Something To Boast About

Friday, January 27, 2012

Text: Romans 2:17-29

Reflection: Paul's point in this passage is not that the law, in and of itself, is worthless or meaningless. In fact, Paul will later argue quite the opposite. For while none of us earn the right to salvation by keeping the law, the law is critical because it reveals God's character, shows us how to please God in daily life, and leads us to realize what sin is. However, Paul also argues here that what matters most in the area of making a person a child of God is not keeping the law, but placing faith in Christ. The reason for this is because no person fully keeps the law at all times. Because this is true, if keeping the law were the standard to access to God's household the home would be empty. Rather, Jesus has kept the law on our behalf. In this way, God's just requirements of the law are kept while you and I gain access to the family by faith not in our keeping of the law but in Christ who kept it for us. So, there is no room for pride or boasting unless it is in boasting about the grace of our God. Now, that is something to boast about!

Kindness Over Judgment

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Text: Romans 2:1-16

Reflection: It's interesting to note that the heading for this section of scripture is God's righteous judgment. To some extent this is accurate as the passage no doubt talks about how God's judgment is accurate. But the main issue in this section is not really God's judgment of us, but rather his kindness and patience with us. (see verse 4) The whole point here is that we tend to pass judgment on others even though we ourselves have sinned in the same way as those whom we judge. Yet God, who is righteous and without sin, chooses to show kindeness and patience hoping to lead us toward confession and healing. For this reason we should think twice about judging other people. It seems to me that I have two choices when a person sins against me. First, I can judge them...and in doing so risk giving up God's patience as He is forced to also judge me. On the other hand, I can extend kindness and patience to them in the same way God has done for me. The question is will I imitate God or retaliate in anger. I'm thinking showing kindness is the way to go.

Evil In The World

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Text: Romans 1:18-32

Reflection: Sometimes its important to slow down and look closely at something so as not to misunderstand what is being done or said. That seems to be the case here in Romans 1 as Paul explains God's revealed and righteous wrath. Some time back, I read some comments about these verses suggesting that God's wrath against mankind is justified and that His direct actions against them was appropriate. While I would not disagree with the fact that God's judgments are always right, I do disagree with two wrong assumptions made by this author. First, God's wrath is not being poured out against people per se, but their wickedness. Notice that Paul is careful to say that God's wrath is not directed toward people, but toward "...the godlessness and wickedness of men..." As such, God is dealing with sinful actions rather than sinful people. Second, God does not directly do anything to these people. Notice that Paul says that God "...gave them over to the sinful desires of their hearts..." In other words, God allowed men to harm themselves as they acted on their own evil desires. As such, God did not harm humanity. Human beings harmed themselves as they acted upon their own evil desires. So rather than blaming God for the evil in the world, perhaps I should look in the mirror and realize that the evil so prevalent is a result not of God's anger but my acting out my own evil desires.

A Visible Faith

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Text: Romans 1:8-17

Reflection: It's interesting to note that Paul is thankful for the Roman Christians because of how their faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. As I think of this reality, it reminds me of several things that need to be true in regards to believers. First, we need to be people of faith. To have faith is to believe without doubt. It entails an inner conviction about the facts and reality of things. So Christians are to have unwavering faith in the gospel and person of Jesus. Second, our faith needs to be visible. The Roman believers lived in such a way that word of their faith spread throughout the world. They had a reputation to be people who believed in and lived for Jesus. Finally, I need to be thankful for rather than jealous of believers who gain a good reputation. When I hear of churches that are growing because of the visible faithfulness of their people I need to be thankful and celebrate rather than become jealous and irritated. I need to allow their faith to inspire me to act so that I too gain the reputation of being a believer and a doer. So as we enter the world today, let us make it evident that we are believers in Jesus.

Happy New Year

Welcome to 2012. I have always loved a new year while at the same time disliking New Year's Eve parties. I am not seeking to be a person who dampens a party. It's just that I don't really enjoying having to stay awake until after midnight. After all, I'm an early bird...so if I stay up until midnight I will get a maximum of three hours sleep. Now, I can function fine with three hours of sleep, but would prefer to avoid it. I also don't enjoy going out in the winter and having to go out into the cold that late at night to travel roads filled with people who perhaps should not be on the road to begin with. So, I don't really like New Year's Eve parties. However, I love a new year. It reminds me of new beginnings, new possibilities, new hopes and dreams for the future. It also reminds me of a passage of scripture written by the Apostle Paul to the Philippian believers. In that letter Paul writes the following...

"...But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining toward what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

When I think of these verse in connection with a new year, it reminds me to do several things. First, whatever is in the past should be left there. I should not let past failures limit future success any more than I should let past successes make me overconfident about the future. What is in the past should be treasured or learned from, and then left there. Second, I need to press forward in life to live as Christ has determined for me. I am to seek to fulfill all the God-given goals that I have for my life. Finally, I should remain focused on eternal life with Christ in the heavenly realms. In this way, I will continue to make a difference in this world until I am called to the next world. So, in this new year, let go of the past, press forward toward present goals, and keep an eternal focus at all times. If you do, what a new year it might be for you.

Lead Me And Keep Me Clean

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Reading: Nehemiah 13:30-31

Reflection: It's easy to pass over the phrase, "So I purified the priests and Levites of everything foreign..." But that is an amazing statment to be able to make. Remember that this is not a racist or ethnocentric statement. Nehemiah is simply stating what he sought to do...to remove from the religious leaders any and every item that did not belong either in the house of God or the lives of the leaders. What a statement...and warning to me as a pastor. It is not enough to show up and go through the motions. It is not enough to say the right things, perform the right tasks, and lead others to sacrificial worship. I, as a leader, must seek to purify me from all those things that would stain my leadership or cause me to lead others astray. This is a great challenge for me. I, like those I lead, am a sinful man redeemed by a great savior. Left to my own devices, I will falter and fail. I could easily say that I can "clean up my act" and "hold it together." However, like the priests and Levites of old who needed help from another to be purified, so I need help from another to clean up my life. That "other" is Jesus. Only He can make me, by the power of His Spirit, what by myself I can never become...a leader purified from all unrighteousness. So, like you, I cast myself on the mercies of God and ask the Lord Jesus to keep me clean and drive me forward in life. Only with His leadership will I stand secure. So, I humbly ask Him, lead me and keep me clean.

Wandering From The Faith

Friday, November 4, 2011

Reading: Nehemiah 13:23-29

Reflection: Do you remember how hard it was to stand on your own when you were a teenager? Maybe it was easier for you, but for me having the acceptance and approval of my friends was of utmost importance. It's not as though I didn't have an inner set of convictions by which I had decided to live my life. It's just that when following those core convictions was in conflict with gaining the approval of my friends, there were many times that I chose acceptance over convictions. I'm not proud of my decisions, but the honest truth is that I brought harm to others, shame to my family, and sin to myself as a means of fitting in with my peer group. These pressures are even greater when the "friend" is someone we are dating or someone to whom we have been married. Few people impact our thinking and conduct more than the person we marry. As such, Nehemiah was incensed when he found the people of Judah getting married to people who he knew full well did not share their values or faith. Nehemiah understood that these people would be led away from the worship of God, and soon they would be just like Solomon who forfeited his faith for the sake of the women to whom he was attached. So Nehemiah takes drastic action to make sure he addresses the situation. We should take note of what Nehemiah did, and take serious action ourselves if our sons and daughters begin dating people who do not have the same faith. If we don't, we may simply be standing on the sidelines as our kids throw away a faith they once embraced.