Tag Archives: Romans

His Mercy

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One of parts of the Bible that has always been the hardest to understand, hardest to wrap our minds around is that section of Romans from chapter 9 through 11.  In here Paul writes about things like election and predestination, for knowledge and hits upon free will.  It’s an area that has produced a lot of conversation, discussion, and yes, even arguments through Church History.

I will not attempt to explain this section this morning, don’t worry 🙂

But as Paul writes through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in this text, he says something today that sums it at all up nicely:

33 O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?”
35 “Or who has given a gift to him,
to receive a gift in return?”
36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen.

Paul says there are many things about God we don’t understand.  There are things about the mind of God that our finite human minds simply can’t grasp.  But, the one thing that we do know is this – God’s mercy.

What can we do to earn God’s mercy?  Nothing.

How can we seek to know the ultimate plan that He has? Nothing.

Is there anything we do to “make” God do anything?  No, He is an amazing, powerful, wise, loving, merciful God. He is above us, beyond us, strong and might.

He created everything.  Us included.

And, the mighty God chooses to love us.  Chooses to show us mercy.  Paul writes so much about the unknowable mind of God – but always reminds us of His mercy.  Of His love.  Of His grace.

So, instead of worrying about not being understand those mysteries, rely upon this – He loves you.  He shows you mercy. Rely upon that.

And let that knowledge call you to love God with all that you are. And love your neighbor as yourself.

For that’s the response He really wants from us.  The depths of His mercy know no limits.  May we see to love in the same way.

God’s Last Hope?

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I had a professor of mine in college that used to always remind us that we are not God’s last hope. God has more up His sleeve than any of us can imagine. God is always doing more than we can see.  He always has a great plan than our minds can fathom.

We need to be reminded of that. Sometimes we can feel like we are God’s last hope. That we are all He has.  No one is righteous, just us.  We are all that He has.

This can be a problem for a couple of reasons. First, we forget that God has a plan.  Do we honestly think that God is surprised by anything that happens?  That He is shocked?  That He thinks, wow, I didn’t see that coming.

Of course not. God is at work in all things that are happening in our life, and in our world.  God has not forgotten us, forgotten the world, forgotten His plan.  He is at work, even in the things that we feel like He can’t be.

Even in a bad economy.  Even in a fearful age.  Even when we are worried about all kinds of things.

God is at work.

The second reason we are not God’s last hope was driven home to me into day’s reading from Romans 11 where Paul writes this:

17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, a wild olive shoot, were grafted in their place to share the rich root of the olive tree, 18 do not boast over the branches. If you do boast, remember that it is not you that support the root, but the root that supports you.

It is not we that support the root, it is the root that supports us. We don’t support God, God supports us.

God does not need us.  He is God. He was here before us and will be here after us.  He doesn’t “need” us.

We need Him.  We need Him to live.  To serve. To be faithful. For all of us life.  We need Him for every breath, for every hope, for every dream.  We need Him.

Now, He wants to be in relationship with us.  He loves us.  He desires to know us.  He created us.  And He supports and loves us.

And we need Him.

So, don’t feel like you are God’s last hope today. Be faithful. Do good work. Love, support, pray, forgive.

But also know that God is a work in ways we can’t see. Trust in Him.  Rely on Him.  Know that the root supports you, not the other way around.

God is always at work, even today. Trust in His work, trust in His plan.

Nothing

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If you’re like me, sometimes you enter into your time of prayer weary.  I come before God with the list of all the things I’ve done wrong. . . . .

All the ways I’ve not loved Him with my whole heart. . . . .

All the ways I’ve not obeyed. . . . . .

The the ways that I have done wrong. . . . .

It’s easy to just enter into prayer heavy.  Thinking to God, there’s so much more I ought to be doing. There are so many things that I shouldn’t be doing.  Oh God, I’m not who I ought to be.

I think that’s the thing that stops so many folks from praying.  Just that knowledge, that shame, that, whatever it is.

So today, I read these words from Paul in Romans 8. And, wow.  Just listen to what Paul says.

Really listen:

37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. 38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[a] neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Did you hear that?  Nothing, nothing, nothing in all of creation can separate you from God’s love today.

Nothing.

Nothing you’ve done. Nothing you’re doing. Nothing you’re going to do.

Even if you’re as good as you’d like to be.

Even if you’re not as faithful as you’d like to be.

Even if you’re not doing everything exactly as you ought to be doing it.

Nothing can separate you from God’s love.

Wow. That’s awesome.

Today, don’t live like an abused servant.  Live like a loved child. That’s what you are.  You are a loved child of God.  Nothing can separate you from God’s love today!

Live with joy, with peace, with freedom.  You are loved!

Let go of your burden.  Live light!  Live in the light of God’s love and forgiveness.

Nothing can separate you from that love today.  Wow.  Live in that knowledge.

Thanks be to God!

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In Scripture, there are just certain passages that you read and you go – that’s it!  That’s how I feel!  That’s what I’m feeling, that’s what I’m experiencing

For me, Paul’s words in Romans 7 are that.  When I read the end of Romans 7, I say, yep, that’s the story of my life, that summarizes my feelings.  Today, as I read through it, a couple of things from this chapter just leapt out to me.

Paul writes:

I want to do what is right, but I can’t. 19 I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. 20 But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.

Hello?  Man, oh man, I’ve been there.  I know what’s right.  I know what’s wrong.  I know what I should do, I know what I shouldn’t do!

I know it.  It’s not guess-work.  I know the answer.  I know how I should live, serve, give, who I should be.  It’s a plain as the nose on my face.

And what do I do? What’s wrong. What I shouldn’t do. The very thing I don’t want to do. The very thing I despise.

The good I should do I don’t do, the evil I shouldn’t do, I do.

In other words, that thing that we struggle with.  That we know we shouldn’t do. That day after day after day we know we should not do – that very thing we do!

UGH.  It drive me crazy.  I don’t want to do it!  I want to be different.  I want to live apart from these sins.  Yet, I keep falling into it.

What am I to do?

The reason why I love this passage is because Paul gives an answer:

25 Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.

The answer is not my will power.  It’s not in my being good enough, smart enough, strong enough.

I can’t. I’ve already proved that.

It’s not in what I can do.  It’s in what He can do.

I can do nothing.  He can do all things.  I am weak, He is strong. I choose what is wrong.  He is what is right.

Through ourselves, our own devices, our own choosing, we get ourselves in trouble.

Through Jesus, we find life.

Thanks be to God!

Today, trust in Him. Rely upon Him. Cast your cares on Him.  He is life.  He is strength.  He is hope.  Lean not on yourself, but on Him.  Trust.  Live.  With Him.

Thanks be to God!  For in Him, all things are possible.