundoazo”.  On the third day, Christ rose from the tomb in victory and in glory, and He was seated at the right hand of God.   Our hope is clear that we, too, will be raised just as Christ was raised to enjoy eternally the glory of the presence of our God.

But this is only for those for whom there is no longer any condemnation . . .

. . . those who are in Christ Jesus.

. . . those who are walking according to the Spirit of God.

. . . those who submit to the arrangement of God’s law.

If this were a test, where would you be?

In or Out?

 

My Rescue . . . The Romance of God

When I was in seminary, I was about as poor as you could get, so I went to a “job interview” one day . . . at least I thought it was a job interview.  It was billed as a position in sporting goods sales, so I was certainly intrigued.  When I got to the “interview”, I was ushered into a room with about 20 other guys who took the bait “hook, line, and sinker”.  It was a multi-level marketing scheme of selling knives.  I am not talking about really cool sporting knives, I am talking the knives that have at the dinner table.  I lasted about 15 minutes . . . 

In spite of the fact that I have a marketing degree, I have never been a good salesman, especially with something like knives.  I am not a hunter/fisher kind of a guy, and I do not think I have ever carried a pocketknife.  While I am more than happy to use a steak knife on a good filet, I am not all that picky about having some fancy knife with which to cut it. 

Now, let me tell you about my new baseball glove, that is a different story.  Let me tell you about the volleyball I got for my birthday, and why it is so much better than all the other volleyballs in the store, and I will talk your ear off.  You want me to sell you for, or against, a candidate for president, I can sell you on those things all day long. 

Why?  What is the difference between me trying to sell you knives or a volleyball?  They are both products.  There is nothing intrinsically better about volleyballs than knives.  Why would I find one easier to sell than the other?

Simple . . . I love to play volleyball.  I love to play baseball.  I love to talk politics.

In Paul’s letter to the Roman church, Paul reaches a crescendo at the beginning of chapter eight.  The passage is well known, and some even argue that these four verses to start this chapter are the greatest four verses in the Bible.  Paul has built up the case for Christianity for the past seven chapters and chapter eight just explodes off the page . . .

“Therefore, no condemnation now exists for those in Christ Jesus, because the Spirit’s law of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.  What the law could not do since it was limited by the flesh, God did. He condemned sin in the flesh by sending His own Son in flesh like ours under sin’s domain, and as a sin offering, in order that the law’s requirement would be accomplished in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” (Romans 8:1-4)

The full presentation of the “good news” of first-century Christianity is in this passage, written by the greatest missionary of the first-century, Paul of Tarsus.  So who was this guy?  Why was he so effective?  What made him so successful in his ministry?  The key is buried in this passage . . . it is even hidden in most translations of this passage.

If you look carefully at the passage, the second phrase of the first line reads . . .

“ . . . because the Spirit’s law of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.”

Did you see it?  I hope not because this particular translation of this passage misses it.  It is a fascinating instance in Bible translation in which the text literally takes on a different feel with the force of one letter.  The text above is a translation known as the Holman Christian Standard Bible, and it comes from a particular compilation of Greek manuscripts called theNestle-Aland.  If you looked at this passage in the New King James Version, a translation which comes from a compilation called Textus Receptus, you will see a slight change in the text . . .

“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.”

Did you see the difference?  The Holman translation has Paul writing that the law of Christ “set you free” while the New King James translation reads “has made me free”.  In the Greek, it is literally a difference of one letter of one word . . . “se” (sigma and epsilon) would mean “you” and “me” (mu and epsilon) means “me”.

While we may never know what Paul actually wrote in his original letter to the Roman church, I would credit much of the human success of Paul’s ministry—assuming the power of the Holy Spirit’s work—is due to the fact that Paul was not trying to sell something distant.  Paul was selling something intimate, beautiful . . . it was a romance that caused him to blush.

So, let us look closely at this pivotal text . . .

“Therefore . . .”

We have to stop here and ask to which thought this word is referring.  Some argue that it falls on the heels of Paul’s reference to the “rescue” we have in Christ (7:24), while others argue that Paul is reaching back to his declarations in chapter five about “God demonstrating His own love for us” (5:8).  Others claim that Paul is reaching somewhere into the discussion of “law and grace” in chapters six and seven.  I say you can take your pick!  They are all declarations worthy of a “therefore” . . .

“Therefore, no condemnation . . .”

The idea that there is “no condemnation” is good news.  If you reach back into the letter, Paul has expressly written that our sin leads to judgment which leads to condemnation (5:16).  So what is the difference between “judgment” and “condemnation”.  It is easily seen in the Greek words . . . “krima” and “katakrima”.  The word “krima” is the simple word for what transpires before a judge, but the word “katakrima” does one of two things: it either intensifies the judgment or it creates the spatial relationship of the judgment coming down upon you.  You may have heard someone say of a judge, “He really came down hard on the defendant.”  This is the idea of condemnation, a sentence Paul has clearly referred to as “God’s wrath”.

What does it mean to us to have this sentence lifted?  Have we really taken the time to contemplate life and death under this “condemnation”?  Separated from God . . . Eternal torment . . . If we never take the time to find fear and trembling in our condemnation, we will never find joy and trembling in our rescue.

“Therefore, no condemnation now exists . . .”

Why “now”?  Paul has used this three-letter word three times already in the text of this letter to refer to a reality that currently exists that had not existed prior to the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ.  So what can we say to those who believe in God, but dismiss the claims of Jesus?  What about the legalist that is checking their boxes all the way into Heaven?  Paul gives no merit to the works of man, no matter how noble they may be.  The “now” of this passage is emphatic.  It is the singular act of atonement that will ever satisfy the justice of our God, and the effect of this act is that the condemnation to which I am justly due has been taken away.

“Therefore, no condemnation now exists for those in Christ Jesus . . .”

For me, this statement begs two questions.  First, “What about those who are not ‘in Christ Jesus’?”  Second, “How do I get ‘in Christ Jesus’?”  One thing I have noticed as I read the Scriptures is that the final judgment is always between two sentences, two destinations, two identities . . . there is never a third option. 

So how “in” do I have to be?  How much is enough?

Try asking your spouse (or any potential future spouse) how married you need to be to enjoy the full benefits of married life.  Ask for a “to-do” list or a contract.  How do you think that is going to go over?  How would your spouse feel in that moment?  You would be making a mockery of your marriage, and you would be presuming upon your spouse’s love (and mercy). 

When you approach God with your desire to be freed from your condemnation, you have enthroned your own desire.  You are using God to get comfort.  God has become someone you use . . . and I cannot help but doubt that God is going to be mocked in this way.  Fortunately, for us, God chose to save us long before we ever failed.  We do not have the option of using God because He has already allowed Himself to be “used” . . . the only choice we have is how we will respond to such a great salvation.

So how does all this work?

“ . . . because the Spirit’s law of life in Christ Jesus has set me/you free from the law of sin and of death.”

This was the phrase that we mentioned earlier—the phrase that I believe infused Paul’s ministry with such passion.  For God to enact a “law of life” whose express purpose was to “set me free” from the effectual, and just, condemnation that my sins so richly deserve is the good news of the Christian faith.  Moreover, this news should make us tremble in awe of such love, shudder in the face of its raw courage, and blush in the face of its glaring romance.

I use this idea of romance quite often, but how else would you describe our rescue?  What would you call it when a God who has been so offended by His creation is so loving toward it?  From the moment, Adam and Eve fell short of His glory, God announced the eternal plan for their redemption.  For thousands of years, God gave us one foreshadowing events after another.  Prophets, under the very breath of the Holy Spirit, for a thousand years gave us detail after detail of the coming Messiah.  And then the child was born . . .

Born to a teenage girl espoused to be married.

Born in a stable and whose first bed was a feeding trough for animals.

Raised as a common carpenter in a town far from the big city.

A man who taught well, healed many, and raised a few to life again.

Heralded as Messiah and crucified as a blaspheming traitor in the same week.

Resurrected on the third day and ascended into Heaven awaiting His return . . .

I am sorry, but when did that story get boring?  When did the story of the life, death, and resurrection lose its romance?  When did it become something we can ignore?

This is not just the story of the rescue of humanity . . . it is the story of MY rescue.  It is the story of Paul’s rescue.  It is the story of YOUR rescue.  And yet, what has happened to our awe?  Our shuddering?  Our blush?

Paul goes on to explain why this rescue was necessary . . .

“What the law could not do since it was limited by the flesh, . . .”

As we have discussed, the law is “holy and just and good” yet it is also the honest scorekeeper that continually reminds me of how far I have fallen short of the glory of God.  It reveals my sin and my unworthiness, and utter inability, to stand before the presence of a holy God, so Paul calls it “limited”.  While I agree with Paul on this point, I would add something to his text because, in the end, I am not really all that concerned with eternal condition of the law, but I am passionately concerned with the eternal condition of humanity—especially me.  My edit would read . . .

“What I through the law could not do since I in the law was limited by the flesh, . . .”

You see the law was not limited.  The flesh had no impact on the “holy and just and good” nature of the law.  It is I who lacks an ability to rescue myself.  It is I who am found to be “limited” by my fleshly failures.  And what exactly does Paul mean when he says “limited”?  Paul uses the Greek word “asthenos” which is generally translated as being “weak” in his letters, but is translated as “sick” in the Gospels.  In the two cases in the Gospels when this exact word is used, the writer, John, is referring to two men literally on their deathbeds—the centurion’s slave and Lazarus.

Is this what Paul is trying to say?  We are no more capable of rescuing ourselves than Lazarus was of healing his fatal condition?  Are we like the centurion’s slave?  Helpless.  Powerless.  In need of a rescue . . . a beautiful, romantic liberation.

So Paul lays out what God did in the face of our “weakness” . . .

“He condemned sin in the flesh by sending His own Son in flesh like ours under sin’s domain, and as a sin offering, in order that the law’s requirement would be accomplished in us . . .”

Again, how do we describe this rescue?  Do we dare use words like “romance” and “heroic”?  Are we in awe of our Savior?  Or has that word lost ALL of its meaning to us?

And let us be careful to note that Jesus did not come to rescue us so that the righteous standards of God could be accomplished “by us”.  It is a subtle distinction, but the implications for us are profound.  Paul writes that this righteous standard was accomplished “in us”.  So what does this mean for those who are striving for their place in Heaven according to their good works (or lack of evil works)?  What does this text do to the hope of the box-checking legalist who is trying to fill up his card of righteous deeds?

Be careful that you do not fall into trap of thinking that God is waiting and watching for us to accomplish any standard of righteousness before He lets us into Heaven.  Instead, I believe He is simply waiting for us to recognize that He, through the blood of Christ, has accomplished the necessary standard . . . and He is just waiting on us to say, “Thank you!”

But Paul does add a qualifying mark to the one in whom the righteous standard will be accomplished . . .

“ . . . may be accomplished in us who do not walk according to the flesh, on the contrary, (to those who walk) according to the Spirit.”

This may seem like a contradiction to the idea that our salvation is not of our works—the notion Paul clearly indicates throughout the letter.  However, he has made it clear that our salvation is actualized when we receive it by our faith.  So which is it?  Do I get salvation because I walk in the Spirit?  Or, do I walk in the Spirit because I am saved?

Think of it in terms of the encounter Jesus had with the ten lepers as He made His final journey to Jerusalem.  They cried out to be healed, and Jesus told these leprous men to go show themselves to the priest.  In faith, or in their lack of anything better to do that day, the men started to make their way to the priests, and they were healed “as they went”.  (I always wondered if they backed up to see if it would come back again . . . just me!)

The “salvation” of these men was not achieved by them . . . not of their power to heal, or in the power of walking in a certain direction.  Their salvation was achieved by the words (and even the mere thoughts) of God in the flesh.  Their salvation was actualized when they started to walk in faith.

So are you “in”?  Are you abiding “in” the beauty of Christ’s rescue?  Are you walking “in” the glory of the guidance of the Holy Spirit?

Have you recognized the romance of your rescue?

Paul did . . . he said, “Thank You!” . . . and then he changed the course of human history.

What can you do? 

Wanting and Doing . . . the Epic Battle

Did what was “good” cause my death?

This questions is the last question in a series of rhetorical questions that Paul preemptively asks the Roman church in the wake of his declaration . . .

“But where sin multiplied, grace overflowed even more.” (Romans 5:20)

The first question asked, “Should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply (abound, increase)?”  To which Paul responds to his own question, “CAN you?”

The second question asked, “Should we sin because we are not under the law but under grace?”  Paul responds with a principle, “Do you not know that if you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of that one you obey?”  He argues that offering ourselves to sin leads to enslavement to sin, and that will ultimately lead to our death because “the wages of sin is death.”

The third question asked, “Is the law sin?”  The answer Paul gives to this question is mixed.  Paul argues that the law “sprang to life and I died”, but then he declares it to be “holy, just, and good”.

Which leads to this final question . . .

“Did what is good cause my death?”

The question is found in the backside of Romans 7, and Paul quickly dismisses any notion that the law is the villain.  For Paul, the law is nothing more than the scorekeeper at a basketball game, the judge of a spelling bee, or the doctor evaluating a test result.  The law exists to illuminate our rebellion, and it is our rebellion against God—what we call “sin”—that causes our death . . .

“Sin, in order to be recognized as sin, was producing death in through what is good, so that through the commandment sin might become sinful beyond measure.” (Romans 7:13)

As usual, the Greek words in the text give us a more vibrant understanding of Paul’s response to this last question.  The idea that sin would be “recognized” is an extremely dull translation of the Greek word “phane”.  The verb “phane” could be translated, “to illuminate”.  Our English word “phosphorous” is from the same root word, so what Paul is saying is that the law—that which is “good”—serves to “illuminate” our actual sin condition.

Imagine how this might work out in our lives.  Let us say we have a big scoreboard that will “illuminate” the score of our sin each day.  The law determines whether something is a sin just as the rules of a sport determine when a point is scored.  As we progress merrily through our day being envious, spiteful, hateful, disobedient, etc., the score continues to add up.  By the end of the day, we look up at the scoreboard to find that sin is winning 743-0 . . . why do I zero points?  Because Paul has already declared that “no flesh will be justified in His sight by the works of the law.”

The law merely serves to “illuminate” my sin . . . not to God, but to me.

It is this, now illuminated, sin that is “producing” death in me.  The Greek word for “producing” is the verb “katergazomai” which is an intensified form of the Greek word “ergon”.  We could translate this word as “actively working”.  So the law illuminates the sin that is actively at work killing me . . . it would be like watching an ultrasound image of cancer cells growing.  The ultrasound is not killing the person, it is the cancer that the ultrasound illuminates that is doing it.

To make this point further, Paul declares that it is the commandments of God that illuminate our sin as being “sinful beyond measure”.  The Greek word is “huperbole” which is a combination of the prefix “hyper” and the base word “ballo”.  Literally, the word conveys the idea of throwing a ball as far as you can, and then picking it up and throwing it even farther.  We have taken this word and transliterated it into our English word “hyperbole” which means “an exaggerated story” (similar to a parable which would be a “parallel story”).  Paul is telling us that the law serves to illuminate the sin that is killing us, and that this illumination given by the law reveals the truly heinous nature of our sin . . . not the justified, rationalized, watered down version that we choose to imagine.

So can you see it?  Can you see your sin?

Has the law of God illuminated your sin?  For those of you who run to Paul’s inference that we are no longer under the Mosaic Law, you should be careful because we are certainly under the law given by Christ at the Last Supper . . .

“I give you a new commandment: Love one another.” (John 13:34)

How will you stand up to the illumination of that commandment?  Can you see how your envy, strife, gossip, and indifference are working in you?  Have you looked up at the scoreboard to see how you are doing?  Are you horrified to see the lop-sided score that you know is not an exaggeration?

I think Paul saw it too . . .

Paul stops toying with questions and he makes a profound assessment . . .

“For we know that the law is spiritual; but I am made out of flesh, sold into sin’s power.”

Can you hear the awareness of sin in his words?  Paul must have felt the weight of his own words.  It must have been crushing.  Imagine describing the very thing that is working toward your own death, knowing the immensity of problem, and feeling the guilt of being unwilling to rid yourself of the very thing that is killing you.  So Paul begins to confess . . .

“For I do not understand what I am doing, because I do not practice what I want to do, but I do what I hate.” (Romans 7:15)

Paul uses a few terms that are pivotal to understanding this passage.  First, Paul declares that he does not “understand” what he is “doing”.  The Greek for “understand” is the word “ginosko” which is a word that is more than intellect, it is an intimate knowledge, so applying this understanding to this phrase, Paul is reaching for a deeper knowledge . . . a knowledge of himself.

Second, he is frustrated with his inability to know what he is “doing”.  Here is the word “katergazomai” again . . . the idea of “actively working”.  Let us differentiate a few words in this sentence that have the idea of “doing”.   I would interpret “katergazomai” as an action to which I am trending . . . my conduct in the last few days.  It is this “doing” that Paul cannot understand.  The second word is translated as “practice” in the passage.  It is the Greek word “prasso” and I like the translation of “practice” but it could also indicate an established, consistent conduct.  Finally, Paul uses the Greek word “poieo” to indicate a single action . . . the thing I just did.

So Paul does not understand the latest trend of his life because he is unable to establish a consistent lifestyle of the conduct he desires.  In fact, as he looks at his life, and the last thing he did is illuminated by the law, he realizes it is not the thing he wants to do, but is the thing he vehemently hates.

This is the failed dieter, the recurring drug abuser, the person who swore to never do it again . . . they do not understand . . . they cannot get it right . . . they do what they hate . . .

And Paul says he is one of them . . . And I am too!

You can go in two different directions at this point: guilt which leads to depression or guilt which leads to determination.

But Paul continues . . .

“And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree with the law that it is good.” (Romans 7:16)

Wait a minute . . . Paul agrees that the law is good when he does not do it?  So every time Paul fails to carry out the law—the law he wants to do—he is agreeing that the law is good?  How does that work?  This is the truth of guilt.  When I fail and feel remorse, in effect, I am saying that I wish I had observed the law.  I am in agreement that the standard set forth in the law is good.  In fact, it is better than good, it is beautiful, excellent, and noble which is the true meaning of the Greek word used in the text—“kalos”.

“So now I am no longer the one doing it, but it is sin living in me.” (Romans 7:17)

Paul uses the idea of the trending action in this phrase, and he blames this current trend in his actions on the “sin living in me”.  At first glance, this sounds like an excuse my twin 8-year olds would say, but Paul is making a point, not an excuse.  Paul is fleshing out an understanding, and he starts by discovering a malevolent presence inside of him.  Paul identifies it as a presence that is “living” in him.  Paul uses the term “oikeo” which has a sense of a permanent presence . . . this word in its noun form is translated as “house”.  It is a passive presence, but it is not going anywhere.

“For I know nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh.” (Romans 7:18a)

The picture is getting a little clearer as Paul continues this passage of the letter.  He knows that sin has taken up residence in him, and he acknowledges that there is a whole portion of his being that is utterly devoid of goodness.  This portion he refers to as his “flesh” is riddled with selfishness.  It envies, it hates, it mocks, it is critical . . . it is the antithesis of the concept of love which he described to the Corinthian church just months prior to writing this letter.

“For the desire to do what is good is with me, but there is no ability to do it.” (Romans 7:18b)

Paul comes back to the word “kalos” and he declares that there is something within him that longs to live in that excellent, beautiful, and noble manner.  Paul states that the desire is “with me”.  The Greek word paints a great picture for us.  The word is “parakeimai” and it is a combination of the prefix “para” (next to) and the word keimai (to lie down) . . . think bunk beds!  The flesh is on the top bunk and it is dominated by sin, but on the bottom bunk is a part of Paul that dreams of being a person of excellence, beauty and nobility.

I hope that sounds familiar.  I see that in myself.  I know the husband and father I want to be.  I know what kind of physique I want.  I know what kind of follower of Christ I want to be . . . the question is whether I will find (literally, what Paul was saying in the text) the resolve to take the steps necessary to achieve “kalos”.

For I do not do the good that I want to do, but I practice the evil that I do not want to do.” (Romans 7:19)

Paul comes back to the word “prasso” (an established practice) but it is in a tragic confession.  He acknowledges that his desire if for good, but he confesses that the practice of his life is “evil” . . . the Greek word “kakos” which is the total opposite of the word “kalos”.  Imagine actually writing that line . . .

If you had to define the established, consistent conduct of your life, what would it be?  Do you practice love?  Do you practice generosity?  Do you practice self-centeredness?  Do you practice “kalos” or “kakos”?  Paul confessed to “kakos”!

“Now if I do what I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but it is the sin that lives in me.” (Romans 7:20)

Again, Paul is putting it all together in his “understanding” by establishing that the desire to live in a consistent, excellent manner is present in him, but he just cannot do it.  It is his flesh that continues to draw him away from the beautiful things and toward the sinful.

“So I discover this principle: when I want to do good, evil is with me.” (Romans 7:21)

Paul is ready to draw some conclusions, so he declares that he has found a “principle”.  He uses the Greek word “nomos” which is the same word that is translated as “law” throughout the letter, so he is not floating an idea, he is setting something in stone.  The law that he finds operating in himself is that the desire to do that which is excellent, beautiful, and noble lies within him, however, the evil inclination of the carnal man inside of him is also at work in him.  Paul, once more, uses the Greek word “parakeimai” to illustrate the picture of both the good and the evil “lying beside” each other.

“For in my inner self I joyfully agree with God’s law.  But I see a different law in the parts of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and taking me prisoner to the law of sin in the parts of my body.” (Romans 7:22-23)

Here is Paul’s picture of the battlefield.  On one side, Paul sees “my inner self” and on the other side is the “parts of my body”.  The “inner self” is literally the “inside person”, or in Greek, the “eso anthropos”.  This is the place of the will . . . the place that dreams and imagines.  Paul says that this side of him “joyfully agrees” with the expectations of God.  Paul uses the Greek word “sunedomai” in this phrase to convey his feelings, and it is a word from which we get our word “hedonism” . . . Do you see the deep pleasurable, desirable longing Paul has for God’s righteousness?

Standing opposite of this pleasure Paul longs for with his mind is a different law.  While the first law Paul identifies speaks to the desire of his mind, this “different law” speaks to the desire of the “members” of his body—the eyes, ears, hands, etc.  It is these things that Paul pleaded with the Romans not to “offer any parts of it to sin as weapons of righteousness” (Romans 6:13). 

Let me illustrate these laws with a trivial point.  Your friend passionately longs to be in good physical condition.  He devises diet and workout schemes, and even buys the workout clothes and the gym membership.  However, his stomach craves some Krispy Kreme doughnuts.  His muscles resist being stretched and strained.  His eyes want to watch television.  His head loves the comfort of the pillow.  The ideal he has set forth in his mind is at war with his body.   As the battle ensues, your friend’s idealistic “inner self” finds itself taken captive to sleeping in, sitting on the couch, and watching TV with the sugar remnants of a dozen glazed doughnuts scattered all over your brand new workout clothes.  To which we all want to scream . . .

“What a wretched man I am!” (Romans 7:24a)

Paul uses the word “taliaporos” which is a word that can be translated as “miserable”.  It is an interesting term because Paul is not necessarily defining himself as being “wretched” in quality as much as he is defining his experience of himself.  This constant defeat is a miserable experience.  Some commentaries even stretch the word to contain a reference to feeling “calloused”.  Not that Paul has become indifferent, it seems as though the constant friction of the battle has left Paul feeling battle weary . . . a miserable experience . . . and a wretched condition.

So Paul laments . . .

“Who will rescue me from this body of death?” (Romans 7:24b)

Notice that Paul is specific as to the identity of his captor.  It is the “body” that is wrecking everything.  It is the “members” of his body—his eyes that lust, his ears that crave compliments, his hands that want more, and his feet that run to evil—from which he longs to be rescued.  The interesting part of this phrase is that Paul begs the question, “Who will rescue me from . . .”  The Greek, however, implies that Paul is looking for a rescue “out” of this body.  Paul does not want to find a safe place in this life, instead, Paul is looking for the ultimate rescue . . . a place where “nothing profane will ever enter it”.

To which he celebrates . . .

“I thank you God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:25a)

Our Lord, Jesus Christ, sent by God the Father is the One who has rescued us, and will rescue us.  Theologians like to call it the “already, yet not yet”.  We were rescued from sin 2,000 years ago when Jesus of Nazareth was crucified in our place at Calvary, but our rescue from this sin-prone body of death will take place at a glorious time in the future.

So Paul ends this passage of the letter with a profound understanding . . .

“So then, with my mind I myself am a slave to the law of God, but with my flesh, to the law of sin.” (Romans 7:25b)  

Can you see the battle lines? 

Which of these opponents are you feeding everyday?  Are you feeding the excellence and beauty of the law of God?  Are you studying the Scriptures, discovering new truths about the beauty of God’s love each day?  Are you pleading for, and following ever closer to, the guidance of the Holy Spirit?  How will your mind be informed to the “law of God” if you neglect the Scriptures and the pleading of the Holy Spirit to walk according to the righteousness of God?

For now, your mind is going to battle with the carnal, self-seeking sin nature which God has allowed to reside within you.  It is a tireless enemy that drains your joy and destroys your entire being in pursuit of fleeting pleasures.  But it is an enemy that can be beaten.  Men and women throughout the course of history have battled it valiantly.  Though they certainly have lost battles along the way, they persevered, they put on the armor of God, they stood their ground, and in the end they were rescued . . .

And now it is your turn . . . 

God’s Grace and Gymnastic Exhibitions

Have you ever watched a gymnastics exhibition?  I am not talking about a competition like the Olympics or the World Championships.  I am talking about the event that takes place after the competition is over. 

 

It reminds me of the difference between law and grace . . .

 

What happens in a competition?  There is a panel of judges sitting behind a table with scorecards in hand marking off deduction after deduction.  They are not mean-spirited (except for the Russian judge, of course), they are simply following a code of infractions.  If they see an infraction such as falling off the beam, or taking an extra step on a landing, they are charged with the responsibility of fairly evaluating the exercise.  They operate like the law.

 

In an exhibition, however, there are no judges.  You can see it in the face of the gymnasts.  They are smiling, playing to the crowd, and attempting great feats because they know that they are not being meticulously judged on technical merits of their performance.  They are not trying to earn a medal, they are just trying to entertain.

 

Could this be what it is like to be under grace?

 

Do we really have the freedom to simply go out and entertain the audience of One?  But what if we fall?  What if we stumble?  What if we are not technically perfect?  Does it matter?  It did while we were under law . . .

 

So who is this group that was so burdened by these “judges”?  In Romans 7, Paul addresses a group in the Roman church “who understand the law”.  The Greek word in this phrase implies a thorough, intimate knowledge of the law, and not merely an academic, intellectual understanding.  He even refers to this audience as “brothers”.  Clearly, Paul is writing to Jews within the church, and the law to which he is referring is the old covenant given to Moses at Sinai—the commandments, the rituals, the sacrifices, and the 600 rules that came from the covenant.

 

Paul begins by stating the obvious: that the law has authority over the lives of the Jewish people.  He is literally stating that the law “lords over” the Jewish people.  It is their master.

 

To illustrate the point, Paul writes that the Jewish people are like a wife and the law is her husband.  She is bound to the husband and has no capacity to remove herself from the relationship.  To marry another would be adultery.  Her only recourse is for the husband to die . . . the one thing Jesus said would never happen to the law.

 

Paul teaches that the law not only keeps a perfect record of our failures, but that it even has the capacity to entice us into sin.  In a veiled reference to the sin of Adam and Eve in the garden, Paul uses the example of the command not to covet to make the accusation that coveting was actually produced in him by the command.  It is what we have come to call “forbidden fruit” . . . the enticing aspect of that from which we have been prohibited.

 

Paul continues by making the following accusations of the law . . .

 

“. . . but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died.”

 

“The commandment that was meant for life resulted in death for me.”

 

“For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me, and through it killed me.”

 

What a horrible husband the law must be!  In his book, The Normal Christian Life, the Chinese theologian and evangelist, Watchman Nee, tells the story of a husband a wife.  The husband is demanding and exact, he has high expectations and is relentless in his demand for perfection.  The man’s wife works hard to meet the fair expectations of her husband, but invariably, she fails to meet his demands day-after-day.  To make her situation worse, the husband is incapable of doing anything to help his wife.  She longs to be free from the tyranny of his expectations, but the man simply will not die.

 

This is the picture Paul paints of the tyranny of the law . . .

 

It is a demanding lord.

 

It keeps a record of wrongs.

 

It is incapable of assisting.

 

It even entices failure.

 

And it simply will not die.

 

So Paul argues that if the law will not die, then we must die . . .

 

“Therefore, my brothers, you also were put to death in relation to the law through the crucified body of the Messiah, so that you may belong to another—to Him who was raised from the dead—that we may bear fruit for God.” (Romans 7:4)

 

In human terms, Paul’s marriage illustration breaks down a little, but follow it in spiritual terms.  The identification of the Jew with the death of Christ, is his escape from the bonds of the first husband—the law.  The Jew is then eligible to marry another, and that second husband is grace.

 

Paul goes on to write . . .

 

“But now we have been released from the law, since we have died to what held us, so that we may serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not to the old letter of the law.” (Romans 7:6)

 

The message of Paul is freedom!

 

Through Christ, the Jews are no longer bound to the “old letter” of the Mosaic Law, instead, they are free to serve according the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  They are no longer the subject of 613 laws, on the contrary, they are freed to be subject to only one . . . Love one another.

 

To illustrate this point of our release from the law and the freedom we have in grace, let us go back to our gymnast.  Under the law of the judges, there was a ceiling of perfection.  Their pursuit was perfection, and routine after routine, they would seek to achieve this perfection, rarely, if ever, achieving their goal, and never possessing the ability to maintain the perfection that they rarely achieved.  It was a hopeless pursuit of an unattainable level . . .

 

In our spiritual pursuit of righteousness, we are no different.  We strive for moral perfection, fighting temptation at every turn just hoping not to fail.  Even on our best days, we “fall short” of God’s perfection.

 

Into this state of failure . . . this hopeless “falling short” . . . Jesus asks, “You failed at your pursuit of righteousness?  Would you like mine?”  The death of Christ at Calvary was my death to the pursuit of perfection.  I no longer live in a pursuit of righteousness because it was given to me through the shed blood of Jesus.

 

So the gymnast stands at the exhibition, not as one in pursuit of a medal, but as one on whom a medal has been given.  The announcer steps to the microphone and announces the gymnast, “And now, to perform a floor exercise, GOLD MEDALIST, . . .”  Did you catch it?  The title has been given.  You begin the exercise on the foundation of who you are in Christ, not in what you hope to attain by your performance. 

 

Grace establishes your righteousness and then begs you to go attempt something amazing.  There are no judges in a state of grace, only an audience . . .

 

It is an audience of One.

 

 

The Danger of Presuming Upon Grace

One of my favorite episodes of Andy Griffith (and the fact that I have a favorite should tell you something about me) is an episode in which a rich, bratty kid befriends Opie. Opie thinks the boy is so cool, and starts to behave like the bratty boy around his father . . . you can imagine how that went over. One day the boy was riding down the sidewalks of Mayberry on his brand new bike, and almost runs over poor Deputy Fife. Our beloved Sheriff Taylor is there to stop the boy from hurting anyone, and ends up impounding the bike because the boy simply refused to obey the law. The scene shifts to the sheriff’s office where the father of the bratty boy storms in and demands that his son’s bike be released. When Sheriff Taylor refused, the boy threw a fit. With the wisdom of Solomon, Sheriff Taylor told the father to control his son, and threatened to throw the father in jail if he could not control his son. In that moment, the bratty son dared Sheriff Taylor to throw his father in jail, screaming, “I want my bike!”

The bratty kid wanted that which was freely given to him by his loving (well, kind of loving) father no matter what he did, and if necessary, he demanded that his father to pay even more. He was presuming upon the grace of his father.

If the grace of his father was always overflowing, why should he be concerned about breaking the law? His father was going to bail him out . . . because he loved his son.

In speaking to the Roman church about the overflowing love of God—the love proven at Calvary—Paul anticipates a series of questions. The first question, which we dealt with last week, asked if we should continue sinning so that grace may multiply. Paul answers his own question by teaching the church that it is their condition in Christ that demands that they never continue in a sinful lifestyle. He finishes his answer by informing the Romans . . .

“For sin will not rule over you, because you are not under law but under grace.” (Romans 6:14)

This statement leads to the second question . . .

“What then? Should we sin because we are not under law but under grace?” (Romans 6:15)

The verb form of “sin” in this sentence is in the subjunctive mood, which should be translated as if the author is raising the possibility of something occurring. In this case, the sentence could be translated as if Paul was asking whether or not a statement is correct. The proposition is whether is it possible for us to make the statement, “Let us sin because we are not under law but under grace.”

The presumption is that the system under which the believer operates is a system in which the grace of God overflows abundantly over and above whatever atonement is necessary. We will not be held accountable for the quantity of our sin—a debt which would accumulate under a system of law. Instead, our Father atones completely, lavishly in the overflow of His grace.

So sin is no big deal . . . it costs me nothing, and God is willing to cover it, right?

I believe Paul takes an interesting turn as he begins to answers this possible presumption. Paul has the option of affirming the fact that the blood of Christ has covered all past, present, and future sin, and that sin is eternally inconsequential (in a strict sense) to one who has placed his or her faith in Christ. Paul, however, attacks the notion that the sin of a believer is inconsequential, and does not even use the word “faith” in his answer.

So are there real, eternal consequences for the sinning person? Is it more than just a forgivable failure? More than a loss of rewards? More than a missed opportunity to worship?

Could it be eternally fatal?

The answer Paul gives to the presumptive question is “Absolutely not!” . . . literally, it is “May it never become!”

At this point, Paul lays out a principle in the form of a rhetorical question . . .

“Do you not know that if you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of that one you obey —either of sin leading to death or of obedience leading to righteousness?” (Romans 6:16)

Again, it is interesting to me that Paul does not distinguish between the susceptibility of the “believer” and the non-believer. The fact that he was clearly writing to believers, however, tells me that Christians are not shielded from the enslavement that leads to death.

So what is the action moment?

Paul sets the action of the principle as the act to “offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves”. Seen in the obedience to sin, you find the person willfully stealing, cheating, being unloving, etc. That person is offering himself to that which is contrary to the righteous life that God desires. That person is obeying the lusts of the flesh, and the desires of the eyes. And the effect of that offering is enslavement.

This principle is most easily seen in addictive sins. The drug addict becomes enslaved to the drug. The greedy person becomes enslaved to acquiring wealth. The vice literally creates a lust that is completely incapable of satisfying the desire.

In speaking of materialism, David Platt draws the comparison of the desire for material possessions to the desire of a thirsty person adrift in the ocean . . . they are dying of thirst and the only thing that will satisfy the thirst is the very thing that will deepen the thirst. It is a spiraling effect.

Paul declares that the end of the life that offers itself to sin, and is therefore enslaved to sin’s mastery, is death.

The principle, however, has a path which is divergent to the obedience to sin. There is the option of offering ourselves to obedience to God. Just as sin creates an enslavement, so too, our obedience to God creates an unshakeable bond in us which compels us to love, to share, and to worship. The end of this path is righteousness.

So how do we answer Paul’s question in light of Paul’s principle? Is sin in the life of a believer a harmless act which has been eternally covered by the overflow of God’s grace?

I think the key to the answer is found in the lingering presence of the sin, not in the momentary failure of a sin. For Paul, the continuation of the sin, or the establishment of a lifestyle of unrepentant and unregrettable sin, was a profound problem. In this answer, however, Paul does not mention “continuation”. Instead, he uses the words “offer” and “enslavement”.

The Greek word for “offer” is “paristemi” which means “to set something in place”. It is not characterized by the momentary weakness of lust, jealousy, or greed. The action of “paristemi” is characterized by a commitment, a lifestyle. This is why Paul begs the Romans to “offer” (“paristemi”) themselves as “living sacrifices”. This action is a profound, cognizant commitment, and to offer yourself to sin is a deliberate choice to live contrary to, and in profound presumption upon, the will of the One who is the source of overflowing grace . . . a dangerous place to be set.

This is why renewing your mind is crucial to the Christian faith . . . We must be constantly aware of the one to whom we “offer” of our obedience.

With the principle set in place, Paul speaks directly to his Roman audience, encouraging them with their place in Christ . . .

“But thank God that, although you used to be slaves of sin, you obeyed from the heart that pattern of teaching you were entrusted to, and having been liberated from sin, you became enslaved to righteousness.” (Romans 6:17-18)

This should sound something like the testimony of each believer: our former condition of enslavement, our obedience to the teachings about God, and the reception of liberation won for us at Calvary. For the Roman believers, Paul insists that they are now “enslaved to righteousness”. This is their present condition, and the condition they entered when they first believed.

Did you see the blending of actions in that declaration?

For the Arminian (the one who believes their free will saves them), Paul praises the Romans for their obedience. For the Calvinist (the one who believes God alone saves them), Paul praises the liberating work of Christ. This is what Paul says throughout his ministry. This is the “work out” and the “working in” principle he writes to the church in Philippi. There are no “Lone Rangers” out saving themselves from sin, and there are no hapless “robots” being irresistibly saved against their depraved sin nature. There is, however, the one who obeys and the One who liberates . . . Why can we not celebrate both?

I think Paul realized in this moment that he needed to put this principle and their present condition into human terms, so he sets out two contrasting pictures . . .

First, Paul portrays those who are offering themselves to sin.

“For just as you offered the parts of yourselves as slaves to moral impurity, and to greater and greater lawlessness, so now offer them as slaves to righteousness, which results in sanctification. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free from allegiance to righteousness. And what fruit was produced then from the things you are now ashamed of? For the end of those things is death.” (Romans 6:19-21)

Watch the progression that Paul paints . . .

They “offered” themselves to “moral impurity”. This is Greek word, “akatharsis”, is often translated as “uncleanness”. (You can see our English word “cathartic” which means “to rid one’s self of filth”.) Paul adds that they offered themselves to “greater and greater lawlessness” . . . a natural progression of sin, right?

They were “slaves of sin”. Their allegiance was to their lord, and not to Christ. They were tragically liberated from the beautiful chains of righteousness. Could it be said of this one that God had “delivered them over” to their true lord?

They produced “fruit” which will, in time, produce shame. You know what this is like. Listen to the testimony of the believer with the sketchy past. They do not brag about their sins, they feel shame . . . just like you, right?

The end of this progression is death.

Then, Paul portrays the work that was occurring in the hearts and minds of the Roman church . . .

“But now, since you have been liberated from sin and become enslaved to God, you have your fruit, which results in sanctification —and the end is eternal life!” (Romans 6:22)

Did you see a similar progression?
The beginning point was the same . . . “offering themselves” to sin.

Then we see the hand of God reach into the story. Where the sinning ones were “liberated” from any allegiance to righteousness, God reaches in and liberates the believer from any allegiance to sin. For the second time in this text, Paul uses the Greek verb “eleutheroo” (which means “to liberate, free”) in its aorist passive participle form. This simply means that it was done in the past (aorist), it was something done to me or for me (passive), and that its effect is ongoing (participle). Therefore, we can say with great confidence that it is the work of Christ alone on the Cross at Calvary that has liberated me from my allegiance to the mastery of my sin . . . not my will, not my works, and not my words . . . all of these are insufficient to save me from my sin.

They were enslaved to God. Interesting to note that Paul repeats the verb form in this phrase which makes our enslavement a passive activity—something that happened to us. This would fit nicely in the Calvinist model, but Paul has already attributed some credit to the obedience of the Romans earlier in the passage. I would say that it was the liberating power of Christ’s blood along with their obedience that acted on their behalf to enslave them to God.

They produced “fruit” as well, but the fruit born in enslavement to righteousness is the fruit of “sanctification”. This is the Greek word “hagios” which is generally translated as “holy” . . . so instead of producing shameful fruit, the one enslaved to Christ and His righteousness produces holy fruit. This is why Peter writes to the churches of Asia . . .

“As obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires of your former ignorance but, as the One who called you is holy, you also are to be holy in all your conduct; for it is written, ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’” (I Peter 1:14-16)

The end of this progression is eternal life.

So what about the person who deliberately offers himself to a particular sin? What about the believer who chooses a path that is in direct contradiction to the will of the One he calls “Lord”?

Paul cannot be speaking of simple, physical death as the consequence. If so, then the one who offered himself to righteousness would never physically die.

Could it be that people who claimed the name of Christ will be eternally rejected on the day of judgment because they offered themselves to sin, they liberated themselves from the will of God, they produced shameful fruit, and they died spiritually?

“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do the things I say?” (Luke 6:46)

“Then they too will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or without clothes, or sick, or in prison, and not help you?” (Matthew 25:44)

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but [only] the one who does the will of My Father in heaven. On that day many will say to Me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in Your name, drive out demons in Your name, and do many miracles in Your name?’” (Matthew 7:21-22)

The judgment of these verses is “great destruction” and “Depart from Me!”

So Paul summarizes his response to his own question . . .

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

To whom are you offering your life?

Who is your true lord? From whom have you been liberated?

Are you producing shameful fruit or holy fruit?

What will be the end of your allegiance as you stand before God?

I am begging you . . . do not presume upon the grace of God! It is terrifying and dangerous! It is a place of mockery and defiance that I am not sure God will tolerate.

Turn to the liberation of Christ and obey the teaching you were given . . .

My Condition Dictates My Morality

Have you ever been caught in your words? You say something in a heated situation and you know as the words are coming out of your mouth that your words are going to be used against you. It happens everyday.

What I love about Paul’s letter to the Romans is that Paul stops in the middle of a glorious passage about how God has shown His infinite love for us and how His grace just continually overflows to us, His creatures, and he rhetorically asks the question that he knows his adversaries are going to ask . . . and then he answers the “gotcha” question that he knows they were going to ask.

This is the text of Romans 6-7 . . . Paul answering these questions.

To set the context for the first question of Romans 6, which is what we will cover in this discussion, you have to listen to the closing lines of Romans 5 . . .

“The law came along to multiply the trespass. But where sin multiplied, grace multiplied even more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace will reign through righteousness, resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 5:20-21)

Paul is making the point that the Law was responsible for exposing sin in our hearts, so he makes the Law into a quasi-catalyst for sin. He explains that the Law was responsible for “multiplying” our sin (other translations use the word “increase” or “to abound”). The Greek word in this passage is “pleonazo”.

Following this declaration, Paul sets the believer’s heart at ease by declaring that the “multiplication” (increase or abounding) of sin is not a problem for God because God’s grace is “multiplying even more”. The trick is Paul changes words. The Greek word in this phrase is “huperisseuo” which is completely different from “pleonazo”. The Law increases sin exponentially, or maybe even incrementally—I sin and sin increases in that measure. The amazing nature of God’s grace is that grace is not doled out incrementally, instead, it is something that overflows abundantly more than is necessary to cover all my sin, not just my next three sins.

It is an incredibly liberating teaching to the one who is overwhelmed by the weight of his own sin. Unfortunately, to the one who thinks “those sinful people” will just take advantage of God’s overflowing grace, it is an incredibly irresponsible teaching.

This is where Paul gets his first rhetorical question . . .

“What should we say then? Should we continue in sin in order that grace may multiply?” (Romans 6:1)

How would you answer that question? What if Paul had named a specific sin? How would you answer a person caught up in homosexuality (or adultery, lying, etc.) that claimed to be a follower of Christ, and having read Romans 5, reasoned, “I guess that means I should continue in my sin so that God’s grace will ‘multiply’.” Would you explain your answer in terms of morality? Paul does not . . .

“How can we who died to sin still live in it?” (Romans 6:2)

If Paul were a school teacher, you could accuse him of giving us a trick question. Remember the words of his rhetorical question? Paul asked if a person “should” continue in a lifestyle of sin. An answer to that question might logically be given on moral grounds: “You should not do that because . . ..” But Paul pulls a fast one on us, and I love him for it.

How many times do we naturally run to morality? We are quick to give advice and council as to what is right and wrong (especially when it is about other people), but how often do we get beyond ethics and deal with the person we claim to be? Paul lured us in with a question we are happy to answer as it applies to others, then he punches us with the answer we need to consider for ourselves.

The question is not “Should I continue in sin?”.

Instead, it is “Could I continue in sin?”.

To answer this new question, Paul determines our condition in Christ according to our faith. He uses the phrase “dead to sin” and he will use the next few verses to unpack the dynamics of that condition.

I feel it is important to point out before we get too deep into this passage that Paul is clear in his words that he is not talking about isolated, incidental, or regrettable sin—sin for which you are glad to repent. Paul uses the phrase “continue in sin” to express a condition for which a person has no intent of ceasing or from which they feel inclined to repent. Paul uses the Greek word “epimeno” which is also translated as “abide” or “remain”, and it conveys the idea of a lifestyle. I would classify sin such as a homosexual lifestyle, a premarital (or extramarital) sexual lifestyle, a lifestyle of substance abuse, or maybe even a lifestyle of consistently failing to love your neighbor. I believe these are all examples of “continuing in sin” . . . or continuing in actions that are in direct disobedience to the One you call your Lord.

So what is our condition in Christ?

The first proposition as to our condition is found in Romans 6:3-4 . . .

“Or are you unaware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in a new way of life.”

Again, we find the reference to death in the notion that we “were buried with Him by baptism into death”. Paul is assuming that the Roman church has been following the model set forth by John the Baptist and by the apostles, who would baptize a person at the point of conversion. This was a Jewish cleansing ritual in which a person would submerge themselves totally under the cleansing waters and would emerge free from any filth. Paul certainly learned of the baptism of Jesus, and he saw the foreshadowing picture that was so well reflected in the events of Christ’s death, burial and resurrection.

This is why Paul calls this picture to the mind of the Roman church. He knew they had been baptized! What a great teaching moment to the poignancy of the sacrament of baptism. I like to call it the moment at which the trajectory of your life in Christ is set . . . you are raised just like Christ to a new way of life.

How “could” we return to the old way?

The second proposition as to our condition is found in Romans 6:5 . . .

“For if we have been joined with Him in the likeness of His death, we will certainly also be in the likeness of His resurrection.”

This verse is deceptively simple, but when you get your hands on the Greek text, the picture Paul is creating comes to life. Paul uses “sumphutos” for the English word “joined” (also translated as “united” in some texts), and the term is often used in agriculture. In the parable of the wheat and the tares (weeds), Jesus explained that the wheat and the tares grew up together, and the plants were so connected that the farmer feared that uprooting the tares may also uproot the wheat.

Paul’s claim is that we who have trusted in Christ through faith have become conjoined with Him in His death. We are so connected to Christ that His death became our death. But just as Paul does with his first proposition, he concludes by insisting that our death with Christ is no more final than His death on the cross. Our death to sin is always followed by a new life . . . in this case Paul describes it as being in the likeness of Christ’s resurrection.

How “could” we who are so intricately conjoined to Christ ever break away from Him to habitually live contrary to His will?

The third proposition as to our condition is found in Romans 6:6-7 . . .

“For we know that our old self was crucified with Him in order that sin’s dominion over the body may be abolished, so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin, since a person who has died is freed from sin’s claims.”

Paul used this imagery several years earlier in his letter to the Galatians when he wrote . . .

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

Note, however, that in the first two propositions as to our condition, Paul refers to the shared death of the whole of a person. In this third suggestion, Paul isolates an entity called the “old self” or the “old man” (a reference he repeats a few years later in his letters to the Ephesians and the Colossians), and places that entity on the cross. The effect of the “old self” being crucified is that our sinful inclination is “abolished” . . . or rendered idle. The Greek word “katargeo” literally meaning “to not work”.

Can you feel the freedom in that condition? You have felt it . . . I know you have! You have had those moments when you crucified the “old self” and were liberated from the enslavement of the sin that so easily entangles you. You crucified it. You left it at Calvary. You were free.

How “could” you pick it up again?

Paul uses Romans 6:8-9 as his summary of the three suggestions as to our condition in Christ—buried, conjoined, and crucified with Him, yet raised to life and liberty in Him . . .

“Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him, because we know that Christ, having been raised from the dead, no longer dies.”

If you love verb tenses, you have to love this sentence. Paul begins with a past tense statement about the faith of his readers, “Now if we died . . ..” He is, in a sense, quizzing them as to what they would say about their condition. He then moves forward in his tense to a present tense statement that flows from his readers acknowledgment that they, indeed, had “died with Christ” in the past tense, “ . . . we believe . . ..” Paul wants to know that the Roman church was filled with people who understood that their past faith commitment had a present effect. Finally, Paul puts the sentence together with a future hope, “ . . . that we will also live with Him . . ..”

So we died with Christ in the past . . . we believe in Christ in the present . . . we will live with Christ in the future.

So are we even capable of holding that faith AND continuing in sin?

Paul knows we are a squirming a little at this point, and he may even be silencing his own demons as he contemplated the weight of his own words, so he gives the Roman church three imperatives to lock in what their condition in Christ demands.

“So, you too consider yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.”

Paul understands the power of the human mind and he will remind this church, a few chapters later, that they need to renew their minds as to their condition in Christ. They have been buried to walk in a new life, they were joined with Christ in death and in resurrection, and the enslaving sin nature has been crucified. The Greek word for “consider” (the imperative verb) is “logizomai” which is a verb form of the noun “logos” which means “word”. This is an accounting term, but I love the emphasis this verb has on the power of words. We must speak the words of our condition often to remind us of our victory over the power of our sin.

“Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, so that you obey its desires.”

The imagery of this imperative is that of the power of a king, or kingdom, over its citizen. The word “reign” comes from the Greek word “basileuo” which is used in reference to rulers, kings, and their kingdoms. The term is also used almost interchangeably with the word “kurios”, the Greek word for “lord” in this text. Paul is calling on the Romans to reject any encroachment of sin into their lives. Like an alcoholic who knows one drink could result in a ten-year enslavement to the will of the bottle, Paul demands of the Romans that they run and repent because they know the dangers of attempting to tame sin.

“And do not offer any parts of it to sin as weapons for unrighteousness. But as those who are alive from the dead, offer yourselves to God, and all the parts of yourselves to God as weapons for righteousness.”

This is an imperative that Paul will use later on in the letter when he calls on the Roman believers to “present themselves as living sacrifices” . . . a powerful metaphor in the Christian faith.

So we must carefully consider what we are doing with our mind? Are we “offering” it to books, music, or videos? Are we offering our sexuality to our cultures standard of purity? Are our feet swift to find mischief? But let us not dwell on what we are not doing or what we are wise to avoid, and think that our idleness is obedience. What could we be reading that would renew our minds as to our condition in Christ? What music could we “offer” our ears to that would resonate in our worshipful heart? Are our feet swift to run to places of worship?

You have died with Christ . . . and you believe . . . that you will live with Him . . .

So start living faithfully in that condition.